Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Charles Braden" data-source="post: 7746731" data-attributes="member: 6953350">I don't like it. Rolling every round for Initiative will slow combat down immensely IMHO. In the game I'm starting soon I will be trying the following home-brewed system:Everyone announces their action. Initiative then works by adding the relative Stat modifier of your action to your Proficiency Bonus. Physical actions will use Dex or Str, Cleric and Druid casting will use Wisdom, Wizards will use Int and Cha-based casters will use Cha. I add the Proficiency Bonus because starting characters will be easier to get the drop on while more experienced characters will tend to go sooner which simulates their years of experience in their chosen fields. So a high-Dex character using a Finesse weapon will have an Initiative Score (or IS for short) or 4 or 5 + their Prof Bonus while a Wizard casting a spell might have the SAME number. This eliminates Dex as the primary Initiative stat.However, the order in which actions take place is also modified by the action taken. Attacking with bare hands or weapons doing 1D4 conveys a -1 modifier to the IS. 1D6 is a -2, 1D8 -3, 1D10-4 and 1D12 a -5. Moving equates to =1 per 5' moved. Spells have a -1 per spell component so a spell with only a Verbal component is -1 while a grand spell with ALL of the spell components = -3 to the IS. The Alertness Feat conveys the same +5 to the IP that it does now. The following are a few examples of how a combat would work:Combat begins with all players declaring their actions as well as their intended targets. Lets say a Fighter, a Ranger and a Wizard are encountering 5 Orcs. The Fighter rushes in to attack with his Longsword, the Ranger fires with his Shortbow and the Wizard casts a spell with Verbal and Somatic components. The Fighter adds his Str Modifier to his Prof Bonus for his IP and gets 4+3 = 7. The Ranger Adds his Dex Modifier to his Prof Bonus and gets 3+4=7 (lower Dex but higher level than the Fighter). The Wizard adds his Int Modifier to his Prof Bonus and gets 5+3=8. The DM sees that the Orcs are all wielding Shortswords with +2 modifiers for their stats so their IS is 2+2 (for their approximate Prof Bonus based on their CR) or 4. Now the DM begins applying the modifiers for the actions taken.The Fighter and the Ranger are moving at the same time except that the Fighter has to move 20' to reach the Orcs while the Ranger can shoot from where he is. The Orcs are also moving to engage so both sides move forward 10' and meet in the middle. The Fighter will swing on his IS of 7 - 3 (for his 1D8 Longsword) -2 (for moving 10') or 1. The Ranger will fire on his IS of 7-3 (1D8 Longbow) or 4. The Wizard's spell goes off on 8-2 (for spell components) -1 (he chose to move 5' as he saw the two sides closing to get a better angle) or 5. The Orcs will attack on 4 -2 (moving 10') -2 (for their 1D6 Shortswords) or 0. So, in order, the following things happen: The Wizard's spell goes off. The Ranger fires his shot. The Fighter attacks with his sword. Surviving Orcs get to act.I prefer this system because the Fighter who has to race across 30' of open ground to swing his Great Ax is at a disadvantage. However, this also applies to the enemy who wants to do the same thing. The Mage with the phenomenal IQ who wants to stand still and utter a word won't be filled with arrows before having a chance to go. Higher-level characters, who (IMHO) would be harder to startle and catch unprepared act sooner because they've already survived a hundred battles or more. I would also impose negative modifiers to the IS for creature Size with Medium being 0, larger than that being -1 to -3 and smaller being +1.</blockquote>

Verification