D&D 5E Alternative Initiative: try this

[Nebulous]

Another idea. Every character has the same number of cards, call it X. The cards for a single character are not exactly the same. They are numbered from 1 to X. If the number on the card is equal to or less than the character's init modifier (or some type gradation), then that character goes then and all of his other cards during the rounds are ignored. If the number on the card is greater then that card is ignored.

Pro: Gradation taken into account, player portion of deck is consistent through out session.
Con: Ignoring multiple cards probably reduces the tension level.

Again just a thought.

I think I want to go simpler than that, minimal math and calculations. If a high Dex character or Agility feat character goes, they get 2 cards. Maybe once per day (?) they can elect to go before a monster at their choice, so it gives them a benefit from having devoted feats to being fast.

 

[Coredump]

lol, that would work too, but i'm practically done now and they turned out looking good. Not sure how to do the backs of them though. I wish i had a sheet of thick ply paper with a pattern on one side.

It will still work. Just print them up on regular paper, and slide them on top of a magic card in the protective sleeve. Its the same way we made proxy magic cards. Easy, cheap, uniform, replaceable, don't have to worry about the backside. (And it can be a pain trying to print the backside...)

 

[Coredump]

Another idea. Every character has the same number of cards, call it X. The cards for a single character are not exactly the same. They are numbered from 1 to X. If the number on the card is equal to or less than the character's init modifier (or some type gradation), then that character goes then and all of his other cards during the rounds are ignored. If the number on the card is greater then that card is ignored.

Pro: Gradation taken into account, player portion of deck is consistent through out session.
Con: Ignoring multiple cards probably reduces the tension level.

Again just a thought.

Simpler version. Just remove all of the cards that have card#>Init modifier. If you are just going to ignore them no reason to have them. (What do you do if Init modifier is 0?)

That is almost the same system I plan on using, with X=5 (Except I have 1 more card each)

 

[Nebulous]

It will still work. Just print them up on regular paper, and slide them on top of a magic card in the protective sleeve. Its the same way we made proxy magic cards. Easy, cheap, uniform, replaceable, don't have to worry about the backside. (And it can be a pain trying to print the backside...)

My attempt amounted to this: I printed the images on regular paper on a color laser printer: I taped the images to a red colored folder, the thicker stuff, and tried to feed it through a laminator at work in a plastic sleeve, but the damn laminator warped the paper so it came it all curved, so the cards are not flat and cannot be shuffled. Worst case scenario i can just use the raw images on plain printing paper, but that will not endure the long run. Ideally i would want to have a product that can stand the test of time and be reusable.

 

[Nebulous]

So i created around 40 images at high resolution, and i found a website that will print them in poker size cards and quality, but that can get costly quickly, and this is just an experiment to see if we like this system, i'm not sold on it until we try it in play.

 

[Coredump]

So i created around 40 images at high resolution, and i found a website that will print them in poker size cards and quality, but that can get costly quickly, and this is just an experiment to see if we like this system, i'm not sold on it until we try it in play.

Dude, I'm telling you this is super easy to solve. I have done it a ton of times.

Just print them out on regular paper, and then either:

Method 1)
Buy some Magic (or)
Buy some [url=http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Green-Protector-Sleeves/dp/B00CKXUHB2/ref=sr_1_19?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1433817346&sr=1-19&keywords=card+sleeves&refinements=p_36%3A-400] sleeve (or) protectors

If you ask the ebay folk for 'some extra commons' I am sure they won't care.

Method 2)
Go to your FLGS and ask any magic player for any 25 commons and card sleeves. They may just give you the cards for free, the sleeves are pretty cheap too.

Method 3)
PM me your address. I will send you 25 commons and sleeves to use. (How many do you need?)



You put the magic card in the sleeve to give it strength and stiffness, then just slide the paper you printed over the magic card. It really does work great.

 

[Dragonblade]

Love the cards, Nebulous! Do you mind sharing?

And thanks Fabio for the idea! Its brilliant!

My suggestion for a base "deck" mix, would be 4 for each PC class (two of each gender), plus maybe 2-4 of each monster type (Aberration, Dragon, Undead, Giant, etc). That's what? Maybe 60-80 cards total? If this was a commercial product, with some cool art for each card type, I'd totally buy it.

Here is how I'd rule it:

When running a combat, each PC and NPC/monster "group" gets one card representing them pulled from the base deck to create an initiative deck for that combat. This is shuffled and placed face down. Each turn a card is drawn revealing who goes next. Cards are placed left to right showing initiative order. Spells or conditions that last one round can have a token placed on the initiative slot where they started.

At the end of the round, cards are reshuffled and drawn again for the next round. Any previously placed spell or condition tokens are resolved when that initiative slot comes up again.

Option 1: PCs and monster groups can roll an initiative check against DC 20 at the start of every round, adding in all traditionally applicable modifiers. Success allows them to place two cards in the deck for that round. Characters can then act on the first card drawn, or at the DM's option for a more powerful variant, can act when each card is drawn, effectively being able to go twice in some rounds.

Option 2: Spell durations or conditions aren't assigned to a specific slot, but rather stay associated with the creature casting or affected as appropriate, and their changing initiative order. Depending on the draw of the next round, this means they may last longer or less than they would otherwise.

 

[camilaacolide]

Made my own cards!
Check the picture attached!
The process, for those interested, is quite easy:

1. Color laser print 8-9 of them to linen paper 80 GSM.
2. Spray glue this paper to a thicker 180 GSM paper (I use black paper and 3M Super 77 glue).
3. Hang this somewhere and spray a layer of transparent glossy paper varnish, front and back.
4. Cut the individual cards using a card cutter (expensive) or exactoknife + ruler (cheaper).
5. The end result looks a lot like official game cards (just a bit thicker), and very durable!

Going to try this on Wednesday.
Using Fabio's rules: each PC gets a card, each monster group gets a card, reshuffle every round. Fast and simple.

 

[pukunui]

I really like the idea of using cards to determine initiative. I'm getting so tired of rolling.

I had a possible solution to the issue of accounting for high Dex. What if, instead of giving those characters another card, you just left them out of the deck when you shuffle it, then take the top half of the deck and shuffle high Dex chars' cards into the top half? That way, they'll always at least go in the top half of the initiative order but won't always go first, as it were.

 

[Fabio Andrea Rossi]

I really like the idea of using cards to determine initiative. I'm getting so tired of rolling.

I had a possible solution to the issue of accounting for high Dex. What if, instead of giving those characters another card, you just left them out of the deck when you shuffle it, then take the top half of the deck and shuffle high Dex chars' cards into the top half? That way, they'll always at least go in the top half of the initiative order but won't always go first, as it were.

Mhm not sure...it seems a big advantage, but I may be wrong as I'm not strong on statistics. But, it will surely add a delay in deck set up timing, which you need to do every round. Not so big if you set aside those chars, but it rubs me in the wrong way...if you try let us know how it works!