D&D 5E Should Next reintroduce new initiative rolls every round?

[XunValdorl_of_Kilsek]

It is faster, but it removes the usefulness of a lot of rules. Like weapon speeds and casting times.

If you had an initiative modifier based on your weapon (great sword -2 to initiative) and spell casting costs segments then it wouldn't matter about having more powerful spells at the same level.

It would also give reasons to use smaller damage weapons. I can see a Rogue getting a bonus or advantage to attack or sneak attack creatures that haven't gone yet in initiative order, and a light low damage weapon would allow them to go first more often.

There is a lot of tactical depth that could be added back into the game with this.

Well done!

This right here gives you a reason, outside of fluff, to take a different type of weapon. This also eliminates the use of adding in those stupid rules that this ability only works with this type weapon.

 

[Lokiare]

Am I missing something? Using weapon speeds and casting times pretty much necessitates declaring actions. If you don't declare whether you're casting Meteor Storm or Mage Hand until after your turn comes up, it can't very well modify your initiative.

I voted for it to be an optional rule.

It slows the game down and is a level of detail not all groups desire, so I don't think it would make a good core rule. However, it would be a pretty easy module to drop in for any groups that want it.

Weapon speeds would directly modify your initiative in a static way (like you would have it written down and added up on your sheet already).

Casting a spell would be chosen when its your turn, but add several segments to your initiative so that instead of going right then you might go after the next guy in line.

Say you rolled a 10 for initiative and someone rolled a 8. You would go first, but if you cast a spell that added 3 segments, you would then be bumped back to initiative number 7 and go after the guy at 8.

Something like Scorching ray could add a number of segments equal to the number of rays you create so in a 2nd level slot that would be 3 segments. In a 5th level slot that would be 6 segments, etc...etc...

It would add a tactical decision, should you cast the low powered fast spell, or the high powered slow spell?

It would also encourage teamwork. The party would see you casting that awesome 10 segment spell and be like 'protect the wizard he's about to take the encounter out.'

 

[Kobold Stew]

Voted no.

The possibility of introducing complexity in this way always exists in any case for anyone who wants it (and surely we don't need it in the book if that's what we want to play), but it slows combat.

It also encourages people to think 1 action simply as 1 swing of the battleaxe, which of course is fine, but (to my way of thinking) offers less verisimilitude.

 

[XunValdorl_of_Kilsek]

It also encourages people to think 1 action simply as 1 swing of the battleaxe, which of course is fine, but (to my way of thinking) offers less verisimilitude.

How does any other version of D&D have you "not" thinking in that way? The sheer fact that everyone takes a brings that feeling on all by itself. Not to mention, the fact that we all go at the same time every round for the next X rounds. Rerolling every round and introducing weapon speeds would actually bring more verisimilitude to the game because it recreates that sense of chaos that usually accompanies battles.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Weapon speeds would directly modify your initiative in a static way (like you would have it written down and added up on your sheet already).

Casting a spell would be chosen when its your turn, but add several segments to your initiative so that instead of going right then you might go after the next guy in line.

Say you rolled a 10 for initiative and someone rolled a 8. You would go first, but if you cast a spell that added 3 segments, you would then be bumped back to initiative number 7 and go after the guy at 8.

Something like Scorching ray could add a number of segments equal to the number of rays you create so in a 2nd level slot that would be 3 segments. In a 5th level slot that would be 6 segments, etc...etc...

It would add a tactical decision, should you cast the low powered fast spell, or the high powered slow spell?

It would also encourage teamwork. The party would see you casting that awesome 10 segment spell and be like 'protect the wizard he's about to take the encounter out.'

Definitely too much tracking involved for my tastes.

It would also create a few logical oddities, such as if the guy holding a greatsword drops it and decides to use his dagger. Since he was holding the greatsword at the end of his last turn, he still takes the initiative penalty of wielding a greatsword for this turn, even though he's now using a dagger. (His greatsword penalty is factored in when he rolls at the start of the round, and it's not as though he can travel back in time through the turn order to gain those lost segments back.)

But, like I said, I do think it should be an optional rule for those who enjoy detailed initiative.

 

[XunValdorl_of_Kilsek]

Definitely too much tracking involved for my tastes.

It would also create a few logical oddities, such as if the guy holding a greatsword drops it and decides to use his dagger. Since he was holding the greatsword at the end of his last turn, he still takes the initiative penalty of wielding a greatsword for this turn, even though he's now using a dagger. (His greatsword penalty is factored in when he rolls at the start of the round, and it's not as though he can travel back in time through the turn order to gain those lost segments back.)

But, like I said, I do think it should be an optional rule for those who enjoy detailed initiative.

If he drops the greatsword before his turn then you would just adjust his initiative score. If he drops it during his turn and draws the dagger then when next initiative comes up, he takes the weapon speed of the dagger instead.

Simple

 

[Lokiare]

If he drops the greatsword before his turn then you would just adjust his initiative score. If he drops it during his turn and draws the dagger then when next initiative comes up, he takes the weapon speed of the dagger instead.

Simple

I agree. Its one of the few things I miss from 2E. (I definitely don't miss Fighter's wresting dragons and making them worthless in a fight).

 

[Fanaelialae]

If he drops the greatsword before his turn then you would just adjust his initiative score. If he drops it during his turn and draws the dagger then when next initiative comes up, he takes the weapon speed of the dagger instead.

Simple

Where I feel the logic breaks down is that even though his first action is to switch from greatsword to dagger, his initiative on this round is still treated as though he were wielding the greatsword. It's not until his next turn that the dagger's initiative bonus suddenly applies. That doesn't feel right to me.

 

[XunValdorl_of_Kilsek]

Where I feel the logic breaks down is that even though his first action is to switch from greatsword to dagger, his initiative on this round is still treated as though he were wielding the greatsword. It's not until his next turn that the dagger's initiative bonus suddenly applies. That doesn't feel right to me.

But damage on a miss and healing back to full HP with nonmagic in under a day does?

It's not perfect, but it's a lot less head scratching than some of the other stuff they've come up with.

 

[Fanaelialae]

But damage on a miss and healing back to full HP with nonmagic in under a day does?

It's not perfect, but it's a lot less head scratching than some of the other stuff they've come up with.

Believe it or not, I don't have any issues with the above. Personal preference I suppose.