D&D 5E Speed Factor Initiative Modifiers

[UngeheuerLich]

I would make the character with the lowest intelligence score declare his action last, as quick thinking should help making decisions.

Why last? You can react to what the others say!

Of course, the DM sercretly decides first and declares after the PCs declared their actions. (If the players don´t trust him, he can write important things down first)

 

[Scorpio616]

Who first declared his action? which had the highest the lowest initiative?
Agree that whoever declare its action knowing the actions of others (for the latter) has huge advantage?

Players are working together, they know their actions, they don't know the monsters actions. DM decides the monsters actions but isn't supposed to base them on the player's actions. Unless the monster is psychic.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Who first declared his action? which had the highest the lowest initiative?

No, because declaring actions occurs before you roll initiative.

Agree that whoever declare its action knowing the actions of others (for the latter) has huge advantage?

Most likely, I'd imagine that the DM would decide in his head what the monsters would do... he'd then ask all the PCs what each of them are doing... and then the DM would announce what the monsters were doing. So the PCs wouldn't hear what the monsters were doing before they declared their action... and so long as the DM was playing true and not being a jerk out to screw the players, he'd announce the monster's intent that he already came up with prior to hearing what the PCs were doing and not change anything even after the PCs made their declaration.

 

[Psikerlord#]

oh no, i didnt think of these complications. I dont think rolling initiative every round works for 5e, as a lot of effects last "until the end of the target's next turn" and similar.

I wont be rolling initiative every round. I might use initiative modifiers still, but casting a spell will be a blanket -2 (same as swinging a greatsword).

 

[Mishihari Lord]

First: Yay! I love AD&D style initiative. 3E's initiative was my biggest disappointment with the system. It made combat downright boring compared to previous editions.

Second: I don't have 5E yet, so I can only speak to how I've played it previously.

Third: The DM should decide at least roughly what he's going to do before player declarations, to be fair. The players usually discuss their actions before making declarations, so as long as they're acting cooperatively, it doesn't matter who declares when.

Fourth: My group handled it differently. We used 1d10 ascending for initiative. Each player and the DM for each group of monsters declared actions on their modified initiative (roll + speed for weapons, just roll for spells) Spells started on initiative and completed casting time later, and were interruptible in the interim. If someone changed their mind about what they wanted to do, that was fine, they just used the new initiative. If the new initiative had already passed, they went immediately. Initiative is the time of first attack, each iterative attack happened one at a time with a delay of weapon speed. It sounds slightly complicated, but once you're used to it, it plays very fast.

The biggest difference, at least the way we played it, is that casters were extremely vulnerable during casting. No movement, dex bonus, dodging, etc during casting, and if hit they lost the spell. A lot of strategy was based on keeping enemies off the casters while they brought the hammer down.

 

[Piratecat]

If you wanted a "change your action" house rule when using speed factors, here's something I'd adapt from the trailin' rule in Owl Hoot Trail:

If you want to change your action, you instead go at the end of the round, after every other combatant has acted. Your action gains Disadvantage; if you take an action that requires your foes to make a saving throw, they gain Advantage on it.

That way you have options, but they're sub-optimal.

 

[guachi]

Not a bad rule, there, Piratecat. If I can swing a group small enough (4-5) I'm going to try and return my initiative system to the speed factor version from 5e (that mimics 2e). I find it interesting that their "countdown" method of initiative is exactly how we played it back in the day.

 

[SilentBoba]

I didn't see in the DMG listing that DEX modifiers apply. It seemed to me it was the straight die roll modified only by the action you were taking. Or was the DEX assumed by the "roll initiative" part? I would think when presenting options that something like a DEX modifier would be clarified. The only mention of DEX that I saw (I don't have the book in front of me) is that it breaks initiative ties.

Personally I think it should be a combination of DEX and WIS, but that's a different discussion.