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). I have a massive PDF I planned to sell, but I’ve decided to post it all here for free. I chose this next type of initiative by roiling a die.
This version gives players (and their opponents) a tactical decision……keep going and get worse at what we are doing (and make the other side more likely to succeed), or pass initiative to the other side? You can get some wonky stuff going if you use some of the options, so I wouldn’t….but there they are.
I would NOT use this in a fight against only one enemy, unless you are giving them actions between the players’ turns (which I recommend anyway, though those aren’t generally the rules for DnD).
Press Your Luck Initiative Rules
Each side rolls a d20 to see which side goes first.
That side can keep going (choosing any actor on their side they want), but each die roll made by the next actor on the same side incurs a 1-point penalty until they pass the initiative to the other side.
The newly acting side starts with a bonus equal to the last side’s penalty.
An Example
The players win initiative and go first. After the wizard goes, they keep initiative, and the ranger goes.
Every roll the ranger makes, to hit, saving throws, damage, skill check, etc. suffers a one-point penalty on each die for the round. If a roll has multiple dice (for example, 3d6 for damage, there is a three-point penalty).
The players decide to press their luck again, and have the barbarian go. The barbarian suffers a two-point penalty on every die roll this round.
The players pass the initiative to the other side. The first monster gets a two-point bonus to every die role it makes. The next monster gets a one-point bonus, and the next is neutral. Then the next suffers a one-point penalty, and they pass back to the players.
The monk goes and gets a one-point bonus to all her rolls.
Options for Pressing Your Luck
Option: Disadvantage
Instead of a one-point penalty, the first time a side presses their luck, they get disadvantage. The second time? They roll three dice and take the worst of the three (you can do this for damage also, or you can just subtract 1 or 2 or whatever).
Option: The Other Side Gets More Bonuses
If one side presses their luck and keeps imitative, resulting in a penalty to their side, the other side gets that same bonus to saving throws. For example, the monsters incur a one-point penalty for keeping initiative, the players get a one-point bonus to saving throws that turn.
Press Your Momentum Rules
Use a d20 (or other method) to see what side goes first. Any time they are successful at what they are trying to do, their side can keep initiative (until everyone has acted this round) or pass it to the other side.
An Example of Press Your Momentum Initiative
The monsters go first, and the first demon attacks the paladin and hits them. The monsters keep going. The cultist casts darkness, which can’t fail, so the monsters keep going! The next demon misses their attack, and the PCs now have initiative.
Option: Assign a Penalty for Keeping Initiative
If a side keeps initiative, it suffers a penalty (I’d go disadvantage) on its actions until they pass it back.
Tracking Turns and Drawbacks
I suggest having the players have a die in front of them until they act, then remove that die once they do act.
The image for this post comes from the Gameshow Press Your Luck, which by weird coincidence the baristas and I were trying to think the name of this morning! Weird. Truly.