Order to simultaneously triggered reactions?

[Danceofmasks]

The question has been irking me for awhile.

Let's say two characters ready attacks vs. an approaching zombie.
It gets in range. Both actions are triggered.

So who shoots first?
It matters 'cos there may be additional consequences to the shot, such as giving the other shot a bonus, or pushing the zombie back out of range ..

What about in melee, when a goblin moves a square, provoking OAs from 2 characters at once?
I'm guessing goblin tactics shift kicks in last (if there's a miss), but what about those OAs?

 

[Zurai]

Initiative order.

 

[hong]

Just run it the way you would have in 3E, where IIRC there was no fixed way of deciding the order either.

The most obvious way is to do it in initiative order, so the guy who readied first fires first.

 

[Yaezakura]

I don't believe there's an official order to such things.

However, I think I'd handle it based on the original Initiative of the characters. If Player A is at Initiative Count 22, and Player B is at 17, and both ready an action to attack a target and both trigger simultaneously, the character who started higher in the Initiative Order acts first.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Initiative is cyclic .. after the first turn, there shouldn't be a mechanical benefit to being higher on the ladder (since you can delay to any point), else it could get into a scrambling to the top scenario.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Let the players decide (quick talk, rock-paper-scissors, dice, go off initiative, whatever).

If the players take too long to decide (to the detriment of play), feel free to warn them that they're about to miss their opportunity, and then take the opportunity away.

 

[Zurai]

Are your PCs really competing to see whos triggered action goes first? If not, why does it matter that they could compete? If so... why are you still running for them?

 

[Danceofmasks]

Eh?
That's not the issue, here .. this could happen in a bunch of situations, such as a mexican standoff.

Or two mages waiting to blat the other soon as they're in range, and a capricious 3rd party deciding to slide one closer to the other.

 

[Yaezakura]

Initiative is cyclic .. after the first turn, there shouldn't be a mechanical benefit to being higher on the ladder (since you can delay to any point), else it could get into a scrambling to the top scenario.

Well, if you don't want the original Initiative score to affect it, how about their natural Initiative modifier? That's what's used to determine who goes first when two characters have equal Initiative rolls, representing that natural speed beats out luck. If those numbers are equal, you could have them roll for it.

 

[Zurai]

If it's a mexican standoff, how are they delaying to change initiative? You cannot both delay and ready an action. Its either-or.