D&D 5E Summons and Rolling Initiative

[Goober4473]

I notice that pretty much all summoned creatures roll their own initiative and act accordingly. This makes sense in theory, and is very simple, but it's also kind of weird that if a summoned creature rolls a higher initiative than its summoner, it actually has to wait longer to take its turn than if it rolled lower.

Here are some possible fixes:

1) Summoned creatures always act on the summoner's turn instead of rolling initiative.

2) Summoned creatures roll initiative, but their initiative cannot be higher than the summoner.

3) Summoned creatures roll initiative, but don't act in the round they are summoned.

Which do you like best? Have another idea? Or do you think it's fine as-is?

 

[cmad1977]

If I had to choose I'd go with 3.


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[FormerlyHemlock]

I notice that pretty much all summoned creatures roll their own initiative and act accordingly. This makes sense in theory, and is very simple, but it's also kind of weird that if a summoned creature rolls a higher initiative than its summoner, it actually has to wait longer to take its turn than if it rolled lower.

Here are some possible fixes:

1) Summoned creatures always act on the summoner's turn instead of rolling initiative.

2) Summoned creatures roll initiative, but their initiative cannot be higher than the summoner.

3) Summoned creatures roll initiative, but don't act in the round they are summoned.

Which do you like best? Have another idea? Or do you think it's fine as-is?

I just declare that summoned creatures are surprised on the round on which they arrive. At the start of the next round, they declare actions just like anybody else, and roll initiative if necessary, just like anybody else.

In other words, the problem you're seeing is entirely an artifact of the cyclic initiative system. See my .sig.

 

[ClearlyTough69]

I've just had a look at the conjure spells in the PHB. They generally have this wording:

Roll initiative for the summoned creatures as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures,
but otherwise take no actions.

I don't see why you can't summon them, and on that same round command them, so that they act as you desire, but on their own turn in the initiative order.

 

[discosoc]

I've always ruled that initiative is only rolled at the start of a round (normally the first). If something gets summoned in or enters combat later, they don't get a chance to roll initiative until the start of the next round, based on the flow of combat chart in the PHB.

 

[Plaguescarred]

I notice that pretty much all summoned creatures roll their own initiative and act accordingly. This makes sense in theory, and is very simple, but it's also kind of weird that if a summoned creature rolls a higher initiative than its summoner, it actually has to wait longer to take its turn than if it rolled lower.

Here are some possible fixes:

1) Summoned creatures always act on the summoner's turn instead of rolling initiative.

2) Summoned creatures roll initiative, but their initiative cannot be higher than the summoner.

3) Summoned creatures roll initiative, but don't act in the round they are summoned.

Which do you like best? Have another idea? Or do you think it's fine as-is?

It's normal that coming into an already started initiative order makes higher count than the one you come into play take longer to come than a lower one. I don't see the issue though once you summon a creature on your turn and issue verbal comamnds, the summoned creature rolls initiative and will act before you anyway wether it rolls low or high. If it rolls higher than your initiative count, it only means it will act in the next round.


Yan
D&D Playtester

 

[Plaguescarred]

If it's having a summoned creature playing in a different round than when it was summoned that bothers you, you can also rule that any summoned creature's initiative rolls can only be lower than their summoner.

Yan
D&D Playtester

 

[Fanaelialae]

I think it's fine as-is (which is how I use it). It may be a bit counter-intuitive that rolling higher can make you act later, but the thing to keep in mind (IMO) is that either way the summon will act before the summoner's next turn.

I know a DM who likes to use #1 (summons act on the same turn as the summoner). It's easy but also a bit powerful, since the summons can act immediately. One option might be to combine it with #3 and have the summons act on the summoner's next turn.

#2 seems fine as well. You'd just need to decide what to do if the player rolls higher (reroll or go immediately after the summoner).

I wouldn't use #3 by itself because on a low roll the summons might not act until after the summoner's next turn. (Imagine a summoner who is top of the initiative cycle rolling a natural 1 for the initiative of his summons and having to wait almost two full rounds for the summons to actually do something; that seems a bit excessive to me.)

 

[FrogReaver]

If it's having a summoned creature playing in a different round than when it was summoned that bothers you, you can also rule that any summoned creature's initiative rolls can only be lower than their summoner.

Yan
D&D Playtester

I like it. Any initiative higher than the summoners places the summoned creature as going immediately after him.

 

[Undrhil]

Another option is to roll the initiative of the creature and just have it act on the caster's turn for that round and then use its own initiative for rounds after that.

So, if your caster goes on 10 and summons a dung beetle and the dung beetle rolls a 20 for its initiative, the dung beetle will act as soon as the caster summons it and then will act on its own initiative in the combat order thereafter (so, it'll then act on 20 in the rounds to follow, in this example.)