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Message: <blockquote data-quote="cooperjer" data-source="post: 7166186" data-attributes="member: 6862150">I still like the idea that bonus actions do no add to the initiative count.  Someone said up thread that a bonus action from GWM can trigger; but since the player didn't roll dice from it then do they get to take the action?  I'm sure there are several examples like that.  My caster player made this point a couple of times.  Her particular example was when to cast Fireball.  I'm assuming the player discussion at the beginning of the round would indicate that she is going to specifically cast fireball.  In this discussion I imagine all of the other players saying they delay their action until after the fireball is cast to attack the monsters.  But what happen then if the monster move to engage the PCs.  Does the caster still cast fireball or then switch to a different spell?  If my opinion, the player gets to select a different spell, but as you said the player initially feels locked into the first statement.You bring up a couple of good points.  The first is predicting what a monster might do vs reacting to what a monster has done.  In the example given by my caster player she indicated that she would like to be able to cast Misty Step, run 30-ft, and use a meta-magic to cast a cantrip if she finds her caster in melee range.  Well, this new initiative system gives no guarantee that she would roll lower than the monster, which is most likely going to stand in once place and attack.  Even if bonus actions do not add to initiative, then she is still rolling 1d10 + 1d6 and hopes to beet a 1d8 from the monster.  In the current system, she can react to the monster position and be confident her character is safe.  In the new system, she feels much less confident that the caster can escape.The second point you bring up is regarding monster declaration.  It was mentioned up thread.  The response was that it's up to the DM to be fair in choosing the monster action with respect to what the monster knows.  However, I get the feeling from the UA article that the DM does not declare what the monsters are doing at the beginning of the round.  If the DM does need to do this, then I foresee my players using that advantageously to make the encounter that much easier, because they shift their declarations to account for this.  I guess I could see a DM declare "The orcs will move and attack" or "The orc shaman will move and cast a spell."  This may not be enough information for the players to change the encounter difficulty.</blockquote>

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