In Nobulous Encounter #2, why roll the dice if Gearlocs may set them to any side, and does it cover allies?

Question

Accepted Answer

Roll first, then set, because some skills trigger only on rolled dice. Only Gearloc dice may be set; allies and Baddies still roll. A single die can be set only once per turn.

Too Many Bones: Undertow

In Nobulous Encounter #2, why roll the dice if Gearlocs may set them to any side, and does it cover allies?