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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 9614854" data-attributes="member: 20323">My experience is D&D's initiative system fails to scale up well for larger groups –  even if there's inevitable increase in handling time with more players, the initiative system really exacerbates that.My read is that the more an initiative system is about individual thinking (as opposed to team thinking) & the more that system actively thwarts teamwork & the more that system is obsessed with rolling for every creature individually & the more that system gets interrupted by reactions... then the more that tedium is exacerbated.Side initiative CAN work to mitigate, but it won't necessarily work without GM action...and can create its own problems.Examples of tricks I've used that have mitigated that exacerbation (not prevented it entirely), while still maintaining individual initiative rolls, include...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Change the needlessly complex 5e surprise rules (where initiative is tracked during "surprise round" such that someone might no longer be surprised if their initiative comes up before an ambusher's initiative)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Players can opt to combine multiple PCs under single initiative roll (e.g. if they already have a plan in mind)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Clustering player groups when PCs have no monsters between them – and being willing to intermingle "player turns" when they are clustered together (e.g. fighter rushes away, wizard fireballs, fighter shoots bow)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Display initiative (visible to all players) showing PC clusters & use color/indents to clearly denote PCs vs monsters</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1-minute football huddle among players to devise team strategy after initiative is rolled, but before combat starts</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Players always win initiative ties</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Devising "mob" methods of handling/rolling for large groups of monsters</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Saving monsters with Reactions for special combats (and in large groups of monsters either outright removing monster Reactions OR consolidating them into a Group Reaction)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Limiting opportunity attacks to certain PCs/monster types – NOT a universal ability for all creatures</li> </ul></blockquote>

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