How does BECMI initiative work in practice?

[DMBrendon]

I used the "declare action" pretty strictly for a while on my new 1st ed campaign, but found that it bogged down action, we kept forgetting to do it, and it annoyed the players. After we dropped it, the players were happier and combat flowed more smoothly.

I was wondering about this, it's good to know how another group reacted.

 

[Iosue]

BECMI doesn't use an intentions phase. It's written no where in the books. And if I recall the Moldvay Basic example of combat, they roll initiative first, then declare their actions.

Declaring your action is an AD&D rule, because your actions affected your initiative score.

 

[DMBrendon]

BECMI doesn't use an intentions phase. It's written no where in the books.

Well, actually, in the Mentzer Basic Dungeon Masters Rulebook, page 3, there is a table "Order of Events in Combat", that starts as follows:

1. Intentions: ...
2. Initiative: ...
3. Actions, side that wins initiative: ...
...

I was just wondering how this really works and if anyone actually does it that way and how it went.

 

[Iosue]

Well, actually, in the Mentzer Basic Dungeon Masters Rulebook, page 3, there is a table "Order of Events in Combat", that starts as follows:

1. Intentions: ...
2. Initiative: ...
3. Actions, side that wins initiative: ...
...

I was just wondering how this really works and if anyone actually does it that way and how it went.

Interesting. I was looking at the Combat Sequence in the Players book, which doesn't list any intentions phase, and is the same as the combat sequence in the Moldvay Basic.

I daresay the majority of B/X BECMI players don't go Intentions before Initiative Role.

 

[Tycho1.4.9]

I had a big discussion on this. The B/X version only mentions spellcaster begin casting when they declare before initiative is rolled on page 11 of the Expert book. Yet, the combat sequence charts are not updated to reflected this change. Page 3 of the DM's section in the Basic Set of BEMCI is the only place where the books mention the first step to every combat round is the DM asking the players to declare their actions: in a special outline only for the DM. This version was not included in the Cyclopedia, instead only listing the players' version without that step.
Even playing with the original books of BEMCI, it is not clear what the ramifications of asking the players to declare their actions will be in regards to spell casting. Without prior knowledge of the B/X rules, nothing in BEMCI specifically states that characters begin casting spells prior to the initiative roll after the player declares their action. This makes the reference in the spell casting section about losing a spell if the caster is disrupted extremely confusing (again, unless the player has knowledge of the B/X version). If you only were referencing BEMCI, especially the Rules Cyclopedia, one would deduce that spell casting cannot be disrupted.

 

[Mannahnin]

BECMI did have a couple of editing errors/oversights. This appears to be one, along with the missing rules for natural healing.

 

[Azzy]

In practice, we never used the "declare actions first" stuff, either in any group I played in or any group I dmed.

Same here.

 

[Mannahnin]

The OSE games I currently play in are mostly pretty loose about action declaration, except that spells and retreats must always be declared before initiative is rolled.

 

[thirdkingdom]

The OSE games I currently play in are mostly pretty loose about action declaration, except that spells and retreats must always be declared before initiative is rolled.

This is how I play it, as well. Other actions can be modified as needed (you can attack another target, if the one you were going to attack drops*), but movement and spells are declared in advance and cannot be changed once initiative is rolled.

*Unless actions happen simultaneously, in which case it is possible for two PCs to attack -- and kill -- the same target.

 

[RobJN]

I had to re-read it, but yes; the RC does not declare intention before initiative. I wonder how that works with spellcasting/disruption?

Edit: Apparently, that doesn't exist in RC. Makes casters a bit more respectable...

If the character is disturbed (i.e., hit in combat, tackled, etc.) while casting a spell, the spell will be ruined, and will still be "erased" from his mind just as if it had been cast.