Liar's Dice is a dice game for two or more players. This game cannot be joined if the game has already started. Up to five players may play this game on a table.

Players each start with five dice (5d6). Everyone shakes the dice in the cup then slams the cup to the table with the dice hidden on the table underneath. The player may then lift the edge of the cup to look at their own dice, but should keep them well hidden from the other players, as this is a game of bluff.

The starting player (determined randomly at the start of a game, otherwise the player who lost the previous round) makes a bid, based on his own dice, and what he believes the other players have. A bid is a claim that there are a certain number of dice showing the same face - for example, a player might bid three 5s - meaning that he claims that there are at least three 5s on the table, including his own and every other player's dice.

The player to his left then has three choices: he can make a bid of his own, he can call out the previous bidder for bluffing, or he can declare the previous bid to be "spot-on".

If a counter-bid is made, it must exceed the previous bid, in either the number of dice or the face showing. So to outbid a bid of three 5s, a player must bid a minimum of either four 5s, or one 6. Once bidding reaches 6s, any further bids can only increase the number of sixes believed to be on the table. There is no maximum bid or number of bids.

Calling a player's bid ends the turn and means that everyone's dice must be revealed and the truth of the bid established. If a player has been caught bluffing - that is, if the number of dice on the entire table showing a given face is less than his bid (so in the example, if there are only a total of two 5s among everyone's dice), then the bidder loses the round and must discard one of his dice (meaning he only rolls four in the next round). If the bid is true - that is, if there are at least the number of dice showing the face claimed (in the example, three or more 5s would make it a true bid), then the player who called the "bluff" loses a die for calling a true bid.

Declaring a bid spot-on means that the player thinks that the previous bid is exactly right. The dice are revealed and the number compared to the bid. If the number either exceeds or is less than the exact count of the bid (so, more or less than exactly three 5s), then the player declaring spot-on loses a die. If the declaration proves to be correct, then every other player on the table must lose a die.

After someone has lost a die, everyone rolls however many dice they have left and the process repeats, starting with the player who lost the last round (if everyone else lost a die after a player declared spot-on, then the player to the right of the player who made the declaration starts).

When a player loses his last die, he is out for the rest of the round. The winner is the last player who has any dice left at the end of the round. This player wins all the money anted by the table. A new round is begun by everyone paying the ante and starting again with five dice.

You may of course roll your own dice in secret for each round, so that only you will know what your dice show. If playing against NPC players, the DM will endeavour not to look at your rolls in the dice log while playing against you, though an NPC's stats will factor into their ability. When making a bid, a PC may roll a Bluff check to try and flummox an NPC player to their left. Obviously this check will have no effect on other PCs, who make their own decisions based on your bid. A high Bluff check result may cause an NPC to make a poor decision during their own turn, but there are no guarantees, especially if the NPC is a canny player in their own right.[Private to GM: straight opposed check, success means opponent takes second best option]

If you are not familiar with this game already, these rules might be a bit hard to follow - it is one of those games that is best learned and understood by playing.

You may only cash out of this game at the end of a round. If you leave before the round is finished you will lose your ante.