D&D 5E Sorcerer - how to improve my intiative? (Or maybe another solution?)

[FrogReaver]

This is why I love War Wizards so much.

Everyone gets hung up on the mediocre later level abilities, but fails to notice the amazing 2nd level ability of +Int to initiative.

As an Alert Vuman, my Wizard was rocking +10 to Initiative at 2nd level, and it's going to increase as I advance in level.

Yep. The bonus initiative and reaction bonus to saving throws are perhaps the best aspects of War Wizard.

Though I want to say - I think you have a gift Flamestrike. I can find myself perfectly in agreement to what your writing and at the same time the way you are writing it almost compels me to take a stance against it. That's a gift if I've ever seen one.

 

[Fenris-77]

@FrogReaver - It's funny, I think the first time I read a post of @Flamestrike 's I thought it was yours. That's not a critique in either case.

 

[FrogReaver]

@FrogReaver - It's funny, I think the first time I read a post of @Flamestrike 's I thought it was yours. That's not a critique in either case.

Oh WOW, I really need to change style.

 

[Fenris-77]

It was something stats related. Your are both very organized in similar ways when you start crunching numbers. Conversationally speaking you aren't as similar.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

So, wanted to necro this thread to just report back.

I am in the middle of my session right now. We leveled up to 9th, and I swapped out a spell for Gift of Alacrity, and am also being sure to use Enhanced Ability before entering combat (if it's not already on).

Have gone first in every combat, have launched so many fireballs... Sorry GM to soften up your monsters before our tanks roll in...

All thanks to Enworld!

 

[J-H]

Join my party. They all roll high. Typical initiative band is 24-14.

I've had to give boss monsters advantage on Initiative rolls just to avoid the entire group going first.

Mind you, this works against them sometimes, when "the whole party goes first" means "all the monsters go at once."

 

[Iry]

There really needs to be a Delay action. It solves issues like this and allows for actual breeching tactics. It would be a huge improvement even if you had to spend inspiration to swap places in the initiative order, or could only swap one person for the entire combat.

My personal preference is removing the Ready action but allowing everyone to Delay once per combat.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I'm playing the face/glass cannon in the group. 8th level Tiefling Wild Magic Sorcerer.

As we all know Fireball is great for softening up a room, but I am usually lower down the initiative order. By the time it's my turn, I can't (shouldn't) throw the fireball because our barbarian (and sometime the bladesinger) is already in melee.

I've got 14 dex (+2 init) and the 18 dex Barbarian usually goes first (actually the 18 dex Gloomstalker with Alertness usually goes first, but he's a bow guy so he's not the problem).

One option of course is to ask them to ready their action until it's my turn, but really that's hamstringing the Barbarian from getting their second attack or do other things.

Wondering how to improve my initiative so I have a better chance of going early in the order.
I just realized I do have Enhanced Ability, so I guess I can do that if danger seems to be near (before combat "begins").

Anything else I can do before 12th level and either take the Alert feat or increase my Dex to 16?

Thanks for any feedback.

I don't mean this to sound condescending, but depending on the encounter set-up could you simply ask the rest of the part to wait until you go? In our game yesterday, two casters fireballed a group of ettins and the others readied their actions to rush in afterwards to attack.

Otherwise, it sounds like only a +2 difference, which shouldn't led to him beating you that often. I mean he will win 57.25% of the time, and you'll tie another 4.50%, so easily 1 out of 3 times you should be winning.

 

[FrogReaver]

I don't mean this to sound condescending, but depending on the encounter set-up could you simply ask the rest of the part to wait until you go? In our game yesterday, two casters fireballed a group of ettins and the others readied their actions to rush in afterwards to attack.

Otherwise, it sounds like only a +2 difference, which shouldn't led to him beating you that often. I mean he will win 57.25% of the time, and you'll tie another 4.50%, so easily 1 out of 3 times you should be winning.

I think most DM's would allow that but it's not exactly RAW. There is no delaying your turn in 5e, just readying an action - which for many character's either entails more risk or less potency.