D&D 5E Crawford's 9 D&D "Hacks"

lowkey13 · Aug 23, 2017

*Deleted by user*

Ralif Redhammer · Aug 23, 2017

I love mixing up the skill-stat options for skill checks now and then.

As for the others, I kinda like the 10 + initiative bonus thing. It might be useful at my open table, where we have a lot of players. Will test it out and see how that goes.

robus · Aug 23, 2017

Ralif Redhammer said:
I love mixing up the skill-stat options for skill checks now and then.

As for the others, I kinda like the 10 + initiative bonus thing. It might be useful at my open table, where we have a lot of players. Will test it out and see how that goes.

It would solve my problem of reliably rolling low for their initiative so the PCs always have a chance to pile on first

The Human Target · Aug 23, 2017

I don't think they know what hacks are.

lowkey13 · Aug 23, 2017

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Mercule · Aug 23, 2017

The Human Target said:
I don't think they know what hacks are.

Some of those are hacks. The "Don't roll for initiative" qualifies. Others, not so much.

Istbor · Aug 23, 2017

I honestly don't care much for the initiative suggestion given.

In part... I like rolling dice too, but also, I have a particular player that will ALWAYS build a character with high initiative.

Interestingly enough, he also can easily become subject to action paralysis.

I did like the piece of paper suggestion for it though.

Ristamar · Aug 23, 2017

Mercule said:
Some of those are hacks. The "Don't roll for initiative" qualifies. Others, not so much.

Sort of? "Initiative Score" (aka static creature initiative) is an official variant in the DMG. Not much of a hack.

Additionally, I find the player side of the initiative is what takes up much more time. Rolling only for monsters is more of a time saver if you're willing to keep a relatively static player initiative.

iserith · Aug 23, 2017

robus said:
It would solve my problem of reliably rolling low for their initiative so the PCs always have a chance to pile on first

Me too. [MENTION=6801813]Valmarius[/MENTION] and [MENTION=6801219]Lanliss[/MENTION] can attest to that.

It just wouldn't save me any time at the table to do it.

Mercule · Aug 23, 2017

Ristamar said:
Sort of? "Initiative Score" (aka static creature initiative) is an official variant in the DMG. Not much of a hack.

I missed/forgot that one. Agreed that it's not a hack, then.

Additionally, I find the player side of the initiative is what takes up much more time. Rolling only for monsters is more of a time saver if you're willing to keep a relatively static player initiative.

Well, I use an app that auto-rolls for monsters. It's so quick and easy that I even started doing individual initiative for each monster (it's a check-box). It has the ability to roll for the PCs, but no one has let me do it in the two-ish years I've offered.

So, yeah, going around the table is definitely the biggest slice of initiative time.

It only took me 18 months to train them that when I said, "Steve, what's your initiative?" that Jim and Sam shouting out their numbers didn't help anything and just made it harder to hear Steve. It's not like I didn't do exactly the same process with a sheet of notebook paper before I got the app. Or that I've gamed with these guys since 3E rolled out.