D&D 5E First Strike: Initiative in Next

[Sunseeker]

Individual initiative rolled once at the start, with the caveat that before a fight actually starts players are allowed to rearrange themselves within the order. It's infinitely more useful to have certain players with certain builds go first and others go last.

I don't like group initiative because it feels like it makes the players a little too organized. Yes it's good to coordinate what you're doing, but battles feel like they should be a little more hectic. Plus, I can be an evil DM if all my monsters are allowed to go in a group as well.

I've toyed with compromise to this though it's usually only for larger fights, of grouping 3-4 enemies into a "unit" to speed up rounds. Sometimes it works, but it still feels like I have to try to not kill my party because my forces are too coordinated.

Anyway, I prefer some form of individual initiative.

 

[Tehnai]

I've fallen in love with the MHRP initiative system!

-Whoever is the fastest PC plays first, unless there's a good reason for him not to (IE an ambush).
-Whoever played last decides who plays next.

 

[BobTheNob]

My preference is something a bit more "house-ruly" but really requires software to back it (dont worry, its easy enough, just takes more rolling )

Basically, initiative is constantly re-rolled. At the start of round, roll init. Highest acts. Then, when a creature finishes its turns, initiatives are re-rolled. Highest acts. Lather rinse repeat till completed. In addition, if someone want to delay, that simply a case of opting not to act.

In this way, no-one knows when its there turn, its a constant lottery intended to keep player on their feet as they cant play against the order and that things are a bit more "chaotic" and a little less gamist.

It does have one further extension that duration's are always measured against end of round instead of creature turns, with most short duration effect being till end of round. So yes, that ability you have which is till end of round could be devastating or useless based on how lucky your init roll is that round. It moves some luck away from the attack roll and onto the init system.

Just an idea.

 

[Sunseeker]

My preference is something a bit more "house-ruly" but really requires software to back it (dont worry, its easy enough, just takes more rolling )

Basically, initiative is constantly re-rolled. At the start of round, roll init. Highest acts. Then, when a creature finishes its turns, initiatives are re-rolled. Highest acts. Lather rinse repeat till completed. In addition, if someone want to delay, that simply a case of opting not to act.

In this way, no-one knows when its there turn, its a constant lottery intended to keep player on their feet as they cant play against the order and that things are a bit more "chaotic" and a little less gamist.

It does have one further extension that duration's are always measured against end of round instead of creature turns, with most short duration effect being till end of round. So yes, that ability you have which is till end of round could be devastating or useless based on how lucky your init roll is that round. It moves some luck away from the attack roll and onto the init system.

Just an idea.

I may be missing a vital point here, but how do you ensure that everyone actually gets a turn? It seems like Bob with the +8 init could theoretically high-roll multiple times in a row and thus get multiple turns. Or is there a ladder system involved where once someone has gone they're bumped to the bottom and people have haven't gone get priority?

 

[NewJeffCT]

It's definitely not in the D&D tradition, but I very much enjoy the Savage Worlds initiative system. It's fast, easy to understand, and helps keep combat dynamic and unpredictable.

For those of us who don't know the system, can you give me a summary of it?

Thanks

 

[KidSnide]

I'd like to see an initiative system that gives credit to fast characters, but doesn't begin every combat with going around the table getting initiative scores in order. That's OK for a combat that's going to take 30-60 minutes, but I don't want to begin a 5 minute combat with 2 minutes of bookkeeping.

One possibility that I've been considering is lumping combat into four phases and characters just go on the phase that is determined by their initiative roll:
16-20: Phase 1
11-15: Phase 2
6-10: Phase 3
1-5: Phase 4

Anyone who rolls over 20, subtracts 20 from their score, but then gets to join a surprise round where only the 21+ characters go. Then they join the regular set of initiative. Characters who roll under 20 (perhaps from a surprise penalty), miss their first turn, but then add 20 to the roll to slot into the second round of combat. (This assumes small bonuses, large bonuses alter the four phases as usual.) You could also think of the table like this:

36-40: Phase 1, Surprise Action
31-35: Phase 2, Surprise Action
26-30: Phase 3, Surprise Action
21-25: Phase 4, Surprise Action
16-20: Phase 1
11-15: Phase 2
6-10: Phase 3
1-5: Phase 4
-4 to 0: Phase 1, Miss First Turn
-9 to -5: Phase 2, Miss First Turn

DMs can put monsters on the phases or slot them between phases per their preference.

This will generate a bunch of PCs going at the same time, but I see that as a good thing. The conflicts don't matter much if you're not using a map and having players rolling at the same time speeds things up. Also, its combat -- a little chaos adds to the fun. If a particular order matters, the characters can always delay a slot.

But the real joy is that you just have to cycle through Phases 1-4. Characters are doing things in parallel (which speeds things up) and you can begin combat by just jumping in.

-KS

 

[Tom Servo]

For those of us who don't know the system, can you give me a summary of it?

Thanks

Oh, sorry bout that.

You deal out cards from a regular poker deck of cards. The highest card goes first then you start going down from there. The suits are ranked as well so that you never get a tie. Also, the jokers are extra awesome (bonuses); which adds a lot of excitement into the initiative system.

It ends up being really fast as whoever is taking care of initiative simply gives each player a card and off you go.

Basically the variety of doing individual initiative each round but in a very quick and simple way. It can be fun to go last one round then suddenly go first in the next. Really mixes things up.

 

[KesselZero]

I may be missing a vital point here, but how do you ensure that everyone actually gets a turn? It seems like Bob with the +8 init could theoretically high-roll multiple times in a row and thus get multiple turns. Or is there a ladder system involved where once someone has gone they're bumped to the bottom and people have haven't gone get priority?

I believe the idea is that the highest roll goes, then after he's done, everybody ELSE rolls. The highest roll of that group goes, and then everybody who hasn't acted yet this round rolls. And so on, until the end of the round, when it's reset.

 

[Sunseeker]

I believe the idea is that the highest roll goes, then after he's done, everybody ELSE rolls. The highest roll of that group goes, and then everybody who hasn't acted yet this round rolls. And so on, until the end of the round, when it's reset.

I figured it was something along those lines, but it wasn't too clear.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I grew up using group initiative, rolled once at the start of combat, then switched to group, re-rolled every round. The first is OK, but puts too much weight on the initiative roll to "win" the encounter. The second was too random, and took up extra time.

I frankly prefer the current cyclic initiative model, with initiative rolled once.