Dreams of 5th Edition - This is How Initiative Should Work

Following on from the previous entry, this is a supercharged look through my crystal ball into the future of the 5th edition of D&D. Lots of questions and answers with a big example round in the middle of it all.

Q: So how has initiative changed in 5e?

A: Well for a start you no longer roll initiative. Your character has an initiative score which represents readiness and capacity for action, reflexes and agility and battle wisdom and experience. The higher the initiative score, the quicker they act and the greater is their capacity to react to other combatant’s actions during a combat round.

The next big change is a move away from a purely cyclical initiative system to a discrete initiative system. The start and end of a round are important as they mark a discrete time frame for opportunity and advantage. However there is still a cycling through of combatants in order of initiative scores; an order that remains fairly consistent from round to round despite momentary changes to initiative scores caused by different actions in battle.

Perhaps the most important change is that combatants can now act across the breadth of a round rather than at one specific point. While a character can act on their turn, they can respond to other combatant’s actions and reactions with reactions of their own across the game round. Thus a player’s attention and capacity for action is maintained across a round rather than being overly focused on their character’s specific turn. A character may in fact not “act” on their turn, devoting all of their attention to reacting to other actions and reactions instead. The important result is significantly less downtime, greater attention to the opportunities for action at the table and thus greater emphasis on and opportunity for teamwork.


Q: So when can my character act during a round?

A: A character can act across the breadth of a round: on their turn, before and after. Combatants can perform actions on their turn in initiative. In addition, all combatants can perform reactions in response to other combatant’s actions or even other reactions. Reactions may only be performed after a combatant has had their turn in initiative. However, a combatant may also react to something happening before their turn but this requires an immediate reaction. Immediate reactions are usually limited in scope (in terms of movement and action) and more expensive in terms of character resources.

For example during a round: as an immediate reaction Kalgan the Rogue may drop prone and roll 5 ft. avoiding the worst of a drake’s fiery belching; on his turn with an action Kalgan can back flip up throwing a masterwork dagger through the back of a goblin’s braincase killing it and then later in the round as a reaction shift into a flanking position when an orc is injured by an ally. As shown, characters can act across the entire breadth of a round but the greater a combatant’s initiative score relative to others, the more opportunities they have to perform reactions.


Q: So you can perform actions on your turn, reactions after your turn and immediate reactions even before your turn. What exactly are actions and reactions though?

A: An action is a particular effort that the character initiates on their turn. It is an act that does not need to react to something happening or be triggered by some other action. For example a character may move into a more advantageous position, thrust a sword strike against a foe, or even cast a spell unleashing a ball of fire as an action on their turn. Actions are not reliant on a specific event or trigger to initiate them but actions may only be performed on a combatant’s turn.

Reactions though are a response to something happening in battle. For example, if a foe falls to a blow in combat, this trigger can be used for a cleave attack against an adjacent enemy where the momentum of the previous killing strike opens the opportunity for an additional melee attack. While the trigger for an action may occur, it obviously does not always have to be taken. If an enemy moves through a square threatened by a character (the trigger for an opportunity attack), the character may choose not to spend a minor action on an opportunity attack, preferring to save the effort required for a future endeavour.

Reactions always have a specific trigger. When this trigger happens, it allows the performing of the reaction, possibly interrupting the action or reaction that triggered it. Reactions are resolved when they are triggered; possibly being performed before the action that triggered them is completed and possibly being interrupted by another reaction in response (see the example below for how this works in practice). When reactions are triggered by other reactions, this forms a chain of reactions to be resolved in order.


Q: OK, but won’t this really suck if my character has a poor initiative score?

A: Sometimes but certainly not always. A relatively poor initiative score just means that reacting to things in combat is difficult but not necessarily impossible for your character. While it is not their forte, there are still ways around this: performing immediate reactions, using abilities that increase your initiative score, and fighting against enemies who have had their initiative score lowered below your character’s initiative score.

Immediate reactions can be performed before your initiative as long as your character is not flat-footed; you’re character is flat-footed if they haven’t already acted in combat. However, immediate reactions normally cost more resources (and sometimes significantly so) but sometimes, such immediate actions can really save your character’s bacon.

Most characters will have access to abilities or things that could occasionally increase their initiative score. However, perhaps more effective for a party are the use of abilities that when successful lower an enemy’s initiative score thus advancing everyone’s initiative in relation to the enemy. While you obviously can’t always choose your foes, reducing an enemy’s capacity for action and reaction by lowering their initiative is always a valid tactic (see combat round example below). Importantly in practice, as long as a character can act before the enemy, they will not be disadvantaged by their initiative score.


Q: So how many and what types of actions/reactions can my character perform in a round of combat?

A: All characters can perform a primary action/reactions and a number of secondary actions/reactions in a round. [From this point, action is used to refer to be actions and reactions.] To begin with, a starting (level one) character can perform a primary action, a minor action and one of either a martial, mental or spiritual action dependent upon the class of the character. Martial actions relate to tactical movements and physical combat efforts. Mental actions include those requiring specific checks of thought or arcane power. Spiritual actions are momentary celestial connections to create certain divine effects. Minor actions however are the general all-purpose action that can be used to perform any other type of secondary action, be it martial, mental or spiritual. In addition, some specific actions require a minor action (and thus the performing of such actions in a round is limited).

In terms of classes, Fighters will focus on extra martial actions, Clerics will focus on spiritual actions (and possibly martial ones too), Rogues will focus on martial actions (and possibly mental actions), and Wizards will usually focus solely on mental actions. As a character develops in expertise and experience, they gain further secondary actions, be they martial, mental or spiritual. For example a high level character may be able to perform a primary action, a minor action, three spiritual actions and two martial actions during a round of combat.

In addition and worthy of mentioning is the free action. A single free action such as speaking, dropping a held item or even dropping prone may be performed as part of any other primary or secondary action. For example as well as moving 50ft as a primary action, a character may yell out instructions to other combatants. As a sidenote, this clarifies the sometimes vexing question of when a character can speak during combat. During any primary or secondary action, you can perform a single free action and thus speak to warn the other characters, ask a question, give a nod or shake of the head, or answer in response to something happening. This provides an elegant restriction mirroring the rounds ordered progression of action and reaction.


Q: So why have a default static initiative score rather than a modifier?

A: Having default scores makes it easier for the DM to manage the order of actions as the order of combatants remains steady from round to round. By having a default order, the occasional change in initiative is more easily handled than if initiative order was randomly determined every round or at the start of combat and with further changes on top of this. As well, it means that an initiative score is a defined entity that reflects the ability of the character. It is an attribute that allows suitable comparison between combatants. It means that a combatants place in initiative has been determined by their natural ability and expertise, their condition and importantly what happens in combat; not on the random factor of a d20 roll.


Q: But will my character’s initiative score change that much during an encounter?

A: Normally no, although most martially orientated characters have abilities that allow them to improve their initiative score in the initial round of combat including any possible surprise round. The PCs however may have several abilities up their collective sleeves that might lower an enemy’s initiative. This is important as it means that more characters can act in front of the enemy and thus be able to better react to its attacks. As well, since the enemy is slower, it will not be able to defend itself as well against attacks on it.


An Example Round

In this example, a typical party (Rogue, Fighter, Cleric, Wizard) is attacked by an Ogre who has corralled six vicious Goblins to his cause of interrupting the party’s journey and profiting from the encounter. This example will break down the 2nd round of combat.

Default Initiative Scores

19 Rogue (Primary, Secondary actions {Minor, 2 Martial})

16 [E]Goblins (Primary Action, Secondary action {Minor})

15 Fighter (Primary, Secondary actions {Minor, 2 Martial})

13 Cleric (Primary, Secondary actions {Minor, 1 Martial, 1 Spiritual})

10 [E]Ogre (Primary Action, Secondary action {Minor})

8 Wizard (Primary, Secondary actions {Minor, 2 Mental})

During the first round, the rogue and fighter use abilities to get a momentary boost to their initiative as the two sides engage – neither side surprised the other. Some attacks were made on both sides with the rogue killing a Goblin who was flat-footed (it had not acted before the Rogue’s turn). The Ogre has positioned himself so as to attack either the Cleric or Fighter or possibly rush through to the “puny” Wizard.

During the second round, no combatants are flat-footed, initiatives return to the default above and the DM runs down these scores in order.


New Round (2nd)

NR Wizard:
Mental Action: to maintain Qadisha’s Dire Shielding (successfully cast and completed on previous round). Any ongoing spells requiring concentration or attention will usually require some expenditure of effort; such effort is always addressed at the beginning of a round.


19 Rogue: Primary action: to hide behind a nearby tree in the forest shadows. (DM adjudicates this: working out the Rogue is successful.)


16 Goblins: Primary and Secondary actions: to charge the Fighter and Cleric as well as one looping around to attack the rear-positioned wizard. (They all use up their primary and secondary actions to do this).

IR16: Fighter: Minor immediate reaction: Opportunity Attack on Goblin damaging the creature and stopping it from moving further (triggered by the goblin moving into the fighter’s martial zone). (Opportunity attacks can normally only be performed as a martial reaction but the fighter has an ability that allows them to be performed as an immediate minor reaction thus allowing the fighter to react before his normal turn of 15 in initiative).

R16: Rogue: Martial reaction: Ranged Attack (dagger) on damaged goblin (triggered by the goblin receiving damage). This ends up being a critical attack killing the hapless Goblin.

IR16: Cleric: Minor immediate reaction Blessing of Levandar offering the fighter additional protection from an incoming Goblin attack.

The Goblins finish off their attacks missing the fighter (thanks to the Blessing) but wounding the Cleric.


15 Fighter: Primary action: Attack which successfully kills another hapless Goblin.

R15: Fighter: Martial reaction: Cleave Attack at another Goblin within his martial zone but unfortunately missing.

R15: Goblin: reaction to shift 5ft. (triggered by the Fighter missing the goblin in melee). Note that this does not cost the goblin any action (as accounting for reactions would be too burdensome for the DM for minor creatures such as these). This is something the goblin can do whenever it is missed in melee combat.


13 Cleric: Martial action: to shift 5ft. and thus threaten the Ogre.
13 Cleric: Primary action (burning a spiritual action): to Smite the Ogre with the Censure of Arayas. (Using a spiritual action to augment the primary action is referred to as burning the spiritual action). This strikes the Ogre causing it to reel in a world of holy pain and judgment, which amongst other things reduces it’s initiative score by 5 and makes it grant combat advantage until it can take it’s turn in initiative.

R13: Rogue: Martial reaction: Ranged Attack (dagger) as before; drawing and throwing the dagger in a single motion but this time completely missing the disorientated Ogre (the Rogue was receiving an attacking bonus from the successful Censure).


10 Ogre: Cannot act because its initiative score is momentarily penalized down to 5.


8 Wizard: Primary Action: Finishes casting his Lucifus’s Dazzling Coruscation successfully. (This was started the previous round with a minor action and was made more difficult to cast successfully because the wizard already has another spell in effect that was continued at the start of this round). Seeing the Ogre in trouble, he targets the Coruscation upon the hapless Ogre which causes the lumbering beast further pain as well as a further initiative penalty of 5.
8 Wizard: Minor Action: Moves a small distance back to put more distance between himself and the circling goblin.
8 Wizard: Mental Action: Starts casting a lesser spell to be completed next round (a more powerful spell might have cost a minor action or even a primary action to start casting).


0 Ogre: As the Ogre’s initiative has been taken down to zero (or lower), the Ogre can only take a single action (any flavour) at this point. However, it has to deal with several effects first. The Censure of Arayas lasts until the end of the round but since the creature has got to its turn in initiative, it is no longer granting combat advantage. However, Lucifus’s Dazzling Coruscation is a different story. This takes a minor action to possibly alleviate it’s effects (Requires a Fortitude Save). The Ogre however, doing it’s dumb best decides that a primary action to attack the fighter with it’s club is in order (having no idea what has happened to it and not wanting to clear its wit’s).

R0: Fighter: Martial Reaction to shield block the attack (triggered by being attacked with a blockable weapon). This increases the Fighters defences sufficiently that the blow misses miserably.


EOR Ogre (End of round): Censure of Arayas dissipates at the end of round.
And so this round ends, ready for the third round to begin.


Other Miscellaneous Ideas and Issues

Q: So in a nutshell, what are you trying to fix or improve with these changes to initiative?

A: In essence: add a significant extra dimension to combat, make initiative values represent something, spread a player’s attention and capacity for involvement across a round (rather than at a specific point), increase opportunities for interaction and teamwork, handle reactions (or what used to be readied actions) in a clearer way, address the natural imbalance between casters and fighters as well as make the overall experience a more vivid representation of the to and fro of battle.


Q: How will initiative mechanics affect the balance issues between casters and martial types?

A: In 3e, casters found it very easy to cast their spells with only occasional concentration checks (a skill usually maxed out) to determine success or failure, or 5ft. steps to move out of the way of threatening enemy’s. In 2e, you had the difficult circumstance of having spells interrupted and failing (even if the caster took but a single point of damage). In 4e, casters had the power level of their effects reduced to be in line with other characters (which took a little of the colour out of the spellcasters which made them special in their own way). The aim of this initiative approach is to address these issues in a couple of ways.

Casters generally have a low initiative score which means that their scope for reaction is limited; if they do need to react to something dire, they are forced into an immediate reaction which will either be costly in resources or maybe even impossible. The reverse of this is also true: that who they’re targeting will most likely have had their turn in initiative and so the target of a spell will have the capacity to react advantageously to the spell. A target that can react to a spell is more likely to increase their defences or reduce the effectiveness of a particular spell in one way or another.

Also most of the more powerful spell effects require a longer casting time than 3e/4e’s effectively instant spellcasting. This means that a caster will sometimes have to start casting in one round and finish it in a subsequent round (normally the next one). While they may not be as easily interrupted as in 2e - they don’t automatically lose a spell when damaged - there is greater scope for an enemy to try and disrupt a caster due to the longer casting times, particularly for more powerful effects.

The other factor of initiative that affects a spellcaster is that like 4e, they will be held more strictly to an economy of actions. A lot of spells have a duration of concentration (the duration of spells has been simplified to either instantaneous, concentration, encounter [no more accounting of a variable number of rounds] or larger periods of non-variable specified times such as an hour, a day or even a year). A spell of duration concentration requires the burning of a mental action at the start of a round. As such, how many such effects a caster can have going at any one time is limited by their expertise and subsequent number of actions per round as well as how willing they are to use up all these resources. Examples of this will be given in a future blog in relation to magic, but this is one factor that is easily used to rein in the flood of summoned/called monsters to a battle amongst other issues in relation to economy of actions.


Q: What is the thinking behind the minor action versus the other secondary actions?

A: The trick with a minor action is that it is restricted to once a round (or twice if the primary action is used for an additional minor action). In this way you can naturally limit such things such as second, opportunity or cleave attacks.

For example a character might have two martial actions in addition to their primary and minor actions. With an opportunity attack, this normally costs a character a minor action to perform. As such, our character can only perform one opportunity attack a round. However, if someone has the combat reflexes ability, they can perform opportunity attacks as a martial action. So our character can perform two opportunity attacks as martial actions (and a third one with their minor action if necessary).

Cleaving is another example. A Cleave attack may be a minor action, where as a character with the Great Cleave ability can perform cleave attacks as a martial action. Having this structure allows a natural progression and scope for certain abilities while maintaining a reasonable economy of actions. It gets rid of the weird circumstances in 3e where a fighter would be restricted to a certain number of normal attacks but could easily and spectacularly defy this natural limit with a strange abundance of attacks of opportunity and cleave attacks, which could at times defy belief as well.


Q: How is player downtime and the scope of a round addressed?

A: Rather than acting at a single point in the round, a character has the capacity for a number of reactions across a round. This means that the player needs to actively attend to what’s going on interacting with both enemies as well as allies. This reduces downtime, provides a focus for teamwork and interaction as well as naturally lessens the harshness of 3e action failure (a player does not have their turn, fail and then have to wait an entire round to act again).

In terms of the scope of a round, 3e had a true richness of what could happen but at the expense of character actions soaking up more game time, leading to longer rounds and thus greater downtime between player turns. 4e addressed this downtime issue by reducing the mechanical scope of what could happen and how quickly it could be resolved which allowed for more streamlined actions to induce less downtime. However the payoff was an increase in combat rounds and a feeling of grind (where an encounter’s outcome was determined ahead of when the encounter was actually completed).

The aim of this system is to keep some of the mechanical scope, flavour and complexity of 3e while at the same time reducing downtime by having players act across a round rather than at a specific point. It attempts to solve the downtime issues without limiting the scope of the game or creating a feeling of grind.


Have any questions, criticisms or thoughts? Don't be a stranger and feel free to post a reply.

Next time, I'm going to look long and hard through the crystal ball to find out what is to become of the humble hit point. Will it stay? Will it be vaguely defined? Or will it finally be consistently defined and expressed and used in new ways that finally make sense?