I'm currently looking into designing some kind of Variant Initiative. I'm soon (I think) to be running a heist themed 1-shot, probably in a Play by Post format. I know some people have trouble or different ideas with initiative in a slower moving format (especially when posts can come out of order), so a lot move to more "Side Initiative." While most combats feel like the turn into this concept anyway, I'm trying to mix up Side-Order a little bit and need some help working through it.
Part 1) No Rolling.
Either the players go first, or the NPCs. Conceptually, whoever has the drop on the other would, with favoring to the players. (They sneaked in and want to take out the guards? Players begin. Players are doing some infiltration to steal the McGuffin? They go first. Players botched a stealth roll? Guards go first. Didn't do recon and know its a guarded vault? Guards go first.)
Part 2) Boosts
As a (Gloom-Stalker) in a large in person game using variant initiative, it can suck to lose a class feature that assists with making sure you're one of the first to go. So I was debating on a "Boost" system that enables players to have a limited number of "bonus actions" per day equal to initiative score. I would ideally like to tie it into a Con Check, where if you fail, you get a 1 level of exhaustion. (Similar to chase scenes.) Or maybe anyone can attempt a boost action, rolling their initiative modifier as a "save" to see if they get exhaustion or stunned the next round by pushing too hard?
I've never played in a PbP style game so take this as you will, but I think this approach needs some refinement before you take it live:
It sounds really clunky right now and seems to disregard the chaotic nature of combat.
1) Combat is chaotic, the initiative score reflects this by having the actors come in at different times. By having NPC vs Player initiative blocks you make it so that one side could, especially well oiled player parties, wipe out the other team before they get a chance to act.
2) How do you resolve things like Assassinate? With what you're proposing an Assassin Rogue could pick any of the opposing side as their target or be completely deprived of using the ability based on a seemingly arbitrary reason such as "You didn't ask if the vault was guarded".
3) The "boosts" adds a complicated mechanic for little reward. You didn't go first on initiative, here's a resource to burn and it could cause you exhaustion, but you get to use Frenzy which will now give you a second point of exhaustion.
Those are my knee-jerk thoughts, I can't really go too much further since, as I said, I've never done PbP.
This is the sort of stuff I need, because sometimes I think of a idea and then start cooking with it... without thinking those next 3 or 4 steps down the line or how it impacts other options.
Normally, I dig initiative (and sometimes enjoy experimenting with the "roll per round initiative" to add in a total cluster of not knowing when something will happen.) Just noticing that in a forum style play, if I have a 10, and you have a 15... but I posted my 10 before they post their action (cause we're all on different time zones and work schedules), not everyone is able to separate their judgement from the actions others posted, even if they have a higher place in the order. (Better example. One of my players went on Initiative 14. My bad guy went on 7, but I went ahead and posted what the bad guy did... and it ended up being a critical hit. So the person with the 14 wanted to heal, and had a hard time wrapping their head around the fact their action would happen before the critical hit so they couldn't heal it, yet.)
I know some side initiatives have the group roll vs the "monster roll" and then the sides go alternating in either way. It definitely gives the players the advantage and a lot of alpha strike capacity.
The Boost Mechanic; totally clunky and needs work. Absolutely agreed. That's why I'm trying to think of some sort of risk / reward style mechanic? Not even sure if it's needed at all, tbh. I think I just like giving just enough rope to see what the players will do with. Bonus Action for a possible point of exhaustion to either deal with something, or not. Stunned may work better as a save, ie, you're now too tired to do something on your next round. (Compared to exhaustion which is a fairly large pain to get rid of and adds up quickly)
The only house rule I use with respect to initiative is that a natural 20 gives advantage on the firs t attack roll and a natural 1 gives disadvantage on the first attack roll. This only applies to the first round of combat, as it is meant to represent being exceptionally ready or unready when fighting kicks off.
I LOVE the idea of initiative slots in the Star Wars rpg. Everyone rolls initiative: let's say it's PC PC Monster PC PC Monster
It stays that order for the encounter. Players choose amongst themselves which slot they would like to act in, at the start of EACH ROUND! great for teamwork strategy and tactics!
Hey folks,
I'm currently looking into designing some kind of Variant Initiative. I'm soon (I think) to be running a heist themed 1-shot, probably in a Play by Post format. I know some people have trouble or different ideas with initiative in a slower moving format (especially when posts can come out of order), so a lot move to more "Side Initiative." While most combats feel like the turn into this concept anyway, I'm trying to mix up Side-Order a little bit and need some help working through it.
Part 1) No Rolling.
Either the players go first, or the NPCs. Conceptually, whoever has the drop on the other would, with favoring to the players. (They sneaked in and want to take out the guards? Players begin. Players are doing some infiltration to steal the McGuffin? They go first. Players botched a stealth roll? Guards go first. Didn't do recon and know its a guarded vault? Guards go first.)
Part 2) Boosts
As a (Gloom-Stalker) in a large in person game using variant initiative, it can suck to lose a class feature that assists with making sure you're one of the first to go. So I was debating on a "Boost" system that enables players to have a limited number of "bonus actions" per day equal to initiative score. I would ideally like to tie it into a Con Check, where if you fail, you get a 1 level of exhaustion. (Similar to chase scenes.) Or maybe anyone can attempt a boost action, rolling their initiative modifier as a "save" to see if they get exhaustion or stunned the next round by pushing too hard?
I'd love to hear more pros / cons / thoughts.
DM PbP Series (Completed) : The Blackmire Company, Voyage of the Windhook ,Shanty of Soulripper, The Streets of Dunnour
I've never played in a PbP style game so take this as you will, but I think this approach needs some refinement before you take it live:
It sounds really clunky right now and seems to disregard the chaotic nature of combat.
1) Combat is chaotic, the initiative score reflects this by having the actors come in at different times. By having NPC vs Player initiative blocks you make it so that one side could, especially well oiled player parties, wipe out the other team before they get a chance to act.
2) How do you resolve things like Assassinate? With what you're proposing an Assassin Rogue could pick any of the opposing side as their target or be completely deprived of using the ability based on a seemingly arbitrary reason such as "You didn't ask if the vault was guarded".
3) The "boosts" adds a complicated mechanic for little reward. You didn't go first on initiative, here's a resource to burn and it could cause you exhaustion, but you get to use Frenzy which will now give you a second point of exhaustion.
Those are my knee-jerk thoughts, I can't really go too much further since, as I said, I've never done PbP.
This is the sort of stuff I need, because sometimes I think of a idea and then start cooking with it... without thinking those next 3 or 4 steps down the line or how it impacts other options.
Normally, I dig initiative (and sometimes enjoy experimenting with the "roll per round initiative" to add in a total cluster of not knowing when something will happen.) Just noticing that in a forum style play, if I have a 10, and you have a 15... but I posted my 10 before they post their action (cause we're all on different time zones and work schedules), not everyone is able to separate their judgement from the actions others posted, even if they have a higher place in the order. (Better example. One of my players went on Initiative 14. My bad guy went on 7, but I went ahead and posted what the bad guy did... and it ended up being a critical hit. So the person with the 14 wanted to heal, and had a hard time wrapping their head around the fact their action would happen before the critical hit so they couldn't heal it, yet.)
I know some side initiatives have the group roll vs the "monster roll" and then the sides go alternating in either way. It definitely gives the players the advantage and a lot of alpha strike capacity.
The Boost Mechanic; totally clunky and needs work. Absolutely agreed. That's why I'm trying to think of some sort of risk / reward style mechanic? Not even sure if it's needed at all, tbh. I think I just like giving just enough rope to see what the players will do with. Bonus Action for a possible point of exhaustion to either deal with something, or not. Stunned may work better as a save, ie, you're now too tired to do something on your next round. (Compared to exhaustion which is a fairly large pain to get rid of and adds up quickly)
DM PbP Series (Completed) : The Blackmire Company, Voyage of the Windhook ,Shanty of Soulripper, The Streets of Dunnour
The only house rule I use with respect to initiative is that a natural 20 gives advantage on the firs t attack roll and a natural 1 gives disadvantage on the first attack roll. This only applies to the first round of combat, as it is meant to represent being exceptionally ready or unready when fighting kicks off.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Never thought of that, but I may use that in other games.
Thanks!
DM PbP Series (Completed) : The Blackmire Company, Voyage of the Windhook ,Shanty of Soulripper, The Streets of Dunnour
I LOVE the idea of initiative slots in the Star Wars rpg. Everyone rolls initiative: let's say it's
PC
PC
Monster
PC
PC
Monster
It stays that order for the encounter. Players choose amongst themselves which slot they would like to act in, at the start of EACH ROUND! great for teamwork strategy and tactics!
Oooh, i like this one. Giving this a spin. Thanks for the idea