Initiative

Initiative determines which of two or more groups entering combat will act first. This is a necessity in a turn-based combat system. Each group is represented by rolling a d6, then adding modifiers to individuals intending combat in order to compare results. This determines which group — and which individuals in each group — has advantage.

Surprise

Main Article: Surprise

When combatants attack an unsuspecting individual or group, the defenders must check to see if they are surprised. If they are, then initiative is automatically awarded to the attackers. If they are not surprised, or if neither side was unsuspecting prior to the combat, then initiative must be rolled before either side can take action.

Procedure

Once surprise has been discounted, or already used to determine initiative, the DM designates one player to roll initiative for all the players. This responsibility should be spread around, but does need not to move consistently around the table unless the players are adamant that it should. Individuals do not, as in other systems, roll for independently for initiative; in part, this is because initiative is not rolled every round (as it is in other systems) and because it removes unwanted and largely immaterial impediments to the process of beginning combat. The DM rolls initiative for all combatants opposed to the party. All rolls are made with a d6.

Individuals modify the die for their side according to dexterity, luck or magic, if available. For example, Nathan and Obadiah represent one side in a fight; a "4" on a d6 is rolled for both of them, but Obadiah has a 16 dexterity; this gives him a +1 initiative. Therefore, while Nathan's initiative total is "4," Obadiah's is "5."

Those individuals with the highest adjusted initiative (which may mean one whole side in the fight) win the advantage and act first. Whereupon, those with the next highest initiative may act; and so on, until all the individuals have acted at least once this round.

However, it may be that because of not acting first, some individuals may be stun locked; these individuals will lose their turn and must wait until they are free to act.

Example of Initiative Roll

For example, Albert, Bala, Caleb and Drusilla comprise a party of player character combatants facing a group of orcs. The DM designates Bala as the player who will roll a d6 for the party's initiative. She rolls a 3. The orcs roll a 5. Normally, this would mean that the orcs had initiative. However, it so happens that Drusilla has an 18 dexterity, allowing her a +3 modifier to initiative rolls. This gives her a personal initiative roll of 6 (3+3). Caleb has a 16 dexterity, so he has a bonus as well - but as his bonus is only +1, this is not enough to challenge the orc's roll. Caleb's personal initiative is only 4 (3+1). Albert and Bala do not have sufficient dexterities to gain any bonus.

Thus, Drusilla has a 6 initiative, so she goes first. The orcs have an initiative of 5, so they go after Drusilla. Then the rest of the player characters, including Caleb, end the round.

Take note, however, that since the rest of the player party would then be followed by Drusilla, all the players in the party are free to act together. It is only necessary to roll initiative once. Afterwards, the turn-based combat system simply flips back and forth between the player characters and the enemy. The pattern, however, is disrupted by stunning rules - but for those familiar with traditional 1e rules (AD&D), the policy of rolling initiative over and over is dispensed with.

Once initiative has been determined, the combatants possessed of it may take whatever action they feel is appropriate, in the bounds of the rules and role-playing.

Simultaneous Attacks If it should happen that opposing combatants end with the same value on their adjusted initiative die, then combat for those combatants will be considered simultaneous. Where simultaneous attacks are indicated, all combatants are considered to move and attack regardless of the actions of the enemy. This means that if the enemy is hit by a combatant and stunned, the enemy will still be entitled to attack, as both attacks are considered to happen at the same time.

If necessary, the action points (AP) expended by either side may need to be played out 1 AP at a time (but only in relation to movement or preparation of materials, drawing weapons and so on). If this is the case, then actions can be scaled according to this table: