Initiative drop!

[Li Shenron]

What happens if during a combat you gain a (negative) condition on your initiative checks? Is it retroactive?

For example, you are fighting (just rolled initiative and got 15) and then you get DEAFENED: this gives you -4 to initiative checks. Anyway you have already rolled initiative, so you don't have to worry until the next fight. But it could not be completely absurd to drop to 11 already during this combat, and gain some more enemy to act before you.

What do you think?

 

[Magic Rub]

No it is not "retroactive" for the same round. The -4 would aply on your next init. roll, not in the round it happend in.

 

[shilsen]

No it is not "retroactive" for the same round. The -4 would aply on your next init. roll, not in the round it happend in.

You don't roll initiative every round in 3e, so the rounds wouldn't matter. If you've rolled initiative already, I'd rule that initiative doesn't change for the given combat, but the -4 penalty only comes into effect next time you need to roll initiative (and as long as you haven't been cured of the effect).

 

[Gromm]

What spell is it that does that?
Its always bugged me since it means nothing, and isn't likely to come up unless you happened to cast it during a surprise round.

 

[AGGEMAM]

You don't roll initiative every round in 3e, so the rounds wouldn't matter.

Unless they are using the 'Initiative roll each round' variant from the DMG, page 62-63, of course.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

What spell is it that does that?
Its always bugged me since it means nothing, and isn't likely to come up unless you happened to cast it during a surprise round.

Blindness/Deafness.

It is permanent until cured, so it might have some lasting repercussions, at least until the cleric can prepare the proper spell to remove it.

 

[the Jester]

Affecting initiative in combat

Actually, since you bring it up, I've got a couple of ways to affect your initiative in combat (in addition to ready action, delaying and refocusing).

There's a feat called Slow & Steady that allows a pole arm user to gain an attack bonus by shifting her initiative down. There's also a 2nd-level wiz/sor spell, Vacillation, that lowers the victim's initiative each round. (This got cast on one of the party last game, actually.)

 

[HellHound]

Even if you aren't using the optional initiative every round system, you DO reroll initiative any time a new initiative modifier is applied to you.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

HellHound, where is this rule found? I looked in the PH and the DMG but could not find it. If this is true, it is news to me.

 

[hong]

Even if you aren't using the optional initiative every round system, you DO reroll initiative any time a new initiative modifier is applied to you.

Err, no.

A _new_ combatant joining a battle rolls initiative, even if the battle has already started. Under some circumstances, you might also apply this rule to someone who's already involved, eg if they get knocked unconscious and then wake up. However, in general you don't reroll initiative just because your init modifier changes -- otherwise fights with creatures that drain Dex would be icky to run.