Initiative Question

[imported_Rasyr]

Okay, I think that the poll question says it all.

Condition change -- this is meant only to signify those times when there is a major change to the combat, such as more foes entering the combat, or some such.


Reason for this poll -- The question is -- How long does combat take? Are there ways to speed it up without giving up too much flexibility?

[Fidoric]

I have voted "each round". I think it's the best way to reflect the ever changing tide of combat (a character has lost his footing, has been distracted by an perceived threat...) without adding to much complexity. MAybe it could be a good thing to make wisdom part of the initiative stat to reflect the awareness aspect and to even the odds between fighters and mages, something like 2d10+spd+wis ?

[imported_Rasyr]

I like the idea of including Wisdom as well as Speed to initiative.

[samwise7]

I like to roll once per combat unless some really easy initiative system replaces it (like Savage Worlds deck of cards where you draw a card each round). 

[Right Wing Wacko]

I voted "only when conditions change".
We roll initiative once for a combat.... unless something "exciting" happens.

[imported_Raf Blutaxt]

I voted every round. I sometimes change it to once per combat, but really, it doesn't matter much, what is written in the rules because this is one of the most easily changed parts of any game. For a very tactical game every round is important, for more cinematic gaming not so much. But it can be very frustrating for a player to be stuck with a bad initiative roll for the whole combat, something not to be underestimated

[gamewizard]

We roll for initiative once per combat, Then if new opponents enter combat they get to roll once for themselves. Everyone else keeps what they have, The new guys may or may not have a conditional modifier that adds or subtracts from their roll.

[brianbloom]

Our convention (from D&D days) was once per combat, new arrivals roll upon arrival, but we fairly liberally adjusted initiatives often based on actions during the combat (like: "doing that drops you to the bottom of the initiative" or "Waiting for Frobozz to cast his spell drops your initiative to his level" )

[imported_Witchking20k]

I like only when conditions change.  Rerolling every round fatigues me.  Yup, fatigues me.

[imported_Rasyr]

I may go ahead and change this, so that only one roll is made, and then only when conditions changes....

It would mean rewriting the bit on "Resetting Initiative" (i.e. spend one AP preparing to get best init possible for your character in the next round) so that it only works for one round and that you automatically go back to normal init the following round (would have to increase the number of AP it costs to prepare for this as well, so that you cannot normally attack in the round where you prepare...)

[Fidoric]

Maybe you should allow to fight defensively while preparing, simulating the fighter waiting for an opening in foe's defense. I am not sure if this should be reflected by an initiative bonus or an AB bonus though.
I was about to suggest using boon points to gain initiative, but it's already there... IMO, that's a good way to reflect who has the edge during a fight.
Finally, most of us (including you Tim) seem to prefer rolling once and then only when significant changes happen. I see the logic behind this, but making one roll per combat makes more room for hasard regarding initiative. Rolling only once, if a very quick character rolls very low, he will be constantly behind the slowest characters (I mean those with low speed bonus). Rolling multiple times gives more weight to stat bonuses. That way, quick characters will generally go before slow ones.

[brianbloom]

Rolling only once, if a very quick character rolls very low, he will be constantly behind the slowest characters (I mean those with low speed bonus). Rolling multiple times gives more weight to stat bonuses. That way, quick characters will generally go before slow ones.

So I for one think there isn't a huge difference between the bottom of one round versus the top of the next one.  They usually just segue together. (yes, there are a few special cases where it makes a difference, but I'm talking in general)

The speedy person should usually get the jump on his opponents, and the bell curve with a bonus should support that.  However, not everyone is "on their game" every time, so yes, it can happen that the zombie acts before the twitchy monk (who maybe was distracted or something).  BUT  I see no reason why a player can't sacrifice one round of action to move themselves to the top of the initiative (if they feel that offers them some advantage or something).  Thus he is not "constantly behind the slowest characters", but he had to give up some other actions to do so.  We did this in D&D and I don't see why the same policy wouldn't work here just fine...

[imported_Rasyr]

Fighting Defensively isn't like Parrying in RM. In RM it is part of an attack, and thus you have to make an attack to get the Parry bonus. In Novus, Fighting Defensively is outside of the attack action, so that, while it impacts potential attacks, it does not require an attack to be made.

As for the one roll versus multiple rolls, we can even do a second type of reset initiative action that allows the character to reroll his initiative (and I just finished reading Brian's response AFTER writing this -- heheh -- so, it seems that he and I came up with similar solutions).

[Fidoric]

Fighting Defensively isn't like Parrying in RM. In RM it is part of an attack, and thus you have to make an attack to get the Parry bonus. In Novus, Fighting Defensively is outside of the attack action, so that, while it impacts potential attacks, it does not require an attack to be made.

That's how I envisionned it. Character A is bidding its time, protecting himself while patiently waiting for a good opportunity to strike.