D&D 5E Ideas for Initiative house rules

[Morrus]

What initiative house rules do you use?

I'm tempted to borrow from Pathfinder 2E and allow PCs to use skills to make initiative checks (Stealth if you're sneaking, Deception if you're trying to sucker punch, etc). Though monsters don't tend to have the skill arrays that PCs have.

I'm also tempted to make the default check Wisdom rather than Dex.

Triggering a combat -- if you're the one launching it, you get advantage on your check. You'll probably go first, but somebody fast might manage to anticipate or interrupt that action.

 

[Arvok]

I used to use 1e/2e initiative style rules (each round: DM decides what the monsters are going to do, go around table and players declare their actions, then roll; didn't try to use weapon speed factors, though) in my 3e & later games, but have since gone to pretty much RAW written. It tends to speed up combat and newer players seem to have an easier time.

One thing I will do is limit a player's time on his turn and if he can't make a decision quickly enough, he moves down in the initiative order.

Using different skill to launch initiative would be way too hard for some of the players in some of my groups but it's an interesting idea. That could lead to some very interesting strategizing with smart, experienced players who try to ensure they get to go first. It also seems like it would also bring more role play into social situations that might turn ugly. I like the idea of a highly deceptive character being rewarded for his smooth talking before he suddenly stabs somebody...only in a game though. That didn't sound very good after I typed it.

 

[commandercrud]

I use the speed factors DMG variant.

 

[Helldritch]

I am now using side initiative. It is a lot faster and all the players are more active and pay more attention. There is no waiting for my turn hassle. Something can always happen. So far, bith of my groups really like it.

 

[DND_Reborn]

We recently adopted a flat d20, no DEX (or INT or anything). You still add bonuses granted by class features, such as War Mage's Tactical Wit and the Alert feat.

We made this decision in the spirit that your opportunity to act comes randomly in the round is the biggest factor, more so than anything else. shrug

 

[Umbran]

For some games, I've been using "popcorn initiative" aka "elective action order". It means you can't really invest in getting a good initiative, but you also never again have to worry about pesky "hold actions", and it makes action order into a tactical choice the players get to make.

 

[aco175]

Triggering a combat -- if you're the one launching it, you get advantage on your check. You'll probably go first, but somebody fast might manage to anticipate or interrupt that action.

I would be careful where you can use this. A lot of combats start with some verbal back and forth where you could avoid combat. If there is an advantage on starting the murder-hobo action, the players will act on it. Also, there are encounters where the door is opened and both parties see each other knowing there is a fight. There would always be a player who shouts "I attack" first trying to get advantage, when the situation would likely be neutral.

I never thought about using Wisdom for initiative. It is used for Perception and passive Perception, so it makes sense to use it more like a 'spider sense' anticipating the others actions. This sounds like Insight, where now I have players thinking they can/should use Insight on top of just Wisdom.

Would this lead to things like in 4e where it was justified to have mages use Intelligence to attack and clerics use Wisdom. 5e only has Str and Dex, but I was more relating to Initiative more where the wizard would thing to use his logic to anticipate the start of combat and the bard would want Cha to use his relations with people to determine it.

 

[Charlaquin]

I like speed factor initiative from the DMG a lot, but I don’t use it with my regular group because most of them will freeze up if put on the spot, so it ends up slowing things down more than it would with a more confident group.

 

[Minigiant]

1. Initiative roll is 1d20 + DEX Modifier + INT Modifier
2. PCs and NPCs of the same type share a initiative roll. If there are more than 5 of them, they split and half get advantage on the roll and the others get -10 initative of what the first half got.
3. If everyone does no action except Dash, Use an item, or Delay, reroll initiative.

 

[Zaukrie]

My PDF with systems is in alpha.....pm me if anyone wants to test some wacky ideas.....

I really want to try no initiative. But my group is on hiatus.......