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<blockquote data-quote="AntiStateQuixote" data-source="post: 2244023" data-attributes="member: 30770">Having the OPTION to go first is never a disadvantage. The person with the highest initiative can always choose to delay or ready an action if s/he does not want to act first. Having the highest initiative roll gives you more options, it does not force you to go first.&nbsp;Well, while your slow &lt;explitive deleted&gt; is waiting &quot;to see what is going on&quot; you might get killed by a save or die effect or by a rogue's sneak attack. If you had rolled a higher initiative you would not be subject to that sneak attack (you're not flat-footed) and you might have been able to stop the wizard's save or die spell with a well-timed ready action: attack spellcaster.&nbsp;The reason the bonus is higher than any other bonus to a d20 roll for a single feat is that initiative typically only happens once per combat, whereas use of weapon focus will happen many times per combat (sometimes per round). Most other feats also come up more often than Improved Initiative. Also, Improved Initiative needs to have a high bonus to help ensure (to some degree) that those with Improved Initiative will usually act before those without - else the feat does not serve it's purpose. Weapon Focus does not guarantee you will hit, but it improves your chance by five percent. Improved Initiative does not guarantee you will go first, but the improvement in the chance that you will act first is four times greater than that conferred by Weapon Focus on your to hit modifier.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="AntiStateQuixote, post: 2244023, member: 30770"] Having the OPTION to go first is never a disadvantage. The person with the highest initiative can always choose to delay or ready an action if s/he does not want to act first. Having the highest initiative roll gives you more options, it does not force you to go first. Well, while your slow <explitive deleted> is waiting "to see what is going on" you might get killed by a save or die effect or by a rogue's sneak attack. If you had rolled a higher initiative you would not be subject to that sneak attack (you're not flat-footed) and you might have been able to stop the wizard's save or die spell with a well-timed ready action: attack spellcaster. The reason the bonus is higher than any other bonus to a d20 roll for a single feat is that initiative typically only happens once per combat, whereas use of weapon focus will happen many times per combat (sometimes per round). Most other feats also come up more often than Improved Initiative. Also, Improved Initiative needs to have a high bonus to help ensure (to some degree) that those with Improved Initiative will usually act before those without - else the feat does not serve it's purpose. Weapon Focus does not guarantee you will hit, but it improves your chance by five percent. Improved Initiative does not guarantee you will go first, but the improvement in the chance that you will act first is four times greater than that conferred by Weapon Focus on your to hit modifier. [/QUOTE]

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