What started as a review of different types of combat scenarios has turned more into a deconstruction of the initiative system itself, and how it might be used as a storytelling tool rather than simply a mechanical one. Anyone interested in working to dissolve the Roleplay-Combat boundary, particularly in D&D, might find this material interesting. I'm going to start play-testing these ideas this weekend, and any feedback is much appreciated.
Basic Combat Structure (Typical Initiative Use)
Basic combat in D&D has 2 main parts that every DM has to understand and address with their players at the table:
Why does combat start?
Why does combat end?
We're all overly familiar with typical combat. It begins when hostility or violence begins (noted by the classic "Role Initiative" call), and ends when all enemies are incapacitated, have fled, are dismembered, or etc.
We tend to take this for granted! As such, players (DM's included) can begin to get burned out on this basic layout of the game due to how expected it is, and we can do better. Let's take this basic structure and start to expand it by addressing these 2 questions differently. But first:
WHAT even is initiative?
Initiative serves as a central game mechanic to tracking character turns in a combat scenario. A bulk of the games' spells and abilities all work within the initiative-combat framework. At the same time, it has some side-effects which are important to consider:
It immediately serves to heighten tension at the table. Initiative is used to track specific actions because the outcomes are potentially deadly! Thus the all-important tension that can be used to draw players in.
Once initiative is called, most players focus on exactly what's going on (even if their minds were wandering previously). This re-centers everyone into their characters, their relative positions to each other, as well as potentially how they all need to work together in the moment.
Initiative is effectively SLOW MOTION storytelling mode. Framing it this way might help us to treat it not as separate from the rest of our role-playing sessions, but instead a different form of the same thing.
Everyone gets a turn. This is vital to how we look at using initiative! Many players are passive at the table, but still want a chance to contribute. Initiative can be used to make sure everyone has a period of time in the spotlight, even if they decide to hold an action or even pass their turns.
WHY are we rolling initiative?
Here are some alternatives to the typical answer, which is "a fight is breaking out". Note that this begins to dissolve the traditional "we are in combat now" concept, and opens it up more to "we're in a challenging, high-stakes scenario now".
Each of the below points answers the question of WHY we're rolling initiative, in various contexts. I'm going to start with a few scenarios that more easily lend themselves to the realm of Initiative, then move into some we wouldn't traditionally think to use the initiative system.
THE CHASE SCENE: Characters are running! Initiative needs to be tracked so we can keep up, not with damage, but with distances between creatures. Movement speeds and abilities that affect movement become extremely important here.
VS. THE ENVIRONMENT: Creatures are far from the only deadly elements in a DnD game. Avalanches, magically-induced tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, geysers, you name it! Relive some of your favorite disaster movie moments, and use initiative to enhance the scene. Gives players the opportunity to highlight acrobatics, athletics, utility spells, and great teamwork! This can be similar to the CHASE scene in some ways, but has its own unique flavor and considerations to make.
SNEAK SCENE: Characters are attempting to infiltrate and stealth through a dangerous area. Who attempts to sneak past the dragon first? Here initiative is being used to amp up the tension rather than as a strict mechanical tool (players can simply skip their turn or ready an action while waiting for the Rogue to sneak, for example).
ANTI-COMBAT: This is an inversion of the typical combat scenario. Rather than fighting until enemies are dead, the goal is to PREVENT combat from breaking out. Persuasion, intimidation, insight, and weird spells like Calm Emotions are very important, as well as clever subterfuge and even stealth.
PUZZLES: Want to make your blood-fountain puzzle even more tense, and get all the players at the table involved? Have them all roll initiative when they come upon it. Players take turn in order, or pass similarly to the Sneak scene above, but everyone is invited to take part or engage other players instead.
SOCIAL COMBAT: Players are introduced to who they assume to be an arch-enemy, a powerful nobleman with supposed ties to Underdark forces. In his audience chamber, you ask the party to roll initiative. On each player's turn, they can make a comment, a gesture, a perception or insight check, perhaps cast a subtle spell or communicate an important piece of information to other characters.
When are we out of initiative?
Per the above scenarios, how do we know when to end the "combat" / initiative order? This can vary greatly, and answering this question actually becomes a fun aspect of the game for the players as well.
CHASE SCENE: Usually ends when someone is captured, or when the party successfully escapes. The chase could also involve an item, so acquiring said item and getting away with it can also end the scene. CHASE scenes transition quite well into standard combat, VS. THE ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL COMBAT, and ANTI-COMBAT scenes.
SNEAK SCENE: Ends when the party successfully navigates the high-stakes area. If they blow it, it instead transitions into a CHASE, standard combat, VS. THE ENVIRONMENT, or ANTI-COMBAT.
PUZZLES: Ends when the puzzle is solved, of course! However this can also transition into a CHASE (such as a gelatinous boulder suddenly rolling towards them down a hallway), VS. THE ENVIRONMENT (sets off a series of traps), or standard combat.
VS. THE ENVIRONMENT: This has many possible outcomes! However, initiative usually ends when the environmental hazard is no longer a threat. If it's a storm, eruption, or etc., this will last a specific amount of time, or will be limited to a specific area the players must get out of. You could also have something like a chemical spill in a city, and perhaps the party actually needs to isolate a flood of acid and protect the citizens. Such a scene would be a hybrid of CHASE, SOCIAL COMBAT, and ANTI-COMBAT. This can also transition into standard combat if something else is triggered!
SOCIAL COMBAT: This usually ends when the parties have said their peace, and are no longer actively engaged with one another. This can obviously transition into standard combat very easily, as well as a CHASE or ANTI-COMBAT depending on the circumstances.
ANTI-COMBAT: Ends when factions are successfully separated, persuaded or otherwise subdued. Can transition into standard combat, of course, but also VS. THE ENVIRONMENT, or a CHASE.
Notes on Non-Traditional Use of Initiative
Personally, when I have players roll initiative, I also tend to queue up combat music. Obviously if the players are going through a different type of challenge, we wouldn't necessarily do that! Particularly if we're doing a PUZZLE or SOCIAL or SNEAK scene, we'd want some tense but mysterious sounding background. I've provided playlists like this in my other post on the subject.
I do think it's possible to OVERUSE initiative! We want to build and maintain tension, and initiative CAN be a great method for doing that. However, if we're constantly calling for initiative, we undermine the effectiveness of initiative as a tension-building tool, as players no longer see it as anything special! While there may be more scenarios than the above where we could use initiative, I think these give a strong foundation of options we can use that occur sporadically enough that it won't dispel tension.
We shouldn't RELY on initiative to create tension. Most of it occurs in how we describe our world, in conversations with NPC's, and hinting at terrible goings-on however we can.
Enhancing "Standard Combat"
While the above uses of initiative can spice up our games and give players active permission to engage in non-traditional ways as far as D&D goes, "standard" combat itself can be changed up to make it more interesting, too. This is usually done by changing the goal of the combat, away from "kill everything" and into more complicated scenarios. We can also add modifiers rather than unique goals. Where a unique goal changes the purpose of the battle, the modifier changes the circumstances.
PROTECTION: The goal isn't strictly to kill everything; someone or something needs to be protected at all costs. If it dies/is destroyed, even if the party survives, the fight is effectively lost.
HOT POTATO (Modifier): A deadly (or contagious) item or creature is present in the combat. The party can use it to their advantage, or the enemy will use it against them instead, perhaps swaying the fate of the fight.
KING OF THE HILL: Survive for a certain amount of time until reinforcements arrive, a gate is closed or open, and etc.
THROW A WRENCH IN IT: Disrupt a specific act, such as an assassination attempt, a summoning ritual, or an evil noble's corrupt dinner party.
VEHICULAR COMBAT (modifier): The party and perhaps their enemies are in unique vehicles! This could be simple mounted combat (horses, elephants, dinosaurs) or it could feature airships, boats, land-ships (magical cars), trains (magical trains), and anything else your DM brain can come up with.
DIFFUSE THE BOMB: A guard golem needs to be deactivated before rampaging through the streets; an arcane bomb must be diffused before going off beneath the palace.
NO MAGICKA (modifier): For whatever reason, spells can't be used, or have become dangerous or chaotic to use. See: Wild Magic Surge table for a basic idea here!
UNARMED (modifier): The party MUST give up their weaponry and is forced to use fisticuffs and cleverness, perhaps cantrips. Maybe damaging/evocation/conjuration cantrips can't be used, though!
3D COMBAT (modifier): Zero gravity, mass-flight spells, or swimming underwater - for whatever reason everyone is floating, and it makes things interesting! Simplify distance rules to make this work smoothly.
HAZARDS (modifier): Volatile substances are in the area, falling stalagmites, and etc. require much more than simple fighting!
Combining Non-traditional Initiative and Unique Combat Concepts
Here are some ideas combining many of the above ideas which I'll likely be using in my games. If you can come up with some other combinations feel free to share!
CHASE SCENE + HOT POTATO : Party is attempting to escape with an important artifact, but it's currently in a highly volatile state. Characters can't hold the item for more than 1 round or risk being stunned, taking considerable damage, or otherwise. Clever characters using abilities such as Telekinesis or Absorb Elements can hold it longer, but no more than 2 rounds, as the item has psychic affects as well. Party must not only use their movement skills and abilities to escape, but have to cleverly manage the item as well.
PROTECTION + VS. THE ENVIRONMENT : While escorting an important Harpers contact, a witness to high-crimes in a local feud, an assassination attempt is preceded by a trap being set off - one featuring a flood of water and acid in the city streets! The party has to figure out how to escape the flood, navigate the now-difficult terrain, not only themselves but assisting their V.I.NPC. at the same time. Innocent bystanders may also complicate the scenario for good-aligned players! This is made even better if it transitions into an assassination attempt (more standard combat).
KING OF THE HILL + ANTI-COMBAT : A potentially-deadly feud is breaking out at a sacred site of Melora between rival factions, both of which the party needs in their quest. Once every thousand years, a certain tree blessed by the goddess opens its blossoms, the nectar of which is said to cure any ailment and provide increased longevity for those who partake of it. Now everyone wants it, and they may even kill to get their take of the goddess' blessing. The party is aware of this tension, and they must maintain control of the tree while preventing violence from breaking out at the same time - lest the sacred space be corrupted by the blood of suffering common-folk (see: tree blights).
VEHICULAR COMBAT + PUZZLE SCENE : Not only is the party precariously attempting to pilot a rickety rock gnome land-ship contraption, barreling over rough terrain while being attacked by furious, mind-controlled corrupted Centaurs, the ship also requires that someone constantly be fussing with a highly complex gnomish device that effectively serves as it's arcane engine!
SNEAK SCENE + THROW A WRENCH IN IT : Not only must the party disrupt the devil-bound aristocrats' dinner party, they must do so without being noticed at all!
VEHICULAR + SOCIAL COMBAT : While the arcane-train is barreling uncontrollably towards a nearby city, certain to cause immense damage, the party stumbles into a mysterious NPC they've long sought after. While the train must be stopped or diverted to prevent catastrophe, they must also get as much information out of this NPC as possible before they inevitably escape (as they're want to do).
That's most of the thoughts I wanted to share on the subject. Obviously some of these ideas may work better than others. Does using initiative non-traditionally unnecessarily complicate something players might expect to remain static? Could it actually serve to diminish tension if used in different scenarios? Or does it ultimately, like most things, just depend on the table? Let me know what you think.
When we need to determine whether Conan goes before Bêlit, we roll initiative. It doesn't matter whether they are hitting someone (combat pillar) or hitting on someone (social pillar) or hitting a destination on a map (exploration pillar) - if timing matters, use Initiative.
If timing doesn't matter, don't use initiative.
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What started as a review of different types of combat scenarios has turned more into a deconstruction of the initiative system itself, and how it might be used as a storytelling tool rather than simply a mechanical one. Anyone interested in working to dissolve the Roleplay-Combat boundary, particularly in D&D, might find this material interesting. I'm going to start play-testing these ideas this weekend, and any feedback is much appreciated.
Basic Combat Structure (Typical Initiative Use)
Basic combat in D&D has 2 main parts that every DM has to understand and address with their players at the table:
Why does combat start?
Why does combat end?
We're all overly familiar with typical combat. It begins when hostility or violence begins (noted by the classic "Role Initiative" call), and ends when all enemies are incapacitated, have fled, are dismembered, or etc.
We tend to take this for granted! As such, players (DM's included) can begin to get burned out on this basic layout of the game due to how expected it is, and we can do better. Let's take this basic structure and start to expand it by addressing these 2 questions differently. But first:
WHAT even is initiative?
Initiative serves as a central game mechanic to tracking character turns in a combat scenario. A bulk of the games' spells and abilities all work within the initiative-combat framework. At the same time, it has some side-effects which are important to consider:
It immediately serves to heighten tension at the table. Initiative is used to track specific actions because the outcomes are potentially deadly! Thus the all-important tension that can be used to draw players in.
Once initiative is called, most players focus on exactly what's going on (even if their minds were wandering previously). This re-centers everyone into their characters, their relative positions to each other, as well as potentially how they all need to work together in the moment.
Initiative is effectively SLOW MOTION storytelling mode. Framing it this way might help us to treat it not as separate from the rest of our role-playing sessions, but instead a different form of the same thing.
Everyone gets a turn. This is vital to how we look at using initiative! Many players are passive at the table, but still want a chance to contribute. Initiative can be used to make sure everyone has a period of time in the spotlight, even if they decide to hold an action or even pass their turns.
WHY are we rolling initiative?
Here are some alternatives to the typical answer, which is "a fight is breaking out". Note that this begins to dissolve the traditional "we are in combat now" concept, and opens it up more to "we're in a challenging, high-stakes scenario now".
Each of the below points answers the question of WHY we're rolling initiative, in various contexts. I'm going to start with a few scenarios that more easily lend themselves to the realm of Initiative, then move into some we wouldn't traditionally think to use the initiative system.
THE CHASE SCENE: Characters are running! Initiative needs to be tracked so we can keep up, not with damage, but with distances between creatures. Movement speeds and abilities that affect movement become extremely important here.
VS. THE ENVIRONMENT: Creatures are far from the only deadly elements in a DnD game. Avalanches, magically-induced tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, geysers, you name it! Relive some of your favorite disaster movie moments, and use initiative to enhance the scene. Gives players the opportunity to highlight acrobatics, athletics, utility spells, and great teamwork! This can be similar to the CHASE scene in some ways, but has its own unique flavor and considerations to make.
SNEAK SCENE: Characters are attempting to infiltrate and stealth through a dangerous area. Who attempts to sneak past the dragon first? Here initiative is being used to amp up the tension rather than as a strict mechanical tool (players can simply skip their turn or ready an action while waiting for the Rogue to sneak, for example).
ANTI-COMBAT: This is an inversion of the typical combat scenario. Rather than fighting until enemies are dead, the goal is to PREVENT combat from breaking out. Persuasion, intimidation, insight, and weird spells like Calm Emotions are very important, as well as clever subterfuge and even stealth.
PUZZLES: Want to make your blood-fountain puzzle even more tense, and get all the players at the table involved? Have them all roll initiative when they come upon it. Players take turn in order, or pass similarly to the Sneak scene above, but everyone is invited to take part or engage other players instead.
SOCIAL COMBAT: Players are introduced to who they assume to be an arch-enemy, a powerful nobleman with supposed ties to Underdark forces. In his audience chamber, you ask the party to roll initiative. On each player's turn, they can make a comment, a gesture, a perception or insight check, perhaps cast a subtle spell or communicate an important piece of information to other characters.
When are we out of initiative?
Per the above scenarios, how do we know when to end the "combat" / initiative order? This can vary greatly, and answering this question actually becomes a fun aspect of the game for the players as well.
CHASE SCENE: Usually ends when someone is captured, or when the party successfully escapes. The chase could also involve an item, so acquiring said item and getting away with it can also end the scene. CHASE scenes transition quite well into standard combat, VS. THE ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL COMBAT, and ANTI-COMBAT scenes.
SNEAK SCENE: Ends when the party successfully navigates the high-stakes area. If they blow it, it instead transitions into a CHASE, standard combat, VS. THE ENVIRONMENT, or ANTI-COMBAT.
PUZZLES: Ends when the puzzle is solved, of course! However this can also transition into a CHASE (such as a gelatinous boulder suddenly rolling towards them down a hallway), VS. THE ENVIRONMENT (sets off a series of traps), or standard combat.
VS. THE ENVIRONMENT: This has many possible outcomes! However, initiative usually ends when the environmental hazard is no longer a threat. If it's a storm, eruption, or etc., this will last a specific amount of time, or will be limited to a specific area the players must get out of. You could also have something like a chemical spill in a city, and perhaps the party actually needs to isolate a flood of acid and protect the citizens. Such a scene would be a hybrid of CHASE, SOCIAL COMBAT, and ANTI-COMBAT. This can also transition into standard combat if something else is triggered!
SOCIAL COMBAT: This usually ends when the parties have said their peace, and are no longer actively engaged with one another. This can obviously transition into standard combat very easily, as well as a CHASE or ANTI-COMBAT depending on the circumstances.
ANTI-COMBAT: Ends when factions are successfully separated, persuaded or otherwise subdued. Can transition into standard combat, of course, but also VS. THE ENVIRONMENT, or a CHASE.
Notes on Non-Traditional Use of Initiative
Personally, when I have players roll initiative, I also tend to queue up combat music. Obviously if the players are going through a different type of challenge, we wouldn't necessarily do that! Particularly if we're doing a PUZZLE or SOCIAL or SNEAK scene, we'd want some tense but mysterious sounding background. I've provided playlists like this in my other post on the subject.
I do think it's possible to OVERUSE initiative! We want to build and maintain tension, and initiative CAN be a great method for doing that. However, if we're constantly calling for initiative, we undermine the effectiveness of initiative as a tension-building tool, as players no longer see it as anything special! While there may be more scenarios than the above where we could use initiative, I think these give a strong foundation of options we can use that occur sporadically enough that it won't dispel tension.
We shouldn't RELY on initiative to create tension. Most of it occurs in how we describe our world, in conversations with NPC's, and hinting at terrible goings-on however we can.
Enhancing "Standard Combat"
While the above uses of initiative can spice up our games and give players active permission to engage in non-traditional ways as far as D&D goes, "standard" combat itself can be changed up to make it more interesting, too. This is usually done by changing the goal of the combat, away from "kill everything" and into more complicated scenarios. We can also add modifiers rather than unique goals. Where a unique goal changes the purpose of the battle, the modifier changes the circumstances.
PROTECTION: The goal isn't strictly to kill everything; someone or something needs to be protected at all costs. If it dies/is destroyed, even if the party survives, the fight is effectively lost.
HOT POTATO (Modifier): A deadly (or contagious) item or creature is present in the combat. The party can use it to their advantage, or the enemy will use it against them instead, perhaps swaying the fate of the fight.
KING OF THE HILL: Survive for a certain amount of time until reinforcements arrive, a gate is closed or open, and etc.
THROW A WRENCH IN IT: Disrupt a specific act, such as an assassination attempt, a summoning ritual, or an evil noble's corrupt dinner party.
VEHICULAR COMBAT (modifier): The party and perhaps their enemies are in unique vehicles! This could be simple mounted combat (horses, elephants, dinosaurs) or it could feature airships, boats, land-ships (magical cars), trains (magical trains), and anything else your DM brain can come up with.
DIFFUSE THE BOMB: A guard golem needs to be deactivated before rampaging through the streets; an arcane bomb must be diffused before going off beneath the palace.
NO MAGICKA (modifier): For whatever reason, spells can't be used, or have become dangerous or chaotic to use. See: Wild Magic Surge table for a basic idea here!
UNARMED (modifier): The party MUST give up their weaponry and is forced to use fisticuffs and cleverness, perhaps cantrips. Maybe damaging/evocation/conjuration cantrips can't be used, though!
3D COMBAT (modifier): Zero gravity, mass-flight spells, or swimming underwater - for whatever reason everyone is floating, and it makes things interesting! Simplify distance rules to make this work smoothly.
HAZARDS (modifier): Volatile substances are in the area, falling stalagmites, and etc. require much more than simple fighting!
Combining Non-traditional Initiative and Unique Combat Concepts
Here are some ideas combining many of the above ideas which I'll likely be using in my games. If you can come up with some other combinations feel free to share!
CHASE SCENE + HOT POTATO : Party is attempting to escape with an important artifact, but it's currently in a highly volatile state. Characters can't hold the item for more than 1 round or risk being stunned, taking considerable damage, or otherwise. Clever characters using abilities such as Telekinesis or Absorb Elements can hold it longer, but no more than 2 rounds, as the item has psychic affects as well. Party must not only use their movement skills and abilities to escape, but have to cleverly manage the item as well.
PROTECTION + VS. THE ENVIRONMENT : While escorting an important Harpers contact, a witness to high-crimes in a local feud, an assassination attempt is preceded by a trap being set off - one featuring a flood of water and acid in the city streets! The party has to figure out how to escape the flood, navigate the now-difficult terrain, not only themselves but assisting their V.I.NPC. at the same time. Innocent bystanders may also complicate the scenario for good-aligned players! This is made even better if it transitions into an assassination attempt (more standard combat).
KING OF THE HILL + ANTI-COMBAT : A potentially-deadly feud is breaking out at a sacred site of Melora between rival factions, both of which the party needs in their quest. Once every thousand years, a certain tree blessed by the goddess opens its blossoms, the nectar of which is said to cure any ailment and provide increased longevity for those who partake of it. Now everyone wants it, and they may even kill to get their take of the goddess' blessing. The party is aware of this tension, and they must maintain control of the tree while preventing violence from breaking out at the same time - lest the sacred space be corrupted by the blood of suffering common-folk (see: tree blights).
VEHICULAR COMBAT + PUZZLE SCENE : Not only is the party precariously attempting to pilot a rickety rock gnome land-ship contraption, barreling over rough terrain while being attacked by furious, mind-controlled corrupted Centaurs, the ship also requires that someone constantly be fussing with a highly complex gnomish device that effectively serves as it's arcane engine!
SNEAK SCENE + THROW A WRENCH IN IT : Not only must the party disrupt the devil-bound aristocrats' dinner party, they must do so without being noticed at all!
VEHICULAR + SOCIAL COMBAT : While the arcane-train is barreling uncontrollably towards a nearby city, certain to cause immense damage, the party stumbles into a mysterious NPC they've long sought after. While the train must be stopped or diverted to prevent catastrophe, they must also get as much information out of this NPC as possible before they inevitably escape (as they're want to do).
That's most of the thoughts I wanted to share on the subject. Obviously some of these ideas may work better than others. Does using initiative non-traditionally unnecessarily complicate something players might expect to remain static? Could it actually serve to diminish tension if used in different scenarios? Or does it ultimately, like most things, just depend on the table? Let me know what you think.
I think this could be made a lot simpler.
When do we roll initiative? When timing matters.
When we need to determine whether Conan goes before Bêlit, we roll initiative. It doesn't matter whether they are hitting someone (combat pillar) or hitting on someone (social pillar) or hitting a destination on a map (exploration pillar) - if timing matters, use Initiative.
If timing doesn't matter, don't use initiative.