How to Roll a D100 Without a D100: Percentile Dice Methods That Work

Quick answer

Roll two ten-sided dice: one for the tens place and one for the ones place. Read them as a two-digit number from 00 to 99, and treat 00 as 100. Use a d10 marked 00-90 for the tens digit and a standard 0-9 d10 for the ones digit, and declare which is which before you roll.

You do not need a hundred-sided die to get a percentile result. The standard method uses two d10s, and most dice sets already include both: one marked 00-90 for the tens place and one marked 0-9 for the ones place. Once you know the reading order, you can run any d100 table without hunting for a specialty die.

The trouble is not the math, it is the reading. Two dice that look almost identical create an easy trap: rolling a 70 and a 4 and calling it 47 instead of 74. This guide covers the percentile dice method step by step, plus what to do when you only have one d10 or want to roll a d100 table quickly.

What percentile dice actually are

Percentile dice are simply two ten-sided dice used together to produce a number from 1 to 100. One die handles the tens digit, usually marked 00, 10, 20, up to 90. The other handles the ones digit, marked 0 through 9. Read them side by side and you get a result like 40 and 7, which is 47.

If your set only has two identical 0-9 d10s, you can still do this. Pick one die to be the tens die before you roll and keep that role for the whole session. The method is the same, you just have to remember which die is which.

• A 00-90 die plus a 0-9 die is the cleanest setup because the tens die is physically different.
• Two identical d10s work fine, but only if you assign roles before the roll, not after.

The two-d10 percentile method

Roll both dice at once. Read the 00-90 die as the tens digit and the 0-9 die as the ones digit. A 00-90 die showing 30 and a 0-9 die showing 6 gives you 36. A 00-90 die showing 90 and a 0-9 die showing 0 gives you 90, not 9.

The one special case is double zero. When the tens die shows 00 and the ones die shows 0, the result is 100, not 0. That is the only exception in the whole system, and it is the one players forget under pressure.

• Say the tens digit out loud first, then the ones digit. It cuts misreads at a noisy table.
• If a rule calls for 1-100, map 00 plus 0 to 100. If it calls for 0-99, map it to 0.

Reading order and the 00 trap

The most common mistake is reading the dice in the wrong order. If you roll a 70 and a 4, the answer is 74, not 47. The fix is procedural: decide before the roll which physical die is the tens die, and never swap that decision after seeing the numbers.

A second trap is a ones die that shows 0. A tens die of 50 with a ones die of 0 is 50, not 5. Treat the ones die as a placeholder digit, not as a number on its own.

• Announce your tens die before rolling. If you catch yourself deciding after the roll, reroll.
• When the ones die shows 0, keep the tens die value and append the zero.

When you only have one d10

Roll the same d10 twice. The first roll is the tens digit, the second is the ones digit. A first roll of 8 and a second roll of 3 gives you 83. This works, but it is slower and easier to fumble because you have to remember the first number while reading the second.

Write the first result down or say it out loud before the second roll. If you are rolling on a d100 table with a dramatic outcome, the extra beat of suspense is a fair trade for accuracy.

• For 00-99 results, treat a first roll of 0 as the tens digit 0, which gives you 00 through 09.
• For 1-100 results, a first roll of 0 and a second roll of 0 is 100.

Rolling on a d100 table cleanly

d100 table rolling is where the two-d10 method earns its keep. Tables often have 100 rows, and a misread sends you to the wrong row entirely. Before you roll, confirm whether the table is numbered 1-100 or 00-99, because that changes how you handle the double-zero result.

Keep the dice on the table until you have read both digits and stated the final number. Scooping them up early is how a 74 becomes a 47 in the retelling.

• Check the table's numbering range before the first roll of the session.
• Read the tens die, then the ones die, then say the full number before touching the dice.

Step-by-step: rolling a d100 with two d10s

1. Pick your tens die: Choose the die marked 00-90 as the tens die and the die marked 0-9 as the ones die. If both dice are identical, assign the roles out loud before rolling. Checkpoint: everyone at the table should know which die is which before the dice leave your hand.
2. Roll both dice together: Roll the two d10s at the same time and let them settle. Do not scoop either die until you have read both faces. Common mistake: rolling one die, reading it, then rolling the second. That is the one-d10 method and it needs a written note.
3. Read tens first, then ones: State the tens digit, then the ones digit, then the combined number. A 40 and a 7 is 47. A 70 and a 4 is 74. Checkpoint: if you hesitate on the order, reroll rather than guess.
4. Handle double zero: If the tens die shows 00 and the ones die shows 0, the result is 100 for a 1-100 range, or 0 for a 00-99 range. Confirm the table's range before you decide. Common mistake: calling double zero a 0 on a 1-100 table, which skips the top of the range.
5. Call the number before touching the dice: Say the final result out loud, then pick up the dice. This locks in the reading and prevents a later revision. Next step: apply the result to the d100 table or skill check immediately.

Dice that make percentile rolls easier

• Plains Mana Spindown Acrylic D20: A premium life counter for Magic: The Gathering players who care about the details, themed around Plains mana, in acrylic, with a lifetime warranty on all dice and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Spindown dice are built for tracking a single changing number, so they are handy for life totals and counters, but they are not a substitute for a tens-and-ones d10 pair when you need a true 1-100 result.
• '+1/+1 Counter Dice- Green, 6ct.: Six green +1/+1 counter dice that sit cleanly on your creatures and communicate quantities at a glance, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all orders. Counter dice keep board state readable, which matters when a percentile roll resolves a big effect and you need to track the aftermath without shuffling tokens.
• Pre-Order || Elemental Dragon Liquid Core Dice Set: A 7-piece liquid core set with a genuine liquid core that swirls and moves with every roll, including D4, D6, D8, D10 and more. This item is set to pre-order and orders ship in early September. A full 7-piece set gives you both d10s you need for percentile rolls, so you are not borrowing dice mid-session. Check the pre-order ship date if you need them for a specific game night.

Two d10s and a clear reading order are all you need for any percentile roll. Assign the tens die before you roll, read tens then ones, and remember that double zero is 100 on a 1-100 table. Do that consistently and you will never need a specialty D100 to run a d100 table.