masshysteria
Explorer
Ever since reading this point three of this Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Rule-of-Three: 11/28/2011) and playing some BattleTech, I've been contemplating moving to side initiative for the next game I'd like to run. Being the next game is a light hearted short lived dungeon romp, I figure it is the perfect time to try something new to speed up combat and maximize fun. I find most combats slow down because players have to take order of events into account so there are a lot of delays and discussions about who should do what. By having the entire side go at once, the discussion is streamlined and delays are removed.
Here's what I'm thinking of proposing, any thoughts?
Side Initiative:
1. Each side rolls a d20 for initiative to determine initiative order.
2. The side with the highest roll acts with each participating member acting in any order.
3. The side with the next highest roll now acts with each participating member acting in any order.
4. Repeat step 3 until all sides have gone (only important in encounters with more than two sides)
5. Repeat from step 1 until the encounter is resolved.
Notes:
* The delay is removed.
* Surprise rounds are still available. Roll to determine who is aware of surprise. Then roll side surprise initiative. Only the surprisers and those aware get to act.
* Any interrupts actions and opportunity attacks work like normal.
I think combat could swing one way or another very quickly with a system like this. There is the possibility to go twice in a row. I was thinking about adding back in delay and inserting a step after step 4 that says anyone who delayed now acts in side initiative order in the delay step. (Edit: ) I guess another option is to not reroll initiative so that side always alternate. That might be the most elegant solution.
I'm thinking it may be good to have an initiative modifier, perhaps the side's average initiative modifier. But would you recalculated it every time an opponent was eliminated? It is more work, which slows down the game but I think it also make for some interesting tactics.
Here's what I'm thinking of proposing, any thoughts?
Side Initiative:
1. Each side rolls a d20 for initiative to determine initiative order.
2. The side with the highest roll acts with each participating member acting in any order.
3. The side with the next highest roll now acts with each participating member acting in any order.
4. Repeat step 3 until all sides have gone (only important in encounters with more than two sides)
5. Repeat from step 1 until the encounter is resolved.
Notes:
* The delay is removed.
* Surprise rounds are still available. Roll to determine who is aware of surprise. Then roll side surprise initiative. Only the surprisers and those aware get to act.
* Any interrupts actions and opportunity attacks work like normal.
I think combat could swing one way or another very quickly with a system like this. There is the possibility to go twice in a row. I was thinking about adding back in delay and inserting a step after step 4 that says anyone who delayed now acts in side initiative order in the delay step. (Edit: ) I guess another option is to not reroll initiative so that side always alternate. That might be the most elegant solution.
I'm thinking it may be good to have an initiative modifier, perhaps the side's average initiative modifier. But would you recalculated it every time an opponent was eliminated? It is more work, which slows down the game but I think it also make for some interesting tactics.