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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 6036891" data-attributes="member: 6669384">The only real problem with this was that in 1e there were no rules for holding your action.  When the Sage (Gygax at the time) was asked about this, he said that this was intentional.  Rounds were a full minute, and it was presumed that during this minute you were pretty busy.  You were dodging, ducking, readying spells, swinging and parrying (if you were in melee) and generally trying not to get killed.  Your initiative represented that moment of opportunity when you were free and/or your opponent was distracted, or had somehow left an opening for you.It was clearer in melee, when multiple attacks didn't mean that you finally figured out how to move your sword arm more than once a minute.  It meant that you had gotten better at spotting those openings, and could slip an attack through smaller and smaller gaps in someone's defense.When spellcasters were confronted by a melee fighter, the rules said, "The fighter will use his initiative, or the spell caster's, whichever is applicable".  When asked for clarification, Gygax said that that meant whichever is better.  Casting a spell required you to stand still and concentrate, effectively granting your opponent that opening immediately.  So if the fighter would go first, he goes first.  If the spellcaster goes first, they tie.  Ugly for spellcasters, but it made sense in the context of 1e's view of the combat round.In any case, your initiative represented a window of opportunity.  You miss it, you lose it until next round.It wasn't until 3e that that changed and "Hold Action" and "Ready Action" became defined combat maneuvers.</blockquote>

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