Improved Initiative

[Nathal]

Improved Initiative...what creatures in the MM don't have this feat? With so many creatures having improved initiative I sometimes wonder why they didn't assume a base +4 to initiative and then give a few creatures a penalty of -4.

Does this criticism have a point? No, but I found the pattern in the MM kind of amusing.

 

[Chronosome]

Well, Savage Species has a great section on "feating up" monsters...there are a few feats that get more attention than others, because they're good in a general "anything can benefit from this" kind of way.

Like Alertness, Weapon Focus, etc...

And, a "base +4 of initiative" would mean 4 more points to AC, Reflex saves, etc, beacuse it's Dex-based.

I wonder if it's the most common feat in the book?

 

[Nathal]

I'd be willing to bet it is the most common feat in the book. Savage Species looks like it would be a fun book. Perhaps I'll pick it up when I run another D&D game.

 

[kingpaul]

Savage Species looks like it would be a fun book.

I own it, and I find it a fun book. My DM wouldn't let me play the thri-kreen though.

 

[ichabod]

Top 10 Feats in the Monster Manual
(in terms of number of creatures that have it)

1. Improved Initiative (98)
2. Alertness (85)
3. Weapon Finesse (65)
4. Combat Reflexes (63)
5. Dodge (57)
6. Power Attack (55)
7. Cleave (40)
8. Multiattack (36)
9. Blindfight (32)
10. Weapon Focus (23)

 

[Nathal]

I wonder what the criteria was when assigning feats to creatures. Did they start out with, "we need 98 monsters with improved initiative", and then begin assigning the feats to the monsters? Nah...couldn't be.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Top 10 Feats in the Monster Manual
(in terms of number of creatures that have it)

ichabod - I'm curious: where did you derive those numbers? I'm assuming you didn't flip through the MM and count 'em by hand!