Roll....initiative!!

[webrunner]

I print out a bunch of cards for each monster on big sheets of cardstock (divided in 3, vertically, landscape). The top half of the sheet has the monster name on it, the bottom half has the monster stats flipped. I fold the cards over, tape the other side, then put two slits at the bottom, and then fit them over the DM screen in initative order. The "name" side also has an identifier if there's more than one of that type, and a little sketch I make of the monster (which usually gets a laugh since I put jokes in them, like giving an Orc Scout an earpeice and a baseball helmet) I have four cards also for the players, which I let the players draw their own characters on. Sure, I could have just had the two players who could draw do it, but my group is such that they had more fun making stick figures then some groups would (in some groups the people who couldnt draw would just kinda get jealous I guess)

And when a monster dies, I grab the card and toss it over the table, usually to cheers.

I also pre-roll initiative since monsters having their initiative penalized just doesn't happen so there's no real reason to do it at the table.

All in all, initiative is easily tracked and everyone has a bit more fun even unrelated to that.

 

[Dedekind]

We have a small whiteboard on the wall with everybody's inits on it. It has helped with keeping people on task since they know where they are in the order by just looking.

 

[PhilIsAwesome]

I really appreciate all the help guys. very insightful

 

[Camelot]

If you use the whiteboard idea, have one of the players keep track of it. It's a load off the DM's back, and not much responsibility for a player. If you have trouble convincing them, tell them they'll get the title of "DM's Lieutenant" if they do it. =)

 

[Christian]

My personal favourite method of keeping track of all of this is index cards for monsters and PC's. Stack them in initiative order and simply rotate through them as you go, marking buffs/debuffs/marks, etc. on each card so everything is right there in front of you every turn.

This is what I do. Another advantage of this is that delays/readys are painless; when a PC or monster takes an action like that, I pull them out of the stack and off to the side. Then, when they take their action I just put their card back on the top of the stack (or on the bottom, if they took a readied action and the character they interrupted still has actions left), and they're automatically in the right spot in the initiative order going forward.

 

[Zaukrie]

We use the gamemastery system. Players keep track of all PC related items, and things they cause to monsters. I keep track of things monsters do to PCs. One of the players tracks the initiative board. This is their game too, the DM should not have to do all the work.

 

[Festivus]

Initiative is on the Combat Pad (Paizo sells them).

Conditions on players is usually in the form of an index card where I scribble what it is and hand it to them. When the condition is gone they hand it back to me.

Conditions on bad guys is up to the players to remind me... they track their own conditions on creatures and I trust them. Yes, sometimes things get forgotten but it's a heck of a lot faster this way than having to bother with anything else. I usually annotate on the paper where I am tracking damage if there is some kind of condition and scratch it off when it's gone too as a reminder to myself.

 

[No Name]

We use colored hair bands and a dry erase board. I also use a small dry erase for my character when I play. Too many bonuses and penalties flying around to keep track of without writing them down.

 

[clip]

Don't nominate a player to be the initiative monkey - especially in larger games - the only thing you can guarantee is that they will mess it up - and whatever marginal time saving is made; is lost immediately the first time the player is either not at his seat, or is staring blankly when everyone else is looking at them waiting to hear who is going next.

 

[Zinovia]

Pipe cleaners in different colors are great for marking out zones, and let you move them without moving the minis.

Alea Tools magnetic discs are nice, and we use them as status indicators for marks, bloodied, elevated (on a ledge or flying), cursed, etc. We do not use these for very brief conditions such as dazed, blind, slowed, etc.

The Game Mastery combat tracker board from Paizo is what I write monster hp and conditions on, and keep initiative order with. Each PC or group of monsters gets a magnet with their name on it, placed in initiative order. I can slide it to the side if they are readying an action, and place them back in the new initiative order when it changes. Very easy and convenient, works with dry and wet erase markers.

I make the players track their own conditions. I have cards I can throw at them that list all the info in case it's a condition they haven't been afflicted with much. i.e. Dazed, granting CA, you get 1 action. Those were listed under the house rules forum, and were made by Weem.