Roll 3D6
Three six-sided dice thrown together, with the total and each face. Three dice give 216 outcomes and a clear bell shape, so middle totals arrive far more often than the ends.
3d6 3
Press roll.
Lowest possible 3, highest 18, average 10.5.
The full 3d6 spread
| Total | Ways in 216 | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 0.46% |
| 4 | 3 | 1.39% |
| 5 | 6 | 2.78% |
| 6 | 10 | 4.63% |
| 7 | 15 | 6.94% |
| 8 | 21 | 9.72% |
| 9 | 25 | 11.57% |
| 10 | 27 | 12.50% |
| 11 | 27 | 12.50% |
| 12 | 25 | 11.57% |
| 13 | 21 | 9.72% |
| 14 | 15 | 6.94% |
| 15 | 10 | 4.63% |
| 16 | 6 | 2.78% |
| 17 | 3 | 1.39% |
| 18 | 1 | 0.46% |
Ten and eleven share the top
The average of three dice is 10.5, which no total can equal, so the peak splits in two. Ten and eleven have 27 ways each and take a quarter of all rolls between them. Widen it a little and 9 to 12 covers 48.1%, while 8 to 13 covers 67.6%.
The ends are rarer than they feel
There is exactly one way to make 3, which is 1-1-1, and one way to make 18, which is 6-6-6. Each is 1 in 216, so expect one extreme total roughly every 108 throws. All three dice matching on any face is 6 in 216, or 1 in 36. At least one six appears in 42.1% of throws, which is lower than most people guess.
Where three dice turn up
Old-school character stats, Chuck-a-Luck, and any game that wants a total clustered near the middle rather than spread evenly. The four-dice version used for ability scores is at roll 4d6; two dice are at roll 2d6 and the rest at the dice roller.