Initiative

## "Greyhawk" Initiative

This is an experimental form of Initiative that is inspired by older editions of the game. These game mechanics are in draft form, but are by no means final, and are subject to playtesting and improvement. I have run somewhere in the realm of one hundred combat encounters with this system, and have tinkered with it based on what I found worked and what didn't.

Out of all of the Variant Rules, this is by far the most complicated and dubious change I have made to Fifth Edition. As a result, a changelog is included below, and will be updated based on player feedback.

### Why Experiment with Initiative?

The initiative rules in the *Player's Handbook* work well for what it's intended to do. They keep the action moving and are easy to use at the table. It's clearly meant to produce as little friction and complexity as possible.

"Greyhawk Initiative" variant takes a different approach. These rules add complexity, but with the goal of introducing more drama to combat. The order of actions changes during combat, making it impossible to depend on creatures acting in a consistent pattern. Moreover, this initiative system requires a certain amount of strategizing between players ahead of each round’s action. It adds tension and versatility to combat and I have found that it is a great addition to the game.

If adding chaos and unpredictability to combat sounds like fun, you might like these rules. But if you prefer to keep initiative simple—something that quickly fades into the background during combat—then we should discuss what the group wants.

#### Commentary

This system has two big effects on combat. It makes on-the-fly actions, such as attempting to stop a fleeing enemy, more uncertain. It also turns each round of combat into a miniature tactical scenario, with the players conferring about their goals for the round and their general plan of attack.

The biggest hazard under this system is ending up in a situation where you cannot take a useful action. So when in doubt, roll a die to give yourself the option to move. In most cases, acting a little later in the round is a fair trade for the security of knowing you can close with a foe if you need to. Having to create a plan with your fellow players to work together and defeat your enemies means that coordination is critical. As such, you must weigh the benefits and risks of each action you might take in a round.

Spellcasting is not as powerful in this rules system, and are encouraged to stay out of range when they are casting a spell, as well as to carefully consider whether it would be more prudent to perform another action before they cast their spell.

Healing in combat can easily become a risky proposition. One bad roll can be the difference between delivering a spell in time or seeing an ally fall under your enemies’ attacks.

## Overview

### Rounds

Combat is organized into rounds. Each round, everyone involved in the combat has a chance to move and take actions, as with standard initiative. But the durations of effects are measured in rounds, rather than ending during a specific creature’s turn.

### Variable Turn Order

Each round, every creature involved in the battle rolls initiative. The order in which creatures take their turns changes from round to round, making it impossible to predict how events in combat will unfold.

### Initiative Dice

Rather than making a d20 roll for initiative, characters and monsters might roll a variety of initiative dice—normally d4 to d10. **You only roll one die for initiative - for your main action**. Your bonus action, movement, and other actions can be made after your action.

### Initiative Count

Under the standard system, creatures with higher initiative have a chance to act each round before creatures with lower initiative. With this variant system, **initiative now runs from low to high**. Creatures with a lower initiative roll can act in combat before creatures with a higher initiative roll.

### Order of Operations

These rules make it more likely for certain actions to take place earlier in a round, and for other actions to take place later. Missile fire usually occurs first, melee attacks next, and spellcasting last. This is just an overall pattern, though, not an ironclad rule. As with the standard initiative system, the luck of the dice always determines exactly when combatants act.

## Rounds

Combat under this system is divided into rounds, each of which continues to represent about 6 seconds of action.

### Durations

Any effect that normally lasts until the end of a turn instead lasts until the end of the round during which that turn takes place. Similarly, any effect that normally lasts until the start of a turn now lasts until the start of the round during which that turn takes place.

If the order in which effects end is important for some reason, roll a d20 for each effect (rerolling any ties). The effect with the lowest roll ends first, with the others ending in order of their results from lowest to highest.

### Surprise

A surprised creature adds +10 to its initiative result and cannot take reactions while it is surprised. A creature is surprised until the end of the round during which it is surprised.

### Determine Action Order

Before a round begins, each creature involved in a combat decides what it wants to do and rolls initiative. Your chosen actions determine which initiative dice you roll.

Actions are broken down by speed. Because a lower initiative count allows a creature to act more quickly, fast or simple actions use smaller dice and more complex actions use larger dice.

When rolling initiative, you roll all the dice that represent your actions, then add up the result. You do not add any modifier, even your Dexterity modifier, to this roll.

Note that **drawing a weapon can be done as a free action if you are also attacking that round.**

#### **Initiative Dice**

 d6
 d8
 d10
 d12

#### Forgoing an action

A creature can forgo its action to roll a d4 and only move, perform a bonus action or take the Dash, Dodge or Disengage action. Once declared, the creature cannot commit to another action this round, even if they would roll and add it to the current initiative count. Once an action is forgone, the creature cannot take an action besides Dash, Dodge or Disengage until next round.

Creature size affects the size of the die roll, though for player characters it will always be a d4. Tiny creatures go on initiative count 1, Small and Medium creatures use a d4, Large creatures use a d6, Huge creatures a d8 and Gargantuan creatures a d10.

#### Delaying

You cannot use the Ready action under these rules, but you can instead choose to delay your turn. Instead of taking your turn on your initiative count, you simply act on a later initiative count, only after another creature as you choose. If more than one creature has chosen to delay, each creature’s original initiative needs to be noted. Whenever a delaying creature decides to act, another delaying creature with a lower initiative can decide to act immediately before it.

#### Multiple Initiative Counts

It is common for characters to spread their actions over multiple initiative counts. If you want to move in toward a foe and make a melee attack with a longsword, you roll 1d8 for the attack and can move starting on your initiative count.

For instance, if you rolled a 4 for the attack, you can choose to move half of your movement speed on initiative count 4, make an attack on initiative count 5, and then use the rest of your movement on initiative count 6. In a sense, 4 is your "true" initiative, because it is the earliest initiative count in which you can utilize all of your actions.

Keep in mind that when you choose to delay actions to a later initiative count, you must do so "between" initiative counts. You cannot interrupt another creature's action with your own. Once the next creature's action is declared and they begin to resolve their actions, the player must wait until the action is resolved before declaring their own action.

#### Bonus Actions

If you want to use a bonus action on your turn, you can do so starting on your first initiative count and at the end of any initiative count going forward. Using a bonus action does not affect your initiative whatsoever.

#### Multiple Actions

If an effect grants you an additional action without the use of a bonus action, you roll an initiative die for only one of your actions. Use the largest die that corresponds to any one of the actions you plan to take.

#### Reactions and Forced Activities

Initiative covers only the actions you take on your turn, so that using a reaction has no effect on your initiative. You can take one reaction per round, as normal, unless an ability grants you more. Likewise, any activities you are forced to undertake not on your turn (typically in response to another creature’s actions) have no effect on your initiative.

#### Swapping Gear

If you want to sheathe or drop a weapon, you roll an additional 1d4 for your initiative and add it to your total. You can decide to swap your gear at any point during your turn.

### Creatures Unable to Act

Any creature that is unable to take actions (most likely because it is incapacitated) does not roll initiative. Any effects that such creatures must resolve, such as death saving throws, are resolved at the end of the round

### Choosing Another Creature’s Actions

If you are in a position to choose the actions that another creature takes on its turn (for example, if you have successfully targeted that creature with the dominate monster spell), you roll initiative for the actions you plan to have the creature take, then add that result to your initiative. The final result is the creature’s initiative.

In general, if an effect causes a creature to change its actions and it has not yet taken a turn, the creature rerolls its initiative and adds the result to the initiative of the creature or effect that triggered the change.

### Action Declaration and Resolution

At the start of a round, each combatant chooses actions for the round. At this stage, actions do not need any more detail than what is needed to determine the initiative roll. A character can plan on casting a spell, but does not yet need to pick a specific spell or a target.

During its turn, each combatant then chooses specific targets, spells, and so on for its chosen actions. The only restriction is that a creature cannot choose actions not covered by its initiative roll. As such, you might find that you need to alter the details of your plans as the action unfolds—meaning that it’s often desirable to leave yourself options when you choose which actions to roll for.

### Ties

If two creatures tie for initiative, those creatures act in order of Dexterity, with the highest Dexterity going first. If both creatures have the same Dexterity, roll randomly to determine which one acts first.

### Spell Disruption

If a creature that wants to cast a spell takes damage during the round before it can act, it is restricted to casting cantrips on its turn.

### Special Rules

Certain effects can alter initiative rolls in the game.

#### Initiative Bonuses or Penalties

Though this system does not apply a creature’s Dexterity modifier to its initiative rolls, other effects can alter initiative. If an effect would grant you a bonus to your initiative roll under the standard system, instead reduce the size of one die you roll for initiative, so that a d6 becomes a d4, a d4 becomes a d3, and so on. In the case of a penalty to your initiative, you apply the reverse process, increasing the size of one die rolled instead.

#### Advantage or Disadvantage

If an effect would grant you advantage or disadvantage on your initiative roll under the standard system, you apply that to the largest initiative die you roll (or to one of those initiative dice if you roll more than one of the same type). Roll the initiative die twice, using the lowest roll if you have advantage or the highest roll if you have disadvantage.

### Inspiration

Inspiration can be used to seize opportunity and act with keen instinct. You can expend your Inspiration after you roll initiative to gain the ability to reduce all of your rolls this round to 1, regardless of how low the rolls of other characters and creatures may be. If you are in competition with another player who wishes to use their Inspiration, the player with the lower Initiative totals will go first.