What systems are you playing these days?

[Brasswatchman]

As a corollary to this thread - while programming said item, I initially figured I'd try to cover as many initiative systems as I possibly could. Unfortunately, this made me realize that, with a few exceptions, I didn't have any clue what game systems other than 4E and d20 people were playing these days.

So this leads me to ask, everyone - are any of you playing or recently played in a game using a non-d20-based system? If so, what? And if you don't mind my asking - how does initiative (or the equivalent mechanic) work?

[Thasmodious]

In addition to 4e, my groups is diving into Savage Worlds and I love their initiative mechanic. It's a set of regular playing cards with the jokers. Each PC and the monsters (however the GM feels like grouping them or dividing them) gets a card, count is from Ace high down to Deuce. A Joker lets you go whenever you want in the round, even interrupting someone else's action and gives you a generic +2 bonus, as well.

[Crothian]

I'm in a weekly Scion game. Initiative is called join battle (Wits + Awareness) and the more success the better. They have a battle wheel to keep track of it. And then each attack has a speed value so you move that many ticks along the battle wheel to see when you go next. It is possible then for a character doing fast attacks to attack more then once before someone else doing something slower gets a chance.

It's not the greatest system in the world.

[Stormonu]

We've been playing several non-d20 systems lately. Mainly Legends of the 5 Rings (L5R) and Vampire: The Requiem (VtR).

In L5R you roll a number of d10s equal to Reflexes (2 average, 5 normal maximum, 10 "godly" maximum) and keeping a number of dice equal to Insight rank (1 for a starting character, 5 normal maximum, 10 "godly" maximum). You add all the dice you "keep" together to get your init. This will usually be 2k1 or "roll 2 dice, keep 1", with an average of about 5 total. The higher your reflexes, the more dice you roll. The higher your insight rank, the more dice keep to add together

In VtR, you roll 1d10 and add an initiative modifier. The initiative modifier is based on the number of points in your Resolve trait and Composure trait - the average is 2 in each (normally the max is 5), so most folks roll 1d10 + 4 for initiative.

[Brasswatchman]

Originally Posted by Crothian

I'm in a weekly Scion game. Initiative is called join battle (Wits + Awareness) and the more success the better. They have a battle wheel to keep track of it. And then each attack has a speed value so you move that many ticks along the battle wheel to see when you go next. It is possible then for a character doing fast attacks to attack more then once before someone else doing something slower gets a chance.

It's not the greatest system in the world.

Yow. That does kind of sound like a mess, yeah. Don't think I can support that one - though - speaking as someone who hasn't played the game - I'm kind of amazed that you're able to keep track of things *without* a program...

[Brasswatchman]

Originally Posted by Stormonu

In L5R you roll a number of d10s equal to Reflexes (2 average, 5 normal maximum, 10 "godly" maximum) and keeping a number of dice equal to Insight rank (1 for a starting character, 5 normal maximum, 10 "godly" maximum). You add all the dice you "keep" together to get your init. This will usually be 2k1 or "roll 2 dice, keep 1", with an average of about 5 total. The higher your reflexes, the more dice you roll. The higher your insight rank, the more dice keep to add together

Interesting... thanks! I'll have to think about that...

Originally Posted by Stormonu

In VtR, you roll 1d10 and add an initiative modifier. The initiative modifier is based on the number of points in your Resolve trait and Composure trait - the average is 2 in each (normally the max is 5), so most folks roll 1d10 + 4 for initiative.

Sounds like I've got that one covered, then. Good to know. Thanks.

[Korimyr the Rat]

Pretty much the same systems I'm always playing: 3.5 D&D, Street Fighter, and HARP.

I house rule Initiative into a skill in D&D. So, instead of d20 + Dex mod, it's d20 + ranks + Dex mod. Yawn.

Street Fighter determines initiative round-by-round. Every maneuver has a Speed rating, positive or negative-- which ranges from around -4 to +4-- that you add to your Dexterity for physical maneuvers or your Wits for mental maneuvers. Attributes run from 1 to 5 (human maximum) to 8 (superhuman maximum). Characters declare their actions in order from lowest total Speed to highest, and characters with higher Speed can choose to interrupt at any time and perform their maneuver first.

In HARP, everyone declares their move in advance, rolls 1d10 and adds their Quickness and Insight modifiers (range from around -10 to +10 or so) and any modifiers for their chosen action. Modifiers all stack, and the total can range from about +10 to around -50 or so.

I'm sorely tempted to house rule initiative into a skill in HARP, too.

[Hussar]

Currently Savage Worlds - deck of cards initiative.

Next game is Sufficiently Advanced - no initiative to track - everything is resolved simultaneously.

I forget how Spirit of the Centry does it.

[Deepfire]

We play
- GURPS 3rd (Traveller background)
Your MOVE value determines when you can act in a round

- Rolemaster Fantasy (Midnight background)
2d10 plus attribute-bonus (I think) - you can shift your actionsequence by changing the difficulty of your throws (haste for instance)

- Call of Cthulhu (1920s, Orient Express)
No Initiative necessary in our campaign

German-speaking GM here - so I had to re-translate some stuff, please ignore mistakes

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Originally Posted by Brasswatchman

As a corollary to this thread - while programming said item, I initially figured I'd try to cover as many initiative systems as I possibly could. Unfortunately, this made me realize that, with a few exceptions, I didn't have any clue what game systems other than 4E and d20 people were playing these days.

So this leads me to ask, everyone - are any of you playing or recently played in a game using a non-d20-based system? If so, what? And if you don't mind my asking - how does initiative (or the equivalent mechanic) work?

I have played D&D 3E, 4E, d20 Modern, Shadowrun 3E and 4E, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2E, Cyberpunk, Dragon Warriors, DSA (The Dark Eye) and Torg. I think that's the major ones. I also read a little about some other game rules, either on message boards or by actually getting the rulebooks (like Exalted 2E, the latest Mongoose Traveller).

Many boil down "roll something for intiative, this determines sequence of actions."
Interesting - or problematic? - variation is in Shadowrun up to including 3E, where a high initaitive also means more actions. In 4E, you still get more actions (and that is my opinion still problematic), but it's not tied to the result of your intiative related check.

I am not sure in which system I saw a "shots"-based approach - maybe Changling or Exalted? Actions cost shots, and so if you take a long action, you act later. I think initial start is still determined by dice roll. That is certainly an interesting variation and probably an attempt to get a more "real-time" feel in the game.

Torg uses a Drama Deck to determine initiative, but it only distinguishes between the hero and the villain side starting its turn, and then you can resolve it in any sequence you like(typically clock-wise around the table with my group, but sometimes it depends on which skills we use. It makes sense to first "debuff" someone with a skill like Intimidate or Maneuver before someone else shoots him or engages in melee.)
A unique thing is that you have to decide whether you want to defend yourself actively or attack, and sometimes this means the losers of initiative do not get to act to avoid getting hit. (An active defense is always better). Sometimes it means the losers of initiative do an active defense and combine that action with a counter-attack (and thus effectively act together with the attacker).
The initiative cards in the drama deck do more than just determine who goes first - they also give each side bonuses or penalties and suggest actions that grant additional benefits.

[Mark Hope]

Torg. Mmmmm. Teh awesome .

I am running a house-ruled Mage: the Ascension chronicle at the moment. Initiative is determined by totalling each character's dots in Dexterity and Wits. Highest total goes first, but characters can delay if they want to.

The core rules actually suggest adding a single d10 roll to each Initiative total, but we can't be arsed with that. Too many damn dice in WoD games as it is! So we just go with static initiative. Works nicely and keeps the game flowing along smoothly.

In my homebrew (Pathfinder) we used the standard D&D3 initiative rules: roll d20 and add any applicable modifiers. But we do so at the end of the preceding combat and use that total for the next combat that comes along. That way we can move smoothly into combat without having to stop to "roll for initiative". This also means that, when we are setting the session up, all the players roll for initiative for whenever the first combat of the night breaks out (assuming there even is one). This makes for a fun opener to the session - rolling well or poorly means that you have something to look forward to (or dread) later on in the evening

[Thanee]

Shadowrun 4th Edition

You roll Xd6 (X being your initiative value) and your initiative result is X + the number of 5+ you rolled.

A round has (up to) 4 passes. Every participant has between 1 and 4 actions (depending on equipment, spells and such).

On the 1st pass, everyone acts in the initiative order.
On the 2nd pass, everyone with 2+ actions acts in the initiative order.
And so on.

Cortex System

That one's straightforward. You roll two dice and add them together. Initiative order from highest to lowest.

Bye
Thanee

[Wik]

Originally Posted by Thasmodious

In addition to 4e, my groups is diving into Savage Worlds and I love their initiative mechanic. It's a set of regular playing cards with the jokers. Each PC and the monsters (however the GM feels like grouping them or dividing them) gets a card, count is from Ace high down to Deuce. A Joker lets you go whenever you want in the round, even interrupting someone else's action and gives you a generic +2 bonus, as well.

Savage Worlds = Awesome. "rolling" for initiative is also really fun, because you can make a player do it. I have two decks, and give them to two different players, so one is shuffling while the other deals... once a joker is drawn, the initiative tracking job flips to the other player. Helps keep things fast! furious! And fun!

***

I like the Star Wars d6 method. Since characters can take multiple actions, it works like this: Everyone's first action goes off at the same time. Then everyone's second action. And then everyone's third action. And so on. If you need to figure out who shot first (henh henh), roll opposed agility checks.

So, Han and Luke are in a hallway fight with three stormtroopers. Two stormtroopers decide to fire twice, while the third will fire, run for cover behind a comm console, and then call for help. Han fires twice, and Luke will fire, run towards the troopers while drawing his lightsaber, and then cutting one to pieces with two attacks.

The combat order looks like this:

PASS ONE: (all the attacks happen simultaneously)
Storm Trooper #1 Fires
Storm Trooper #2 Fires
Storm Trooper #3 Fires
Han Fires
Luke Fires

PASS TWO:
Stormtrooper #1 Fires
Stormtrooper #2 Fires
Storm Trooper #3 runs for cover
Luke Runs towards troopers
Han Fires

PASS THREE:
Stormtrooper #3 calls for help
Luke Uses his lightsabre

PASS FOUR
Luke uses his lightsabre

Anyways. It's a fun system. But if you have multiple foes who each decide to do something different, it sort of falls apart. And action chains can get ridiculous, if players declare a string of actions and some event halfway through that chain of actions would change a PC's course of action (for example, Luke might want to keep moving forward instead of attacking the two troopers, so he can stop the third guy from calling for help).

But, overall, it's a neat system.

...man, I miss the d6 system.

[Crothian]

Originally Posted by Brasswatchman

Yow. That does kind of sound like a mess, yeah. Don't think I can support that one - though - speaking as someone who hasn't played the game - I'm kind of amazed that you're able to keep track of things *without* a program...

You just have a something for each character and move them around the wheel. The more characters in a combat the worse it gets.

[Wombat]

I'm in two biweekly games.

The one that has been running for a while is NWoD's Changeling, set in Las Vegas.

The new one is Ars Magica set in the Stonehenge Tribunal on the Welsh frontier.

Enjoying both of these immensely.

[maddman75]

One game is Savage Worlds: Slipstream, which uses cards as noted.

I run Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Each PC rolls d10 + Dex, and if they have the Fast Reaction Time quality they add another five. Dex is rated 1-6 for normal humans, though supernaturals can go higher. Doubt you'd see PCs higher than 10 (and that would be super-optimized)

I also play oWoD Vampire, which uses 1d10 + Dex + Wits. Abilities range 1-6 for most vamps.

[Woas]

3:16. Everyone rolls a d10 against your NFA (or AA in the case of the GM) stat. Then you compare: PCs all successful; aliens fail: ambush by the PCs. Highest success is a PC: that player sets initial rage... and so forth. There's 5 possible outcomes so it's not really a big list.

[coyote6]

Mostly d20-derived games at the moment, but I'll be starting a GURPS 4e game in a few weeks. GURPS 4e's initiative is, IIRC, the same as 3e -- in order of Speed, with occasional modifiers.

[slwoyach]

Originally Posted by Wombat

The one that has been running for a while is NWoD's Changeling, set in Las Vegas.

oh, dear, god....

[slwoyach]

I'm currently trying to get an Alternity game up and running. Alternity has a great initiative system:

The first thing you need to do is figure out your action check score. Your action check score is the average of your dexterity and intelligence, +1 to +3 based upon your profession. There are 4 phases in every round; amazing, good, ordinary, and marginal. Roll 1d20, if your result is 1/4 your action check score or lower you can act in the amazing phase of a round, 1/2 or lower gets you into the good phase, your score or lower is the ordinary phase, and if you fail your action check you don't act until the marginal phase. You also get an action in ever phase after your first action of the round. So if you score an amazing success you may act in all 4 phases. However, you're also limited in the maximum number of actions you can take per round. You determine this by averaging your constitution and will and dividing that by 4, rounding down. Ability scores for humans range from 4-14, so you'll rarely see 4 actions in a round (requires an average of 16 in con and will.)

It's not nearly as complicated as it seems when you start to use it.