This is part of an ongoing series of posts about Initiative (mostly in Dungeons and Dragons, but most of this can be used in any TTRPG). This post discusses why you MIGHT want to use something other than Dexterity as the modifier for initiative in your games, and offers some alternatives. Of course, this does nothing to help with my issues with cyclical initiative.
Why Not Use Dexterity
RPGs that use Dexterity (or similar) to determine Initiative assume that how fast you move/ your muscles twitch, is what influences how fast you act. I guess that’s plausible! But it isn’t necessarily true in combat, IMO. A lot of games have you roll a dice and add your Dexterity modifier to determine turn order (initiative). But, let’s consider some other things that influence how quickly you might act in a situation.
- Maybe you see what is about to happen.
- Or maybe you were talking to an NPC, and their voice indicated they were lying about being peaceful.
- Maybe you are a great tactician, and you anticipate what your opponent is about to do.
- Maybe you are a dwarf, and you see that something just isn’t right about the tunnel up ahead…..who knows?
- Maybe you’ve been in a lot of fights, and you are really good at seeing openings, times to act.
If any of these make sense to you, you should consider the below options. But before we get to that, just a reminder!
The game you are playing assumes you are using the rules of the game. Any changes you make can affect how (combat especially) the game plays out. You should talk as a group before making any changes (and be willing to go back to the normal rules of the game). With that out of the way……
Round 1 is Different:
Use the base method for the first round of combat, and in all future rounds use whatever method you want (the most common being whatever is standard for your game). Use the appropriate modifier based on the situation. The idea here is that in round 1, you were watching, or listening, or moved fast. So, substitute something like Wisdom or Intelligence or Charisma for Dexterity, whatever makes sense for the situation. In later rounds, it can be all about your speed, so use Dexterity. Or, use any other method after round 1 (or after the surprise round, if such a thing exists in your game).
I Use My Strengths in Battle:
Use the highest ability modifier among Dexterity, Intelligence, or Wisdom as the modifier. This simulates the wise or intelligent character being faster in a fight because of training or experience, and that their order in combat isn’t just about how fast their muscles twitch. Monsters often have lower scores here, so be aware that this might give the PCs an advantage.
All of Me:
Use Dexterity + Intelligence+ Wisdom to calculate a new modifier. Again, monsters are likely to be at a disadvantage in this system. This is about two things: slightly reducing the randomness (for characters with high scores in two or three of the abilities), and acknowledging that all these factors come into play in combat….how fast, smart, and wise you are should play a role in how fast you act in combat.
Dexterity plus Experience:
Use your dexterity bonus plus your level to determine the modifier. Obviously, you can use any of Dexterity, Intelligence, or Wisdom here (or any combination). Substitute hit dice for level for creatures without a level. This is about speed and experience mattering.
Experience Matters Most:
Use only your level as the modifier (or just your level and skip the dice roll entirely). Substitute hit dice for level for creatures without a level. It’s not about speed here, but about how many fights you’ve been in. After all, you are looking for openings for attacks during a six second moment (or however long a round lasts in your game). That’s about experience, not about speed.
Speed Kills:
For each ten feet of an actor’s speed, add a 1-point bonus in step two instead of using Dexterity. Combatants are in constant motion on a battlefield. Those that can move faster probably have an advantage. This likely isn’t the best idea, as almost every creature has a similar speed.
What is Initiative?
As always, you can refer to THIS POST (coming soon, really!) to learn about initiative if you aren’t familiar with it (though I’d be shocked if you read this if you didn’t know!).
The image for this post is the cover from Dragon Magazine number 87 by Jack Crane. I looked him up on the interwebs, and found this interview with him.