Can You Reroll a 1 or 2 in D&D? A Comprehensive Guide to Rerolls in 5e

The short answer is: yes, you can reroll a 1 or 2 in D&D 5e, but it’s not a universal rule. It’s a mechanic tied to specific abilities, features, and spells rather than a general rule applicable to all die rolls. Understanding when and how rerolls work can significantly impact your gameplay strategy and the effectiveness of your character. Let’s dive deeper into the specifics of rerolls in D&D 5e.

Understanding Reroll Mechanics

Rerolls in D&D 5e are designed to mitigate the impact of low rolls on dice, particularly when it comes to damage. The general rule for a d20 is that a 1 is an automatic miss on an attack roll, but there are no inherent negative consequences to rolling a 1 on other dice unless otherwise stated. However, specific features and abilities, such as the Great Weapon Fighting fighting style, introduce the ability to reroll.

It’s crucial to understand that rerolls are not limitless. If you are granted a reroll from a specific ability, you must use the new roll, even if it is another 1 or 2. You cannot continuously reroll the same die. This prevents endless looping and ensures that randomness still plays a crucial role in the game.

Rerolls and Attack Rolls vs. Damage Rolls

It’s vital to distinguish between rerolls on attack rolls and rerolls on damage rolls. While both involve dice, they serve very different functions.

• Attack Rolls: A 1 on an attack roll is always an automatic miss, regardless of bonuses, and the primary reason to want to reroll an attack roll is to increase the chance of hitting a target. The main method to reroll an attack roll in 5e involves specific spells and abilities, like the Divination Wizard’s Portent feature.

• Damage Rolls: Rerolls on damage rolls, like those from Great Weapon Fighting, focus on increasing the damage output of your attacks. These rerolls only apply to the damage dice, not the attack roll itself. This helps to reduce the likelihood of very low damage from those rolls.

Specific Examples of Reroll Abilities

Several abilities grant the opportunity to reroll dice. Understanding the nuances of these abilities is essential to employing them correctly.

Great Weapon Fighting

The Great Weapon Fighting style, available to fighters, paladins, and rangers, allows you to reroll damage dice that come up as a 1 or 2 on melee weapon attacks made with a two-handed or versatile weapon when wielded in two hands. This applies to each damage die individually, so you can reroll multiple dice from the same attack that roll low. Importantly, this benefit is tied to the use of a heavy melee weapon.

Other Reroll Abilities

Other classes and subclasses may offer their own reroll mechanics, such as:

• Divination Wizard’s Portent: This allows a Divination Wizard to roll two d20s and replace their own or an enemy’s attack rolls or saving throws with either of these results.
• Races and Feats: Certain races or feats can grant you a limited ability to reroll attack rolls or saving throws under certain conditions.
• Specific Spells: Certain spells may allow you to reroll attack rolls or other types of rolls, depending on their specific mechanics.

Rerolls and Modifiers

Rerolls happen before any modifiers are applied. This means that if you roll a 1 on a damage die, reroll it, get a 2, and then add a +3 modifier, you’ll get 5 damage, not 4. It’s important to keep this order in mind when calculating the final outcome of your roll.

The Importance of Context: Reroll Rules

In D&D 5e, rerolls cannot be chained. If you have multiple sources of rerolls, only one can be used at a time, and once you have rerolled, you must take the second result. This limitation ensures that no single character can become too reliable on rerolls, and chance still factors into the outcome of every action.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can you reroll multiple dice with Great Weapon Fighting?

Yes, when using Great Weapon Fighting, you can reroll any 1 or 2 on the damage dice of a melee weapon attack made with a heavy weapon. If you roll a 1 or 2 on any number of the damage dice, you can reroll each one individually.

2. Does Great Weapon Fighting apply to flame tongue?

Yes, the Great Weapon Fighting style applies to the fire damage rolls of a Flame Tongue weapon. This is in addition to the weapon’s normal damage dice that can also be rerolled if they are a 1 or 2.

3. Can you reroll a reroll in 5e?

No. In D&D 5e, you can only reroll a die once. If you get a 1 or a 2 on the re-roll, you must take that re-roll. You can’t attempt another reroll.

4. What is the probability of rerolling dice?

While the exact probabilities depend on the type of die and the situation, a reroll generally increases your chance of success. For example, rolling a 6 on a d6 has a 1/6 probability, but by rerolling anything less than a 3 means that you have an overall higher chance of getting something greater than a 2, thus increasing the probability of a higher number.

5. Can you use a miracle dice on a reroll?

The use of a “miracle dice” or a similar mechanic can often be used to re-roll a die, even if it has already been rerolled. This is specific to the mechanic and may not apply to all rerolls in D&D. This is generally true of additional abilities.

6. Is it better to reroll hit or reroll wounds?

The mathematical probability of success is roughly the same, regardless if you reroll misses or wounds, assuming the probabilities of succeeding on each are roughly the same. When deciding if it’s better to reroll a hit roll or a wound roll, it’s more of a preference rather than a tactical decision. This is highly dependent on the situation.

7. What is Rule 0 in D&D?

Rule 0 is the understanding that the DM is the final arbiter of the rules. They can modify rules, add new ones, or otherwise change aspects of the game to fit their specific campaign.

8. What is the “take 20” rule in D&D?

The “take 20” rule allows characters to automatically succeed on skill checks when there is no danger, time is not a concern, and there are no negative consequences for failure. The idea is that given enough time, they would eventually roll a 20.

9. What happens if you roll a 1 in D&D?

A natural 1 on an attack roll is an automatic miss, regardless of any bonuses you have. Rolling a 1 on other dice usually doesn’t have any special effects unless stated otherwise by a feature, spell, or rule.

10. Is it a bad roll in D&D?

What is considered a ‘bad roll’ can be subjective. Most of the time, a bad roll is anything that would fail the task you are attempting, but some abilities, like the Talent feature, prevent you from rolling lower than 10.

11. What is the hardest number to roll on 2 dice?

The numbers 2 and 12 are the hardest to roll on two dice, as there is only one combination for each of them (1+1, 6+6). Each only has a 1/36 chance of being rolled.

12. Why is 7 the most common dice roll on 2 dice?

7 is the most common roll on two six-sided dice because there are six different combinations that can result in a 7 (1+6, 2+5, 3+4, 4+3, 5+2, 6+1), making it the most probable outcome.

13. What are the odds of rolling a 1 with 2 dice?

The probability of rolling at least one 1 with 2 dice is 11/36 This is calculated by understanding that 1/6 of the rolls on the first die will be a 1, and the second will not be, or vice versa, plus the scenario that both are a one.

14. Can you use two-weapon fighting with Green-Flame Blade?

No, you cannot use two-weapon fighting with Green-Flame Blade or a spell like it, because the spell uses an action, and the bonus action for two-weapon fighting is only available after the attack action, not a spell action.

15. Can Flame Blade be twinned?

No, Flame Blade cannot be twinned by the Twin Spell Metamagic, because the spell has a target of “self” and not another creature.

Conclusion

Rerolls in D&D 5e offer a layer of tactical depth by giving players more control over dice results. Understanding the specific conditions under which you can reroll dice is crucial for maximizing your character’s effectiveness. By knowing when you can reroll and what those rerolls mean, you can make better decisions, deal more damage, and ultimately have a more enjoyable D&D experience. Remember to always consult your character’s abilities and spell descriptions for precise rules on rerolling dice.