Elder-Basilisk
First Post
Improved Init is not something that either every character or every rogue should have.
However, it is something that every character will find useful. The bonus will apply in every combat and, while it may not make a big difference for armored knights, it will still make some difference and is often quite helpful for spellcasters and rogues.
For spellcasters, it is useful because it enables them to shape the battlefield before any of their enemies move--or, more often (given that monsters often have Imp Init and often at least one will roll well), before the majority of their enemies move. A Solid Fog spell or a Wall of Force is much more useful when you can catch all of your foes than when you can only catch a some of them. Etc.
For rogues, being able to go first is helpful for the reasons listed above. However, given the prevalence of Improved Initiative among their foes, it is also necessary to ensure that they have a good chance of beating any foe they face. Having +10 instead of +6 to initiative may only mean that you win 86% of initiative rolls instead of 73% of them against full-plate wearing fighters with a 10 dex. However, it means you win 66% of rolls against a fighter with a 14 dex and improved initiative instead of roughly 50%. So it gives you a significant advantage over your fast foes and gives you a smaller but still noticable advantage against your weaker foes.
Another way to look at it is that it minimizes the chance that you WON'T be able to get initiative. Without Imp Init, you'll lose to the tank more than one out of four times. With Imp Init, you'll lose less than one time out of seven. That's a noticable difference.
However, it is something that every character will find useful. The bonus will apply in every combat and, while it may not make a big difference for armored knights, it will still make some difference and is often quite helpful for spellcasters and rogues.
For spellcasters, it is useful because it enables them to shape the battlefield before any of their enemies move--or, more often (given that monsters often have Imp Init and often at least one will roll well), before the majority of their enemies move. A Solid Fog spell or a Wall of Force is much more useful when you can catch all of your foes than when you can only catch a some of them. Etc.
For rogues, being able to go first is helpful for the reasons listed above. However, given the prevalence of Improved Initiative among their foes, it is also necessary to ensure that they have a good chance of beating any foe they face. Having +10 instead of +6 to initiative may only mean that you win 86% of initiative rolls instead of 73% of them against full-plate wearing fighters with a 10 dex. However, it means you win 66% of rolls against a fighter with a 14 dex and improved initiative instead of roughly 50%. So it gives you a significant advantage over your fast foes and gives you a smaller but still noticable advantage against your weaker foes.
Another way to look at it is that it minimizes the chance that you WON'T be able to get initiative. Without Imp Init, you'll lose to the tank more than one out of four times. With Imp Init, you'll lose less than one time out of seven. That's a noticable difference.
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