Nirnel
Villager
Hi, I was planning to introduce in my games something like this and I'd like to hear a little criticism. This is only the first draft, of course, so there are bound to be quite a few flaws in it. I hope it is not overly confusing at least.
Advanced Initiative
Normal initiative, although it’s a functional way to manage the order in which characters act, feels too much like a turn-based board game in which one creature acts while the others wait passively until their turn arrives, seeming to be a number of consecutive six-seconds turns instead of just on six-seconds round.
The present Initiative system, while mechanically a bit more complex than the standard, tries to convey the feeling of every creature acting at the same time, even if their actions are resolved in initiative order.
Action declaration
At the beginning of each round, every creature in the combat (or other Initiative-based interaction) declares which actions they intend to take. This declaration is made in ascending Initiative order and, after this, their turns start to resolve in descending Initiative order as normal.
What to declare
When declaring your intended actions, you must include your action, bonus action and movement, but not your reaction or free actions (except for the free object interaction, which should be declared).
You also need not declare the target of your actions or the exact point you are moving to unless the Narrator decides it is relevant information. These details can usually be decided when your turn arrives. After all, swinging your weapon at the goblin at your left or at the one right in front of you is a split second decision, and likewise ending a few feet left of where you originally intended to move would be a last moment decision.
What you do need to declare is the approximate place you intend to move towards. If it is not implied by your actions, you should indicate at least the zone you are moving to in a descriptive way, such as “towards the big tree”, “towards the north door” or “back towards the cover”. The Narrator needs to know the approximate direction of your movement (up to a variation of 45 degrees to either side) and distance.
Movement resolution
In a dynamic environment, the movement of different creatures can be resolved in one of several ways:
• If one of them stays in place, normal movement rules would be used.
• If they move towards each other and the sum of their movement speeds (doubled or tripled if dashing or running) is at least equal to the distance between them, they would meet in the middle point if they have enough movement (or, if the movement of one of the creatures moving towards the other is not enough to arrive at that point, they would meet in the limit of this creature’s movement). If one of their speeds is at least twice of the other, that creature can choose to move two thirds of the distance instead of one half, if it is triple the other creature’s speed, it can move three quarters of the distance and so on. If the sum of their speeds is not enough to meet, they move up to their limits.
• If one creature moves towards another and the target moves in the opposite direction, they both move in that direction and might not get into contact, even if the one pursuing the other had enough movement to catch the target if it had stayed still and acted in a higher initiative count. The one with less initiative moves 5 feet less, though, unless it was already moving in the same rough direction since the previous round (following the turns of a hallway or of a path count as moving in the same direction).
• If one creature moves towards a target and it moves sideways (not towards the first creature nor away from it), if the creature moving towards the other has enough movement, they meet at some point in the target’s path. If both creatures needed to use all of their movement to get to their targets, they meet in the target’s destination. If the “pursuer” has double the needed speed (either because it is faster of because it was at less than half of the maximum distance it could move), it can decide to meet the target at any point in the second half of the target’s movement; if the speed is triple the target’s, the chosen point can be in the last two thirds and so on. Note that if the target’s speed is higher than it needs to reach the destination, the distance the pursuer will traverse counts as greater for the purpose of calculating the point in which they will meet (if the target uses only half its movement, the pursuer only meets it halfway it its speed is 4 times higher than the target’s, for example, or if it only needs half its speed too but its speed doubles that of the target).
Engaging
Apart from declaring the type of movement you are using (if dashing, running or using a different movement type than walking) you can declare that you are Engaging a target. This means that not only will you move towards the target, but also if you have movement left you will use it to follow the target if it moves after your turn is resolved.
If one creature is engaging another it will follow its target if it moves again after it has been reached. The engaging creature can make an opportunity attack if allowed by the normal rules, but if it does so it will lose 5 feet of movement, putting a little space between both combatants and potentially making it impossible to make normal attacks in its next turn unless it has still more movement left than the target has.
Adapting
When the turn of one creature arrives, its planned actions might not be possible or advisable. Situations in which the declared action is impossible include not having a valid target, for example, whereas less advisable actions are those which became more difficult (maybe because the intended target was buffed by a spell or an effect such as cover). There can also be situations in which a new circumstance arises which needs addressing.
Combat options
Combat options is a term that includes actions, bonus actions and object interactions (everything but movement and free actios) in a creature’s turn.
Combat options can be classified by their complexity in three categories:
• Complex options: Casting spells of level 1 or more, or using non-basic combat maneuvers.
• Intermediate options: Casting cantrips or using basic combat maneuvers.
• Simple options: Any other option, including the attack action or using most class features.
When an option becomes impossible it can be substituted by another of the same or lesser complexity. When new circumstances make an option less advisable but still possible, it can be substituted by another of lesser complexity but not of the same complexity unless it was already a simple option.
New circumstances can be urgent (such as an ally falling unconscious, being affected by a dangerous spell or effect or attacked by a very dangerous newly arrived enemy, or an enemy trying to escape via an unforeseen escape route) or non-urgent (as a new enemy that is not especially dangerous or learning new information that reveals a new objective for the combat). Urgent circumstances work like impossible options (allowing the change towards an option of the same complexity), and non-urgent ones work like less advisable options (allowing the change towards a less complexity option). Sometimes there can be some disagreement as to whether a new piece of information was unforeseeable or not, or whether it grants a change of plans. The Narrator has the last word in this case.
Adapting usually is less optimal than doing what the character originally intended. When adapting, an attack action includes one less attack (with a minimum of one), the creature can’t make a bonus action or it expends its next reaction. The Narrator chooses the penalty that better applies to the situation. The Narrator can also allow a creature to adapt to a more complex option (only one category more complex, to the maximum of complex options) at the cost of two of these penalties instead of one, if they think these penalties might be appropriate.
Direction change
When the new options chosen by a creature in combat imply changing the direction it was moving towards by more than 45 degrees, some of its movement would be already used by the time the adjustment, or it would have a late start if it had not declared any movement.
• Start moving: If a creature that has not declare any movement for the turn later adapts and chooses an option that includes movement, all its speed traits are halved for this turn.
• Stop moving: If a creature that declared any movement and later changes so it would remain static will not stop until it has moved at least half its speed as originally declared.
• Turning sideways or back: If a creature changes the direction of its movement by more than 45 degrees, it would first move half its speed in the declared direction, before resuming its movement in the desired direction.
• At any rate, if anyone wants to change directions or stop moving and the trigger for the change happened when the creature has already moved (because the turn of other creature that engaged it happened before, for example), the spent movement is used instead of half its speed, if it’s a longer distance.
Extra Initiative
Since having a higher Initiative becomes more important due to the need to declare your actions, a creature now has the possibility to improve its initiative by expending its bonus action to increase its Initiative in 1d4, starting the following round.
Advanced Initiative
Normal initiative, although it’s a functional way to manage the order in which characters act, feels too much like a turn-based board game in which one creature acts while the others wait passively until their turn arrives, seeming to be a number of consecutive six-seconds turns instead of just on six-seconds round.
The present Initiative system, while mechanically a bit more complex than the standard, tries to convey the feeling of every creature acting at the same time, even if their actions are resolved in initiative order.
Action declaration
At the beginning of each round, every creature in the combat (or other Initiative-based interaction) declares which actions they intend to take. This declaration is made in ascending Initiative order and, after this, their turns start to resolve in descending Initiative order as normal.
What to declare
When declaring your intended actions, you must include your action, bonus action and movement, but not your reaction or free actions (except for the free object interaction, which should be declared).
You also need not declare the target of your actions or the exact point you are moving to unless the Narrator decides it is relevant information. These details can usually be decided when your turn arrives. After all, swinging your weapon at the goblin at your left or at the one right in front of you is a split second decision, and likewise ending a few feet left of where you originally intended to move would be a last moment decision.
What you do need to declare is the approximate place you intend to move towards. If it is not implied by your actions, you should indicate at least the zone you are moving to in a descriptive way, such as “towards the big tree”, “towards the north door” or “back towards the cover”. The Narrator needs to know the approximate direction of your movement (up to a variation of 45 degrees to either side) and distance.
Movement resolution
In a dynamic environment, the movement of different creatures can be resolved in one of several ways:
• If one of them stays in place, normal movement rules would be used.
• If they move towards each other and the sum of their movement speeds (doubled or tripled if dashing or running) is at least equal to the distance between them, they would meet in the middle point if they have enough movement (or, if the movement of one of the creatures moving towards the other is not enough to arrive at that point, they would meet in the limit of this creature’s movement). If one of their speeds is at least twice of the other, that creature can choose to move two thirds of the distance instead of one half, if it is triple the other creature’s speed, it can move three quarters of the distance and so on. If the sum of their speeds is not enough to meet, they move up to their limits.
• If one creature moves towards another and the target moves in the opposite direction, they both move in that direction and might not get into contact, even if the one pursuing the other had enough movement to catch the target if it had stayed still and acted in a higher initiative count. The one with less initiative moves 5 feet less, though, unless it was already moving in the same rough direction since the previous round (following the turns of a hallway or of a path count as moving in the same direction).
• If one creature moves towards a target and it moves sideways (not towards the first creature nor away from it), if the creature moving towards the other has enough movement, they meet at some point in the target’s path. If both creatures needed to use all of their movement to get to their targets, they meet in the target’s destination. If the “pursuer” has double the needed speed (either because it is faster of because it was at less than half of the maximum distance it could move), it can decide to meet the target at any point in the second half of the target’s movement; if the speed is triple the target’s, the chosen point can be in the last two thirds and so on. Note that if the target’s speed is higher than it needs to reach the destination, the distance the pursuer will traverse counts as greater for the purpose of calculating the point in which they will meet (if the target uses only half its movement, the pursuer only meets it halfway it its speed is 4 times higher than the target’s, for example, or if it only needs half its speed too but its speed doubles that of the target).
Engaging
Apart from declaring the type of movement you are using (if dashing, running or using a different movement type than walking) you can declare that you are Engaging a target. This means that not only will you move towards the target, but also if you have movement left you will use it to follow the target if it moves after your turn is resolved.
If one creature is engaging another it will follow its target if it moves again after it has been reached. The engaging creature can make an opportunity attack if allowed by the normal rules, but if it does so it will lose 5 feet of movement, putting a little space between both combatants and potentially making it impossible to make normal attacks in its next turn unless it has still more movement left than the target has.
Adapting
When the turn of one creature arrives, its planned actions might not be possible or advisable. Situations in which the declared action is impossible include not having a valid target, for example, whereas less advisable actions are those which became more difficult (maybe because the intended target was buffed by a spell or an effect such as cover). There can also be situations in which a new circumstance arises which needs addressing.
Combat options
Combat options is a term that includes actions, bonus actions and object interactions (everything but movement and free actios) in a creature’s turn.
Combat options can be classified by their complexity in three categories:
• Complex options: Casting spells of level 1 or more, or using non-basic combat maneuvers.
• Intermediate options: Casting cantrips or using basic combat maneuvers.
• Simple options: Any other option, including the attack action or using most class features.
When an option becomes impossible it can be substituted by another of the same or lesser complexity. When new circumstances make an option less advisable but still possible, it can be substituted by another of lesser complexity but not of the same complexity unless it was already a simple option.
New circumstances can be urgent (such as an ally falling unconscious, being affected by a dangerous spell or effect or attacked by a very dangerous newly arrived enemy, or an enemy trying to escape via an unforeseen escape route) or non-urgent (as a new enemy that is not especially dangerous or learning new information that reveals a new objective for the combat). Urgent circumstances work like impossible options (allowing the change towards an option of the same complexity), and non-urgent ones work like less advisable options (allowing the change towards a less complexity option). Sometimes there can be some disagreement as to whether a new piece of information was unforeseeable or not, or whether it grants a change of plans. The Narrator has the last word in this case.
Adapting usually is less optimal than doing what the character originally intended. When adapting, an attack action includes one less attack (with a minimum of one), the creature can’t make a bonus action or it expends its next reaction. The Narrator chooses the penalty that better applies to the situation. The Narrator can also allow a creature to adapt to a more complex option (only one category more complex, to the maximum of complex options) at the cost of two of these penalties instead of one, if they think these penalties might be appropriate.
Direction change
When the new options chosen by a creature in combat imply changing the direction it was moving towards by more than 45 degrees, some of its movement would be already used by the time the adjustment, or it would have a late start if it had not declared any movement.
• Start moving: If a creature that has not declare any movement for the turn later adapts and chooses an option that includes movement, all its speed traits are halved for this turn.
• Stop moving: If a creature that declared any movement and later changes so it would remain static will not stop until it has moved at least half its speed as originally declared.
• Turning sideways or back: If a creature changes the direction of its movement by more than 45 degrees, it would first move half its speed in the declared direction, before resuming its movement in the desired direction.
• At any rate, if anyone wants to change directions or stop moving and the trigger for the change happened when the creature has already moved (because the turn of other creature that engaged it happened before, for example), the spent movement is used instead of half its speed, if it’s a longer distance.
Extra Initiative
Since having a higher Initiative becomes more important due to the need to declare your actions, a creature now has the possibility to improve its initiative by expending its bonus action to increase its Initiative in 1d4, starting the following round.
