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What is your way for doing Initiative?
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<blockquote data-quote="WhosDaDungeonMaster" data-source="post: 7555650"><p>With cyclical initiative, you have foreknowledge of the order of actions, thus you can abuse it. With non-cyclical, you can try to do tactics, but because of the randomness of the rolls, it won't always work out as you plan.</p><p></p><p><strong>Cyclical Initiative</strong>:</p><p><em>Round 2</em>: (now the order of initiative is known)</p><p>1. PC A</p><p>2. PC B</p><p>3. Monster</p><p>4. PC C</p><p></p><p>PC A decides to shove Monster to knock prone, knowing PC B will get to attack with advantage. Player B attacks and then the Monster gets up and attacks. PC C, <em><strong>knowing</strong></em> PCs A and B will go before the monster next round, likes how the shove worked and uses his attack to shove instead of dealing damage. On the next round, PCs A and B will <em>both</em> get to attack with advantage.</p><p></p><p><strong>Non-cyclical Initiative</strong>:</p><p><em>Round 2</em>: (same as above, but no one knows for certain what the order will be <em>next</em> round)</p><p>1. PC A</p><p>2. PC B</p><p>3. Monster</p><p>4. PC C</p><p></p><p>Same strategy but PC A shoves (hoping either PC B or C might go before the monster, they don't <em>know</em>) , PC B attacks with advantage, Monster goes, PC C shoves instead of dealing damage.</p><p></p><p><em>Round 3:</em> (oh, look! a new order... no one <em>knows</em> who is going when! how exciting! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> )</p><p>1. Monster</p><p>2. PC C</p><p>3. PC A</p><p>4. PC B</p><p></p><p>Oops! The monster goes first and gets up, attacking PC C and rolls a critical, PC C is dead! Boo-hoo! <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/cry.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":.-(" title="Cry :.-(" data-shortname=":.-(" /> PCs A and B weep over their fallen comrade, attacking wildly and hoping to avenge the death of PC C.</p><p></p><p>So, yeah... there is a definite advantage to using a cyclical system that players (and the DM LOL) can exploit. The inherent randomness of re-rolling every round doesn't make teamwork and such impossible, but makes it more challenging.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><em>Yeah, I would certainly say we do!</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="WhosDaDungeonMaster, post: 7555650"] With cyclical initiative, you have foreknowledge of the order of actions, thus you can abuse it. With non-cyclical, you can try to do tactics, but because of the randomness of the rolls, it won't always work out as you plan. [B]Cyclical Initiative[/B]: [I]Round 2[/I]: (now the order of initiative is known) 1. PC A 2. PC B 3. Monster 4. PC C PC A decides to shove Monster to knock prone, knowing PC B will get to attack with advantage. Player B attacks and then the Monster gets up and attacks. PC C, [I][B]knowing[/B][/I] PCs A and B will go before the monster next round, likes how the shove worked and uses his attack to shove instead of dealing damage. On the next round, PCs A and B will [I]both[/I] get to attack with advantage. [B]Non-cyclical Initiative[/B]: [I]Round 2[/I]: (same as above, but no one knows for certain what the order will be [I]next[/I] round) 1. PC A 2. PC B 3. Monster 4. PC C Same strategy but PC A shoves (hoping either PC B or C might go before the monster, they don't [I]know[/I]) , PC B attacks with advantage, Monster goes, PC C shoves instead of dealing damage. [I]Round 3:[/I] (oh, look! a new order... no one [I]knows[/I] who is going when! how exciting! :) ) 1. Monster 2. PC C 3. PC A 4. PC B Oops! The monster goes first and gets up, attacking PC C and rolls a critical, PC C is dead! Boo-hoo! :.-( PCs A and B weep over their fallen comrade, attacking wildly and hoping to avenge the death of PC C. So, yeah... there is a definite advantage to using a cyclical system that players (and the DM LOL) can exploit. The inherent randomness of re-rolling every round doesn't make teamwork and such impossible, but makes it more challenging. [I]Yeah, I would certainly say we do![/I] [/QUOTE]
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