Dice Notation makes it simple and consistent to talk about dice rolls required from players in TTRPGs.
This is why you’ve probably heard the twenty-sided die used in Dungeons & Dragons commonly referred to as “a d20”.
A is the number of dice (usually skipped if 1)
d indicates it’s a die
X is the number of faces on that die
So, “3d6”1 means “roll three six-sided dice”. Isn’t that so much faster?
Dice Notation lets you treat your rolls like algebraic formulas, little unsimplified numbers you can put anywhere.
You encounter 1d4 wolves. My axe deals 2d12+1d6 damage. My healing prayer restores Ad6 health points (where A is my level).
Footnotes
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spoken as “Three Dee Six” ↩