D&D 5E Alternate Initiative Rules

[DND_Reborn]

Not too complex. We have new players, and too much stuff will overwhelm them. I wish weapon speed factor and segment casting (remember that??) were doable, but it would just slow stuff down too much. I don't want ANY subtraction, just simple math. And I need something viable for monsters too that is easy to calculate on the fly.

Fair enough. So, you mention in the OP you don't like the swingy d20, but when you go to smaller dice you get more ties.

Here is an option I am just spit-balling:

Use your DEX, INT, or WIS modifier (your choice) and roll a d6 for each point. Add them together to get your Initiative. This makes a character with good reflexes, quick thinking, or insightful to the situation/opponents more likely to act first.

Certain conditions could penalize to aid your total number of dice. For instance, Alert could still add a flat +5 or maybe it adds a die? Each level of exhaustion could remove a die? And so on. At a minimum, you always have at least 1d6 to roll.

Is that too complex?

 

[BrokenTwin]

There's plenty of initiative systems out there that I prefer over D&D's initiative system. My two favorites right now would be Savage World's card-based initiative, and Shadow of the Demon Lord's fast-turn/slow-turn system.
To elaborate, in SW each round the GM deals a card to each player, and one card for each enemy/group. If you're dealt a joker, you can go whenever you want to, and get a bonus to your action. They even have their own version of the Improved Initiative feat, where you're dealt two cards instead of one, and take the better card.
SotDL's fast/slow system is a bit more free-form. Essentially, each round is split into two phases. Choosing to act in the fast round means you can either move or use an action, but not both. PCs act before NPCs, but beyond that they act in whichever order they wish. So it goes Fast Phase (PCs then NPCs) -> Slow Phase (PCs then NPCs). This system does favour the players, so as the GM you'll need to account for that when you plan your encounters.

 

[Horwath]

Interesting, care to share how that has worked for your group? Has it been an improvement or made initiative more interesting or fun? Or has it been simply a roll that is calculated differently?

it rewarded character that invested in both abilities. You would have more consistent results.

It is disappointing when you make a character that is good in ambushes and then constantly being among the last in the initiative round. While d12 is still quite a spread in number it's less random than d20 and we decided on d12 instead of d10 as it is a nicer dice and gets almost 0 usage anyway.

 

[Nebulous]

Fair enough. So, you mention in the OP you don't like the swingy d20, but when you go to smaller dice you get more ties.

Here is an option I am just spit-balling:

Use your DEX, INT, or WIS modifier (your choice) and roll a d6 for each point. Add them together to get your Initiative. This makes a character with good reflexes, quick thinking, or insightful to the situation/opponents more likely to act first.

Certain conditions could penalize to aid your total number of dice. For instance, Alert could still add a flat +5 or maybe it adds a die? Each level of exhaustion could remove a die? And so on. At a minimum, you always have at least 1d6 to roll.

Is that too complex?

No, that's kind of cool. I had mentioned to the other DM that our proposed system might result in too many ties, and our backup was to rely on DEX if that happened. Which would just be another complication.

Using your example, what if each class (and monster) used their Hit Die instead of a base d6? And yes, your idea would make it easy to remove from the dice pool to reflect initiative penalties.

 

[jasper]

Crazy Idea. d12 plus half your pc level. Monsters get d12 plus your cr level.

 

[Nebulous]

Another idea (good lord, there's so many ways to go about this):

Average Dex/Int/Wis together and roll that many dice as your HD type. I did that with our cleric and monk, and each would roll Init 2d8 and Init 3d8 respectively.

 

[BrokenTwin]

The only problem with using dice pools for initiative is that it would bog down the game. Especially if you play a combat heavy game. Initiative should be quick to resolve and get out of the way so you can get to the engaging stuff.

 

[DND_Reborn]

No, that's kind of cool. I had mentioned to the other DM that our proposed system might result in too many ties, and our backup was to rely on DEX if that happened. Which would just be another complication.

Using your example, what if each class (and monster) used their Hit Die instead of a base d6? And yes, your idea would make it easy to remove from the dice pool to reflect initiative penalties.

I would steer away from HD type myself since a gargantuan creature with a d20 could make for some crazy results, but you can look into it and maybe it will work out fine? Like I said, I was just throwing the idea out there.

I was also thinking a spell like Haste could add to the pool. Maybe monks could spend a ki point to gain a bonus d6? (or whichever die type used).

Finally, I encourage again the use of INT and WIS as well as DEX. It diminishes the importance of DEX (never a bad thing IMO).

 

[DND_Reborn]

The only problem with using dice pools for initiative is that it would bog down the game. Especially if you play a combat heavy game. Initiative should be quick to resolve and get out of the way so you can get to the engaging stuff.

We moved to the roll once and forget it default for 5E. Rolling, even just a d20, and reorganizing the order each round, slowed things down too much. I was afraid using the same order each round would make things too predictable, but it hasn't and works great IMO.

 

[Nebulous]

I would steer away from HD type myself since a gargantuan creature with a d20 could make for some crazy results, but you can look into it and maybe it will work out fine? Like I said, I was just throwing the idea out there.

I was also thinking a spell like Haste could add to the pool. Maybe monks could spend a ki point to gain a bonus d6? (or whichever die type used).

Finally, I encourage again the use of INT and WIS as well as DEX. It diminishes the importance of DEX (never a bad thing IMO).

The HD thing the other DM brought up. It would make fighter types (and monsters) more aggressive in battle by default. Which makes sense, but I would need to see it in play. And yes to the haste and ki points and (and slow!) modifying rolls. Advantage/Disadvantage? Or remove from dice pool? The dice pool will generally be small.

As for Dex, it could even be removed, and relegated to AC and Dex saves where it's already so prevalent. But averaging it in also diminishes the importance greatly.