Improved Initiative
A guide to a better initiative for D&D 5e
By Vesa Ylhäinen aka Knightinpale
Credit: Craig J Spearing
Variant Initiative for 5e
This system aims to improve combat dynamics by pacing player choice and emphasizing proactive play in the presence of restrictions. In vanilla initiative all player choice is packed in his own turn and thus that turn can take an increasing amount of time as players have to weigh all options at once. While others wait. With this system we can improve player engagement in combat and speed up combat as a whole by allowing multiple players to do the bulk of their thinking at the same time. It also aims to increase tactical choices and the transparency of enemy actions, resulting in higher verisimilitude and more agency. As such it is especially tailored for difficult campaigns where it is important that things that should be clear to the character in combat, don't come as a surprise to the player.
Initiative
To determine initiative in combat, follow these steps at the beginning of each combat round.
1. DM Announces monster actions
DM will announce what the monsters are about to do and what their initiative scores are. DM can choose to omit some or all of this information at his discrection. (For example if the enemies are invisible)
2. Players Announce their actions
All players announce the type(s) of action(s) they are going to take. They don’t need to specify targets or which spells or attacks they are going to make. Only the category of action they will perform. The categories are visible on the table below.
3. Players roll for initiative
After announcing their actions players roll the appropriate dice and mark the results.
4. Resolve Actions From lowest to highest
Players take turns in initiative order from lowest to highest. Player can only take the types of actions he has declared beforehand plus any applicable bonus actions or reactions. In draws with monsters, players go first. In draws between players highest DEX goes first. If a player wishes to change hes action she will announce the new action and she is moved last in the initiative order. A player can change her mind only once in this manner during a round. Incapacitated creatures always go last in the round.
Bonus actions, Reactions, Extra Actions and Ready action
Bonus actions and Reactions and extra actions work as normal. They do not affect initiative and do not need to be announced separately. A player can ready the action they have announced normally on their turn. If the trigger for the readied action does not happen during the round it was announced, the player can choose to hold the trigger into the next round. If the player does so she does not roll initiative again and does not take other actions during that round.
Extra Attacks
If a player has more than one attack per action, he only needs to declare and pay initiative for the first attack he plans to take. If the first attack is used for special actions that allow it (such as grapple or shove) the player can still make the other attacks as normal although he had a lower initiative die.
Consumable resource
Spell slots, sorcery points, ammunition and anything else with limited uses is only consumed at the time the action is resolved, not during its declaration.
Spells and abilities with lasting effects
All effects that have a duration of 1 round now last until the end of the next round.
Monster initiative
The Dungeon Master can use the average initiative for monsters, adding together the average value for the dice for movement and appropriate actions. Monsters with multiple attacks will always roll initiative based on the slowest attack they will use.
For large monsters with many attacks the Dungeon Master can also spread the different attacks on different initiative counts and divide the monster's maximum movement between those. This can make playing big monsters more interesting.
The table gives an example for increasing movement and attack initiative for large monsters that would plausibly be slower to react.
Monster Initiative
| Size | Fast Attack | Attack | Spell/Ability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large & Smaller | 1d4 | 1d8 | 1d12 | |
| Huge | N/A | 1d10 | 1d12 | |
| Gargantuan | N/A | 1d12 | 1d12 |
Monster Movement initative
| Size | Move |
|---|---|
| Large & Smaller | +1d6 |
| Huge | +1d8 |
| Gargantuan | +1d10 |
Action Types
In the Announcement phase each player chooses one action type, and either movement or no movement.
Actions
| Die | Action Type | Included actions |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free Actions | Disengage, Dash, Dodge (Player still adds movement if she wishes to move) |
| 1d4 | Fast Actions | Light weapon attack, Unarmed attack, Throw a grenade, Drink or administer a potion, Race or class ability that takes 1 action, Cast a Cantrip |
| 1d8 | Normal Actions | Normal weapon attack, Heavy weapon attack |
| 1d12 | Slow Actions | Cast a spell, Search |
| 1d6 | Special Actions | Grapple, Shove, Help, Hide, Use Object, Overrun, Tumble, Disarm, Climb on Creature, Improvised actions |
Movement
| Die | Action Type | Included actions |
|---|---|---|
| +1d6 | Move | If the player wishes to move on his turn, he will add an additional 1d6 to his initiative roll |
Inspiration
DM inspiration and Bardic inspiration can be used to improve your initiative. You roll the die and reduce it from your initiative total.
Feats
Alert feat gives the player -2 to initiative instead of +5
Weapons and Items
Items or effects that affect your initiative now give -1 modifier Shortbow has been recategorized as a light weapon
Credit Where Credit is Due
This work is based on the awesome idea of Mike Mearls and the following discussion in r/DnD and r/mattcolville! Thank you Matt Colville for the awesome videos that inspire us all! And last but not least the epic stolksdorf for the goodness that is Homebrewery!