What is Deathrolling in WoW?

It’s straight-up gambling.

Two humans gambling using dice in WoW
Image via Wowpedia

World of Warcraft is about leveling up, doing quests, fighting other players, and finishing dungeons and raids. However, for some players, this isn’t exciting enough without taking risks. To remedy this, WoW players created Deathrolling, a game where you bet WoW gold.

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In this guide, we’ll tell you about Deathrolling, how to do it, and, most importantly, why you really shouldn’t go down this very dark and sad path.

What exactly is Deathrolling in WoW?

A goblin playing cards
Gambler. Image via Wowpedia

Deathrolling is a luck-based player-created game in WoW that uses the /roll command. Two players (sometimes accompanied by a third player who acts as a judge) get into a party and use the roll command until one of them rolls a one. Players start rolling from a very high number (usually 10,000) and gradually move down. Each Deathroll game usually takes less than a minute, after which a new Deathroll can begin. 

Let me start by emphasizing that I really don’t want you to Deathroll. Deathrolling is gambling, plain and simple. More importantly, it is unregulated gambling, which means there’s a good chance you can develop a gambling addition. Use the following knowledge for educational purposes only. You have been warned.

How to Deathroll in WoW

To engage in deathrolling in WoW:

  • Find another player who wants to Deathroll.
  • Form a party of two (you can also get a third player to act as a judge).
  • Decide on the amount of gold you want to bet (one gold, 100 gold, 1,000 gold, etc).
  • Each player types /roll to see who will go first.
  • The player with the highest number goes first and types /roll 10,000.
  • The next player repeats the process but types /roll using the number the first player got.
  • The first player rolls again but types the second roll’s number.
  • This keeps going until one player rolls a one.
  • The player that rolls a one loses and has to pay the winner the bet amount.

Example of a Deathroll

Let’s name the two players “Gambling Addict 1” and “Gambling Addict 2.” They want to play for 100 gold. They form a party and start Deathrolling.

Both players type /roll

  • Gambling Addict 1 rolls 83 (1-100)
  • Gambling Addict 2 rolls 40 (1-100) 

Gambling Addict 1 goes first:

  • Gambling Addict 1 types /roll 10000 and rolls 8,455 (1-10,000).
  • Gambling Addict 2 types /roll 8455 (the last rolled number) and rolls 5,023 (1-8,455)
  • Gambling Addict 1 types /roll 5023 and rolls 845 (1-5,023)—an unlucky roll.
  • Gambling Addict 2 types /roll 845 and rolls a 722 (1-845).
  • Gambling Addict 1 types /roll 722 and rolls an 82 (1-722)—another unlucky roll.
  • Gambling Addict 2 types /roll 82 and rolls a seven (1-82).
  • Gambling Addict 1 types /roll 7 and rolls a three (1-7).
  • Gambling Addict 2 types /roll 3 and rolls a one (1-3).
  • Gambling Addict 2 loses and pays Gambling Addict 1 100 gold.

Should you Deathroll in WoW?

No, and I cannot stress enough how much I don’t want you to Deathroll in WoW, or any video game for that matter. I’m not saying this because I’m worried you’ll lose your hard-earned gold; I’m saying this because I’m worried you’ll win.

Losing your gold to a deathroll will mean you’ll lose hours of your progress in a matter of seconds and, hopefully, realize how dumb deathrolling is and learn a valuable lesson.

The more you win a Deathroll (by pure luck, by the way) you won’t just be richer for a few hundred gold; you may also feel an adrenalin rush unlike any other. Knowing that you won WoW gold so easily while someone else lost will leave a permanent mark on your brain.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a gambler, you’ll still have this little engraving in your brain reminding you about the time when you won several hundred gold in a matter of minutes. So, why not do it again? Maybe you don’t even need the gold and just want to feel that rush again. You win some, you lose some, and before you know it, you’re either broke or richer than ever. Either way, you are addicted to it now.

Sooner or later, this won’t be enough for you anymore, and you might want to seek other, riskier, options outside of WoW. That will ultimately lead you down a very dark and lonely path, which can ultimately ruin your life.

If you’ve ever Deathrolled in WoW, won, and are looking to do it again, I urge you to reconsider and think about it. Whether it’s rolling for digital currency or real currency, you are still rolling for something valuable, and your brain may not be able to tell the difference. 

Instead of rolling for 100 or so gold, just go and earn it the old-fashioned way. You’ll thank me later.

Author
Image of Aleksandar Perišić
Aleksandar Perišić
Staff Writer. Aleksandar has been gaming ever since he can remember and has been writing game reviews long before he joined Dot Esports. He loves MMORPGS, Nintendo and Indie games. He also steals gifts on Christmas but then gives them back when everyone starts to sing.