Standard Initiative

[radmod]

As a DM, I have used 'simultaneous' initiative for over 20 years. Now, as a player, I am forced to use standard initiative.
Unfortunately, this means I can't get out of my head the way I think it should work as opposed to the way it actually does.

Take as an example: I am casting Fireball and an enemy is casting Magic Missile at me.
In simultaneous initiative, you roll init to see who gets the spell off first. The loser would have to roll a Concentration check to finish his spell (assuming he was damaged).
Now as I understand standard initiative, neither needs to make a Concentration check since they cast the spells on their init.
However, what if their initiatives were the same (presume the enemy has a higher init bonus)? Are we still going on the same init so I always lose and have to make a Concentration check or are initiatives considered different?
Likewise, it seems clear that when you ready a spell (or an attack) with the condition of an enemy casting a spell, you have a chance to disrupt their casting. Yet what if you cast an immediate action spell? Wouldn't it, like a readied action, have the potential to disrupt a target's casting?

 

[HoboGod]

There are no ties. If two combatants have the same initiative, then whoever has the highest dex score goes first, if it's a tie there, you use the next-most relevant ability or the two combatants roll d20 tie-breakers.

Not sure if that's SRD, but that's what my group does.

EDIT: Ah, no, it's close but not exactly right:

If two or more combatants have the same initiative check result, the combatants who are tied act in order of total initiative modifier (highest first). If there is still a tie, the tied characters should roll again to determine which one of them goes before the other.

 

[radmod]

Right. That's why I said "presume the enemy has a higher init bonus."
So, are you saying then that even though we have the same initiative roll, we technically don't have the same initiative so neither spell would disrupt?

 

[Dandu]

Yes.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Generally, the only time simultaneous initiative happens is when dealing with mounted combat or other "pet related" issues. The game doesn't handle those very cleanly, to be honest...