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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vrecknidj" data-source="post: 1669665" data-attributes="member: 7301">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</blockquote>