Devil's Workshop I

[RisnDevil]

So I like to make quite a few house rules, but I always have a fear that my rules aren't balanced. I do not want to run these by my players because I like to suprise them with new things, it adds to suspense. So I am starting this Devil's Workshop series to hopefully get comments. Some new items are alternate rules are really simple, I just wish to get other peoples opinions on them. This is what I am doing for this, the first in my series. So here goes:

New Rule:
For initiative, I am having a static initiative. Each player's, and monster's, initiative will simply be their dex mod plus any other misc mods, ie feats. If two persons have the smae initiave, which will often be the case, the person with the higher dex mod goes first. If these are the same, the players go simultaneously. That's it for my first installment.

 

[Laman Stahros]

If you want a static init, how about this instead. Use a base of 10 + Dex mod + other mods. This is after all the AC format and should work.

 

[reanjr]

New Rule:
For initiative, I am having a static initiative. Each player's, and monster's, initiative will simply be their dex mod plus any other misc mods, ie feats. If two persons have the smae initiave, which will often be the case, the person with the higher dex mod goes first. If these are the same, the players go simultaneously. That's it for my first installment.

Not good. Rogue w/ 18 Dex and Improved Intiative would be guarenteed of a sneak attack opportunity every combat. It really would lose flavor. The players would probably also come up with an ordered list to follow every combat. Cleric, first round Righteous Might, Fighter close with opponent rogue closed with, etc.

I think it would detract from the game.

Balance-wise it's not gonna break anything though.

 

[Vrecknidj]

The static initiative that you propose won't work, reanjr's post is correct.

You can choose to use something like it, some of the time. For example, if most of the party is surprised, but some aren't, then after the surprise round is over, I put all the surprised characters in order of their initiative modifiers (I have my own system for resolving ties) and then add the highest initiative number from the unsurprised group. This way, the unsurprised characters always go first in the first round. Other people might not like it, but that's okay, I'm the DM.

It assumes that someone who is surprised quickly gets an assessment of the situation and is able to respond. It also denies a surpriser a chance to act twice in a row.

However, I leave open the chance that someone who was surprised at first, is still "surprised" in the first round, in which case that person has to roll his own initiative. (Spot and Listen checks can resolve this usually.)

There are occasions where I don't use this system, such as combats in darkness and/or silence, or in very unexpected environments. But, in a plain vanilla dungeon, it works.

But, I'd never consider using it during regular encounters where no one is surprised.

Dave