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Message: <blockquote data-quote="redrick" data-source="post: 6677537" data-attributes="member: 6777696">Initiative is used to resolve the sequence of actions that are happening simultaneously. These actions could be happening over a span of time (6 seconds, in a standard combat turn,) but initiative determines which outcome gets resolved first.So, combat begins (with an initiative roll) whenever two opposing parties are aware of each other and at least one seems reasonably inclined to do violence (or some other undesired action). Most of the time, the starting gun is reaching for a weapon, raising a weapon in a threatening manner, or even the change of facial features into a hostile "we're-going-to-kill-you" look. In other words, it happens as soon as one character (or NPC) says, "I attack." The intention is registered, and initiative is rolled. The initial aggressor may be a little slow on the draw, roll a lower initiative, and be attacked by somebody else before his own attack is resolved. This is, I believe, the approach that both Paraxis and Histron are describing. That's are default combat setup, and, at my table, I sometimes used to say, "The goblin reaches for his initiative..." as a way of saying, "monster looks like he's going to attack, you will probably all want to roll initiative."The main exception to that default is when one combatant, or group of combatants, is unaware of the other. That is, they might be surprised. In this case, there is no ability to read the intention of the attacker, because there is no awareness of the attacker. (Or maybe the attacker has, by some other means, disguised his intention. Like a poison needle on a handshake.) In this case, initiative is rolled once the surprising party does something to alert the surprised of their intent. This could be kicking down a door, or it could be jumping out from behind cover, or it could be firing an arrow from a well-hidden position. At that point, initiative is rolled, surprise is determined, and all actions after the "alerting action" occur in initiative order. The alerting action counts as part of that characters turn, though they can use any additional movement or bonus action allowed them.We use initiative outside of combat sometimes as well, usually when characters want to take slightly opposing actions with different outcomes. When I play, I ask for actions/intentions from all players, and then circle back to resolve those actions in the order I deem appropriate. In combat, this is initiative order. (This is basically the Speed Factor initiative rule, but we don't always use the actual Speed Factor modifiers.) Out of combat, it's usually just the order that makes sense narratively, as the characters are generally working together, not at cross-purposes. (Generally.)</blockquote>

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