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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 9468083" data-attributes="member: 2209">Parts of it from the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/17003/players-handbook-1e?affiliate_id=17596" target="_blank">1e PH</a> are mostly fine. There is a lot of wiggle room for the DM to throw in whatever consideration they want also. I can't find any explanation of how spells are supposed to factor in normal round initiative (there is a clear explanation for the surprise round segments) or reverse engineer why a lot of spell timing things work out the way they do from the example combat. Why does 1 segment sleep not go off in the 1 segment of free action surprise round? 5 segment silence going off before later begun 7 segment prismatic spray makes sense but not sure how winning initiative would have interacted with a shorter spell. No idea why thief who looses initiative goes before the initiative winning illusionist's spell goes off.Rate of fire for missile weapons is not explained but you can infer it works like multiple fighter attacks and that works. Or have them go simultaneously on normal initiative and that would work too.Page 38:Rate of fire is based on the turn (for table-top miniatures) or the melee round.Page 43:Casting Time shows the number of melee rounds, or segments of a melee round,required to cast the spell. Remember that there are 10 segments to a melee round,10 melee rounds to a turn. Some spells require additional time and preparation.Page 104:INITIATIVEThe initiative factor affects who can do what and when during the course of anencounter of any sort. Surprise, already covered heretofore, obviates the needfor initiative checks, as the surprising party has complete freedom of action fora time. However, surprise eventually wanes, and then, just as in othercircumstances, the relative weight of action must be determined. Initiative allowsone group, the party or the monster(s), to begin some course of action prior tothe other group.Actions affected by initiative are many and include slamming a door, fleeing,moving to grapple or melee, a call for a truce or surrender, firing wands,discharging missiles, beginning a spell, and so on.The initiative check is typically made with 2 six-sided dice, 1d6 for the party,and another of a different size or color for the creatures encountered. Thischeck is made each round of play where first action is a factor. Because around is a full minute long, dexterity seldom is a factor in the determination ofwhich side acts first. However, if one group is slowed or hasted, or one or moremembers of the group are, the initiative will always go to the non-slowed orhasted side. In most other cases, the group with the higher die score will alwaysact first. For effects of initiative in fighting, see COMBAT hereafter.Page 104 again under the COMBAT section:This form of fighting includes the use of hand-held weapons, natural weaponry(claws, horns, teeth, etc.), grappling, and special or magical touch attacks, i.e.poison, petrification, paralysis, energy level loss, etc. As with most other combatforms, the first “blow” will be struck by the side gaining initiative during theround. Surviving opponents will then be allowed their attacks. Note that hasteand slow spells will have the effects heretofore mentioned. Fighters able to strikemore than once during a round will attack once before opponents not able to doso, regardless of initiative, but if fighter and fighter melee, initiative tells. Positionand weapon length will sometimes affect the order of attack in melee combat.Page 105:Example of Combat:A party of 5 characters — a magic-user, a cleric, a thief, a human fighter,and a dwarf fighter surprise an illusionist with 20 orcs. The opponents are 30’distant, and the magic-user immediately begins casting a sleep spell [1 segment casting time]. Thecleric also prepares to cast a spell, silence, 15’ radius [5 segments casting time]. Meanwhile, the thiefdarts to the rear of the party to attempt to hide in the shadows and attackfrom behind when opportunity presents itself; the human fighter nocks anarrow and shoots it at the illusionist; and the dwarf hurls an axe. The surprisesegment is over, and initiative is determined. The illusionist/orcs win initiative,and while the former begins a spell of his own, the latter rush to attack,hurling spears as they come. A spear hits the magic-user, so the sleep spell isspoiled. The orcs are attacked by the fighters, the cleric casts his spell uponthe illusionist, and the magical silence both spoils his prismatic spray spell [7 segments casting time] andenhances the chances for the thief’s attack, for he is successfully slinking andsliding around in the shadows. Thus, after surprise and 1 melee round, theparty has inflicted 2 hits upon the illusionist, spoiled his spell attack, andfelled one orc and wounded another. They have taken 3 spear hits and hadone of their spell attacks ruined.Initiative is now checked for the second round. The illusionist/orcs again wininitiative and attack first, 5 orcs going after each fighter to grapple, 6 rushingthe magic-user, and 3 heading for the cleric. The fighters are pulled down, as isthe magic-user, but the cleric avoids their grasp. The illusionist begins castinganother spell, one which requires no verbal component; he does not hear thethief behind him. It is now the party’s turn in the round. The cleric smites 1 ofthe onrushing orcs and kills it, and the thief stabs the illusionist from behind withhis sword, killing him; the fighters and magic-user are held fast by orcs, so theycan do nothing. Round 2 is over.The initiative roll in the third round goes to the party. The cleric kills anotherorc, while the thief rushes at the orcs holding the nearest fighter. It is now theorcs’ turn, and as their leader is dead and they still face 2 powerful opponents,they will check morale. It is probable that they will kill the pinned characterswith dagger thrusts if their morale does not break, or that they will release thepinned characters and run away if their morale is bad.Page 105:First Strike:The 1 minute melee round assumes much activity — rushes, retreats, feints,parries, checks, and so on. Once during this period each combatant has theopportunity to get a real blow in. Usually this is indicated by initiative, butsometimes other circumstances will prevail. High level fighters get multiple blowsper round, so they will usually strike first and last in a round. Slowed creaturesalways strike last. Hasted/speeded creatures strike first. A solid formation ofcreatures with long weapons will strike opponents with shorter weapons first, arushing opponent will be struck first by a pole arm/spear set in its path. YourDM will adjudicate such matters with common sense. When important singlecombats occur, then dexterities and weapons factors will be used to determinethe order and number of strikes in a round.</blockquote>

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