D&D (2024) One D&D playtest, abilities that recharge when you roll initiative.

[Bill Zebub]

What is the purpose of limited resources, from a design intent I mean? If it is make the big fights cooler because the players will save their strongest abilities for the BBEG, it's terrible design. Players don't like losing and sometimes "easy" fights go bad, so there's no guarantee those big guns won't come out against the little fish. There are alternative systems you could use to better ensure the big fights are cooler.

The adventuring day and resource management are so estranged from the most common playstyle that I think now is the time to quietly kill it.

I personally dislike the “game” of deciding which encounters are important enough for me to expend my best resources. It’s why I avoid casters. My favorite mechanic is Reckless Attacks; I can use it as often as I want but it’s risky to do so.

More like that, please.

 

[Zaukrie]

I personally dislike the “game” of deciding which encounters are important enough for me to expend my best resources. It’s why I avoid casters. My favorite mechanic is Reckless Attacks; I can use it as often as I want but it’s risky to do so.

More like that, please.

More risk/reward powers would be great.

Want to upcast a spell? Temporarily consume half your hit points until the beginning of your next turn. That might be a great idea, or it might get you "killed".

 

[Maxperson]

With the caveat that it encourages meta stuff like, 'I pick a fight with a squirrel/kid/hobo' if the abilities are something that would be useful out of combat.

The DM is not obligated to combat if there's no chance of losing or using up resources.

Player: "I pick a fight with a kid."
DM: "You handily beat him senseless in front of a crowd of witnesses. The cry goes out for the sheriff and several bystanders go running towards the jail."

Initiative happens when the DM calls for it. Not when the player tries to cheese it.

 

[Maxperson]

I mean, this is why we have GMs. Initiative is rolled, per the rules, at the start of combat. But like all other rolls, it is up to the GM to decide if a roll is needed. As such, one doesn't get to hide behind "we rolled Initiative but the assassin never struck" because there is literally no combat unless the assassin strikes. Therefore, in that example, the assassin strikes and THEN combat begins and Initiative is rolled.

That's not how it happens in 5e, though. How it happens in 5e is that the assassin goes to strike(not strikes). Then initiative is rolled and if the assassin loses he is seen coming out of hiding before he can actually take the swing. Since his victim has great reflexes and won initiative, he goes first.

Initiative is rolled when hostilities begin, not when an attack happens.

 

[Maxperson]

I'll admit that @Dausuul's approach has a different issue: that the action can be declared for the assassin that triggers the initiative roll, but they don't follow through when their turn comes around (yay stop motion resolution!).

I don't see an issue here. The assassin jumps out and is slashed at by Conan before he can strike. Realizing his predicament, the assassin veers off instead of striking and attempts to flee. That's pretty fluid and not stop motion at all.

It's the hostile situation that triggers initiative and combat, not the action itself.

 

[MarkB]

I don't see an issue here. The assassin jumps out and is slashed at by Conan before he can strike. Realizing his predicament, the assassin veers off instead of striking and attempts to flee. That's pretty fluid and not stop motion at all.

It's the hostile situation that triggers initiative and combat, not the action itself.

What if the assassin doesn't leap out, but instead prepares to loose a crossbow bolt from hiding? If the act of attacking is what reveals the assassin, and the assassin decides to forego attacking when it comes to their turn, is the assassin still revealed?

 

[Maxperson]

I’d think that a hidden attacker wouldn’t be surprised while their targets would be, essentially giving the hidden attacker the real first action in combat.

That's literally how 5e works.

If you are hidden and are not noticed prior to initiative, you get surprise on the other side who you can see. The hidden attacker wouldn't be surprised.

Both sides have to be being stealthy and fail to notice each other in order to both be surprised. In the case of the hidden attacker if he doesn't notice the stealthy group and the group doesn't notice him, they won't even see each other so no combat or initiative happens at all.

 

[Horwath]

I don't see an issue here. The assassin jumps out and is slashed at by Conan before he can strike. Realizing his predicament, the assassin veers off instead of striking and attempts to flee. That's pretty fluid and not stop motion at all.

It's the hostile situation that triggers initiative and combat, not the action itself.

I really like 3.5e take on this.

You missed your perception/insight check to notice danger?

you can roll initiative after you remove the axe from your head.

 

[Maxperson]

What if the assassin doesn't leap out, but instead prepares to loose a crossbow bolt from hiding? If the act of attacking is what reveals the assassin, and the assassin decides to forego attacking when it comes to their turn, is the assassin still revealed?

The hostile act triggers it. The creak of assassins leather boot as he puts weight on it just before firing. Slight motion as he leans to get the best shot. Whatever it is, the victim will notice something before the shot happens and if he wins initiative, will react before that shot goes off. If he loses initiative to the assassin, then the assassin was in the perfect position and just had to fire.

 

[Maxperson]

I really like 3.5e take on this.

You missed your perception/insight check to notice danger?

you can roll initiative after you remove the axe from your head.

I did, too. I don't hate 5e's version, but I prefer 3e's.