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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 5389436" data-attributes="member: 3448"><p>Re: "how can an orc charge 60 feet before I can fire an arrow":  I always figure that that's the nod to nerves/small amounts of surprise/distraction.  Years ago, as an intern, I worked on some revisions to the federal law enforcement use of force requirements.  One of the points that the Criminal Division people made was how quickly things can happen in a dangerous situation--if a cop doesn't shoot that guy 20 or 30 feet away with a knife now, the cop might be stabbed before getting a second chance.  The flipside, of course, is that many people are killed in "bad shoots" when a cop thinks there is danger but it's actually somebody taking their keys out of their pockets.  My point is:  sure, sometimes initiative is stilted or exaggerated or whatever.  But if you're looking for realism, the way that PCs (and most combat NPCs) behave like action heroes who never hesitate, never freeze in combat (except when faced with supernatural stunning effects), and never get confused and shoot their own allies (again, except when faced with illusions or mind-control) is far more unrealistic than just "standing there" while something happens.  The game has some mechanics for reactivity (readied actions, opportunity attacks, interrupts).  I don't have any problem saying that having lined up and taken a shot with your bow last round, or having been caught flat-footed at the beginning of a fight, it takes you long enough to reload/bring your bow to bear to allow a screaming, frightening, intimidating orc to swing at you.  Want a character who reacts faster?  Take Improved Initiative.</p></blockquote><p></p>

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