D&D 5E Initiative : Switching between characters? (Please read the OP)

[atanakar]

I'm reading another RPG and like the initiative system and might use it with 5eD&D.

Players/Monster groups/Boss take regular playing cards numbered 1-10 (in order of initiative rolled). Before combat starts groups of two characters can exchange cards. A character can only do one (1) exchange (no shenanigans). You need to see the other character to do that. Characters can do this at the beginning of every round.

It feels more organic. I can hear the rogue saying to the fighter «attack before me, I'll sneak around to flank it!» ( players switch cards).

Do you like the idea? Would you use it? What hiccups do you anticipate?

 

[Charlaquin]

Seems to me like a lot of added complication for what could be accomplished with the Ready action. If the rogue wants the fighter to attack first, they can just position themselves and Ready to attack after the fighter does. It costs a Reaction, but if that bothers you I think it would be better to just say it doesn’t than to add in cards that have to be passed around, and kept track of how many times each player has swapped and what not.

Not to harsh on your buzz of course. If you are interested in trying it, you should. That will give you a far better sense of if it’s right for your group than our opinions here will. Just saying I don’t think I would want to use it and why.

 

[Fenris-77]

The ready action has constraints though because there's a trigger, it's not exactly a complete hold and it costs your reaction as well. The switch would also allow that rogue to do something else should, for example, the fighter smoke the target with a massive critical.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I'm reading another RPG and like the initiative system and might use it with 5eD&D.

Players/Monster groups/Boss take regular playing cards numbered 1-10 (in order of initiative rolled). Before combat starts groups of two characters can exchange cards. A character can only do one (1) exchange (no shenanigans). You need to see the other character to do that. Characters can do this at the beginning of every round.

It feels more organic. I can hear the rogue saying to the fighter «attack before me, I'll sneak around to flank it!» ( players switch cards).

Do you like the idea? Would you use it? What hiccups do you anticipate?

I've seen some card systems and personally never cared for them, but as @Charlaquin says if you want to try it, give it a go. I think the exchanging, etc. would take more time that its worth but maybe once you do it it will feel fluid enough you don't mind.

For such maneuvers as you suggest, I would just re-rule the Ready action as a Delay for that round. Maybe the character can move, or something, but then acts later after the trigger. I would still make it cost the reaction (something most rogue are loathe to give up!) because then the option has cost associated with it. I would remove the triggering event condition, since the character is more waiting for the moment but not necessarily for anything in particular.

I don't know, it seems like you could find a new solution without resorting to a prop like cards?

 

[Dausuul]

Seems to me like a lot of added complication for what could be accomplished with the Ready action. If the rogue wants the fighter to attack first, they can just position themselves and Ready to attack after the fighter does.

Readying comes with an immense cost for most PCs. The rogue is a really bad example because that's the one class that can Ready with relatively little penalty. But any martial class sacrifices 50% of its damage to ready an attack (because you can't use Extra Attack with a readied action). Spellcasters who ready must sacrifice any active concentration spells and risk losing the spell slot if they take damage before the trigger. On top of all that, you give up your chance to use a reaction; no opportunity attacks, no Riposte, no shield. 5E really, really pushes everyone except rogues* to act in initiative order as rolled.

*And even rogues do still incur the cost of giving up their reaction. That means no Uncanny Dodge, which is one of the rogue's most potent defenses, and no chance of using an out-of-turn attack to get double Sneak Attack. It's not nearly as bad as what martials and casters suffer, but it ain't nothing.

 

[the Jester]

I'm reading another RPG and like the initiative system and might use it with 5eD&D.

Players/Monster groups/Boss take regular playing cards numbered 1-10 (in order of initiative rolled). Before combat starts groups of two characters can exchange cards. A character can only do one (1) exchange (no shenanigans). You need to see the other character to do that. Characters can do this at the beginning of every round.

It feels more organic. I can hear the rogue saying to the fighter «attack before me, I'll sneak around to flank it!» ( players switch cards).

Do you like the idea? Would you use it? What hiccups do you anticipate?

Well, I wouldn't use it as a general rule- it doesn't really fix any problems I have with 5e, and it looks to slow down play each round. I run large groups, so that's not a great fit for me.

That said, interestingly enough, a pc in one of my groups has a magic item that, among other things, lets her trade her initiative with another pc's at the start of combat. It's a one-time-per-combat thing, and it slows down the start of combat a little bit, but it isn't too bad.

 

[atanakar]

Seems to me like a lot of added complication for what could be accomplished with the Ready action. If the rogue wants the fighter to attack first, they can just position themselves and Ready to attack after the fighter does. It costs a Reaction, but if that bothers you I think it would be better to just say it doesn’t than to add in cards that have to be passed around, and kept track of how many times each player has swapped and what not.

Not to harsh on your buzz of course. If you are interested in trying it, you should. That will give you a far better sense of if it’s right for your group than our opinions here will. Just saying I don’t think I would want to use it and why.

We already use cards for initiative .

It's very visual and works for us. It also means I don't have to write down inits - which I find slow and boring. The players take their turn automatically and I play my NPCs in the right moment. Less I do on my side of the screen the better.

Switching cards would be a Free action, where as Ready action is a Reaction.

Players that switch cards just have to «Tap» their init card 90°.

 

[Charlaquin]

We already use cards for initiative .

It's very visual and works for us. It also means I don't have to write down inits - which I find slow and boring. The players take their turn automatically and I play my NPCs in the right moment. Less I do on my side of the screen the better.

Switching cards would be a Free action, where as Ready action is a Reaction.

Players that switch cards just have to «Tap» their init card 90°.

Like I said, if you’re interested in giving this rule a try, I think you should go for it. For me, cards are much more cumbersome and involved than simply jotting a number down on paper and I actually prefer that delaying an action comes at a heafty opportunity cost. But that’s just me, don’t let my preferences get in the way of trying out a house rule for your table.

 

[Prakriti]

Why not just use Side Initiative? Same benefits, less clunky.

 

[Fenris-77]

You can use static initiative too, although people sometimes find that boring.

I like the cards a lot, and I don't actually think it would clog things up unduly once the players have some practice with it (which it seems like they do). If you wanted to elide a step just have them draw instead of rolling, exchange cards if wanted, then act on card plus normal mod. It takes some of the swing out of the order, but it makes characters who have high bonuses feel a little bit more like they are fast as they should be, IMO anyway.

If you want to keep a little more swing, throw the face cards back in which means random from 1-13. Keep the jokers in and call them "go when you want hotshot". You could also take this idea and go Castle Falkenstein with it. Deal out a hand of four cards per player and let them pick which to play, drawing back up to four when needed. Then initiative is a spent resource and players have to make meaningful tactical decisions about it. Lots of cool options.