Initiative Tracker?

[Olaf the Stout]

I use the Open Mind Games Combat Pad for my game. I've used other options like a handheld whiteboard and index cards but the Combat Pad is the only thing I have been using for the last 18 months. Once you get used to it it is really easy to keep track of most of the conditions you need to know for the combat (at least for 3.xE, I haven't played 4E so I can't comment on how well it works for 4E).

The only thing I miss about the index cards is not having extra details like players Spot and Listen modifiers on hand (there just isn't the space). I'm thinking about bringing back the index cards (but not to use for initiative) just to have all those extra skill modifiers on hand. Players tend to get a bit edgy when you ask them what their Spot modifier is, roll some dice in secret and then just sit there with an evil grin on your face, asking them what they would like to do next.

Olaf the Stout

 

[guivre]

I swear by Turn Watcher. Not free, but worth every penny.

Save and load things, roll monster's initiative while still letting players roll their own, keep track of HP, show players a HUD with as much or as little info as you want on a second monitor, and keyboard shortcuts which let you use the program quickly without using the mouse make this great.

Only downside is that every once in a while it will crash (been using it almost a year, has happened a small handful of times), but even then it seems to save its state frequently and as soon as you start it back up you're back where you left off.

InitiativeTool does all that, is free, and has never crashed on me.

RPTools - InitiativeTool

Actually it may not have a HUD, I've never checked. That might be worth the time to add to it.

 

[Asmor]

InitiativeTool does all that, is free, and has never crashed on me.

RPTools - InitiativeTool

Actually it may not have a HUD, I've never checked. That might be worth the time to add to it.

If InitiativeTool supports keyboard shortcuts, it's not obvious to me what they are. Actually, for that matter I don't see how to keep track of HP, either.

Just to give you an idea of my typical workflow in TurnWatcher:

Pressing space goes to the next person's turn
The individuals' clickable areas are very large and easy to hit with my laptop's touchpad. When someone is damaged or healed, I click on them, press 'm' to bring up the damage window, and either type in the damage and hit enter or type in the amount of healing and press alt+h.

What are the equivalent keyboard shortcuts in InitiativeTool, and how do you track hit points?

 

[Shadowslayer]

I have an initiative tracking grid that I made up a long time ago. It's just a grid numbered 30 down to 1 on one side with room for PC names and monsters, checkboxes for up to 15 rounds, and a space on the end for spells and effects.

I just ran a bunch of them off on draft quality, 2 to a side on legal size paper then cut them in half. Put a stack of em on a clipboard and you're good to go, plus you can save them later for going over the nights XP and such. Worked handsomely for me.

I still have the PDF files of both a single sized page board, and the 2 to a legal sheet one. If you want one, just shoot me your email addy.

 

[Shadowslayer]

Scratch that. Don't PM me...I'll go one better and put it up in the downloads section. Look for Initiative Tracking Chart in the 3e downloads section. (they were meant for 3e...but perfectly usable for 4th)

 

[Nebulorum]

Virtual Combat Cards is my solution

I started out with paper cards, but on 4E tracking conditions on paper and doing the math on hundreds of HP convinced me to go digital. So I create Virtual Combat Cards. It's free, cross platform, and track initiative, HP, effects, and also has some basic information on the combatants.