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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vraille Darkfang" data-source="post: 2806196" data-attributes="member: 16989">Adding in Variable Initiative modifiers is just asking for headaches.If you put in Weapon Speed/Spellcasting Time & roll for Iniative just Once per combat (as per 3rd standard).  I won't play.  I see where this is heading.What happens if you switch weapons in mid-comabat.  Say your Greatsword is sundered & you have to go to your Dagger.  Do you keep you initial Iniative for the entire combat (so 1st round dagger, Great axe after that)? Or are you (the DM) forced to keep track of everyone's (including all your monsters) Initiative Score & modify them at the start of every round based on what spell/weapon they are using that round.  And what if that big-slow-master of destruction barbarian wants to change his mind by the time it gets to his 5 Iniative (1 with his greataxe).  Can he, or is he stuck?If you keep the 1/combat Initiative system of 3rd & try to combine it with a Round-by-Round Initiative variable, you are opening up a Decanter of Endless Worms.The only way Weapon Speeds will work is if you go with the Optional Roll Initative Round-by-Round option (like is was in 2nd ed).  The problem with Round-by-Round is the level of strategy goes up by a factor of 10.  You roll poor on 1 round?  Take a big AC/Attack penalty combat option & hope you roll decent next round, minimizing the penalty.  IF you go round by round, players with a better grasp on the combat rules will become more effective as they maximize each round based on what they rolled for Initiative.  Also, I wouldn't use thsi system with more than 4 players, tops.  The game slows down to a crawl.  As if by a nearly dead snail.All in all, I don't miss Weapon Speed/Casting Time one bit.  It jsut doesn't fit well with 3rd edition.  I know, I've tried to use them (as both player and DM).  Always just slowed down things way too much for what little bit of 'increased' realism that might have existed.</blockquote>

Verification