D&D 5E Intiative Score (DMG variant rule)

[GlassJaw]

Because of this thread (which you should read, it's good stuff!), I took a look at some of the variant rules in the DMG (also a must-read).

Anyway, I haven't tinkered with Initiative variants very much. While the RAW system isn't perfect, I also haven't seen any variant system that offers enough to warrant replacing RAW.

That said, I'm slightly curious about the Initiative Score variant in the DMG, In a nutshell, everyone gets a flat Initiative score equal to 10 + Dex (so basically a passive Dex score). Combatants then act in order of their score.

Pros
Less die rolling, which speeds up combat.
Rewards characters that have invested in Dex and Initiative.
Predictability allows the party to tailor strategy.

Cons
Less die rolling. Rolling dice is fun.
Penalizes characters with low Init scores. They never get a chance to act higher in the order.

Has anyone tried this? I'm inclined to give it a try. The pros outweigh the cons for me. While it's a bummer that slow characters will always act later in order, it is frustrating to have a character with high Init be penalized by poor rolls. Plus determining order at the start of combat can be time-consuming.

With this method, I'd also think about trying Init = 10 + Dex + Int...maybe (with ties going to higher Dex).

 

[JeffB]

Not in 5E I have done it. But I have run a bunch of sessions in 3.0 using the starter set which uses the same simplified initiative score. I find cyclic initiative boring as hell, and this variant even worse. IME it also keeps players less engaged because they know X amount of people have to go before it's their turn again. :grabscellphone:

I'm a proponent of round by round random group initiative. I'd like to see 6E go back to this, a longer round, and ditch the hard coded action economy. Yes I know I'm wishing for a lot, but nothing makes combat more static and boring in (any version) of D&D than modern cyclic initiative, 6 second rounds and hard codified action economy.

 

[FrogReaver]

Because of this thread (which you should read, it's good stuff!), I took a look at some of the variant rules in the DMG (also a must-read).

Anyway, I haven't tinkered with Initiative variants very much. While the RAW system isn't perfect, I also haven't seen any variant system that offers enough to warrant replacing RAW.

That said, I'm slightly curious about the Initiative Score variant in the DMG, In a nutshell, everyone gets a flat Initiative score equal to 10 + Dex (so basically a passive Dex score). Combatants then act in order of their score.

Pros
Less die rolling, which speeds up combat.
Rewards characters that have invested in Dex and Initiative.
Predictability allows the party to tailor strategy.

Cons
Less die rolling. Rolling dice is fun.
Penalizes characters with low Init scores. They never get a chance to act higher in the order.

Has anyone tried this? I'm inclined to give it a try. The pros outweigh the cons for me. While it's a bummer that slow characters will always act later in order, it is frustrating to have a character with high Init be penalized by poor rolls. Plus determining order at the start of combat can be time-consuming.

With this method, I'd also think about trying Init = 10 + Dex + Int...maybe (with ties going to higher Dex).

I think the static order would be a bit boring.

That said - a possible compromise - team player could roll 1 initiative dice and team monster 1. That value modifies each characters initiative on that team. Possibly make that dice a d8 instead of a d20 to reduce variability. Team player would follow the same order every fight which makes it easy for players. But sometimes the orcs turns may fall between different characters turns.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I use this exclusively for monsters. It's something I can prep in advance, and it saves me a bit of die rolling when combat is spinning up, so we get to the actual fighting faster.

In practice, it generally means that most monsters tend to go in the middle of the initiative order. Sometimes they're last if the PCs roll well. Very rarely do they act at the top of the order.

I let the PCs roll for their initiative. I've not offered the option to them, but I think most would rather take the luck of the die.

 

[GlassJaw]

I use this exclusively for monsters. It's something I can prep in advance, and it saves me a bit of die rolling when combat is spinning up, so we get to the actual fighting faster.

In practice, it generally means that most monsters tend to go in the middle of the initiative order. Sometimes they're last if the PCs roll well. Very rarely do they act at the top of the order.

I let the PCs roll for their initiative. I've not offered the option to them, but I think most would rather take the luck of the die.

Wow I like this idea a lot. Great hybrid solution.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Thanks, I've been using it for two years or so now and it's worked out pretty well for me.

Wow I like this idea a lot. Great hybrid solution.

 

[prabe]

Thanks, I've been using it for two years or so now and it's worked out pretty well for me.

It'd probably be kinder to monsters than forcing them to rely on my dice. I'm really, really tired of the monsters always going last in the order.

 

[Jediking]

I use passive initiative for creatures and NPCs, but have the players roll.
If there is a climatic boss fight, positioning, surprise, or any other circumstances I add (or subtract) 2 or 5 to their passive score.

I tend to homebrew, or at least tinker, with a lot of my monsters and this allows me to add in new traits that can affect initiative of creatures and how they react. This is also contingent on properly using the Stealth, Surprise, and Passive Perception checks in my experience.

I find it helps me prep combats or to set them up faster, so the pacing has improved overall.
Also makes it easier to use Initiative as another ability check/skill - I have experimented with having it as a class skill on certain lists, with mixed results. It interacts in different ways that I call and adjudicate the use of skills, so have had players regret not taking another skill and going too "combat" heavy.

Edit: skimmed past Ralif's comment. Glad that I was on the right track somehow

 

[atanakar]

I use this exclusively for monsters. It's something I can prep in advance, and it saves me a bit of die rolling when combat is spinning up, so we get to the actual fighting faster.

In practice, it generally means that most monsters tend to go in the middle of the initiative order. Sometimes they're last if the PCs roll well. Very rarely do they act at the top of the order.

I let the PCs roll for their initiative. I've not offered the option to them, but I think most would rather take the luck of the die.

Well, well, well, I'm always looking for new ways to roll less die as a DM. This is an auto-add ! THANKS!

 

[ad_hoc]

This gives a huge amount of weight to Dex for initiative. It's actually just Dex order.

I already think Dex should be removed from initiative but at least in the default system it doesn't have a huge impact.

There will be a lot of ties too which kind of defeats the purpose.