As a new DM things are still a little confusing LOL. I think I understand the initiative roll, as a DM playing the monsters I will also make an initiative roll vs the players rolls?
When that happens and lets say its the first player up and he attacks me (goblin, orc, etc.) Do I make a move after the player or is it the next players turn to make an attack and so on until its gets back to me?
Then you make a note of the rolls and call out that character when it comes around to their turn. The player gets a 19 (for instance) and your Goblin rolled poorly and got a 4. Then every player and every other monster who rolled between 5 and 18 will go before your Goblin.
Attacks of Opportunity and other Reactions can happen when it's not a player's turn, but they don't get their full Actions and turns until their initiative count comes up.
Yeah, initiative isn't a contest of rolls in that the players and monsters are rolling against each other, they're all counted on the same initiative order, and their roll determines where each player or monster falls in the turn order.
Various ways to run initiative. Some have the players roll initiative to see who goes first among the players and then a single roll for the monsters.
My self I pre-generate all encounters with stats and HP for each creature and individual Initiative. I then sort them based in initiative and print them out with lines in between.
then the PC's roll and I put them in the sheet in their proper order. However, my active group is 10 players so we agreed on a different system.
We all sit in a circle (well rectangle actually). All the players roll initiative to see who goes first. Then the winner rolls against my monsters. Winner goes first. If the PC goes first then we just simply go clockwise. After the last person goes then all the monsters go. Then back to the first person. If the monsters go first then when the last one is done the PC winner goes. then the next combat we switch to counter clockwise.
It really has helped speed up combat and it makes it nice for the PC's as they know exactly when their turn is and I am not have to constantly check the sheet.
The only problem with that approach bobber is it is extremely swingy especially for a large group.
Lets one of the 10 in the party opens a door and finds a group of 8 bad guys. If the monsters go first they will probably kill the guy who opened the door possibly the guy next to him and maybe set up some buffs / debuffs, this is going to be a very tough fight and a possible TPK.
Same situation with the players going first and before the monsters go the players are all buffed up and thinned out the bad guys the battle will be almost trivial.
The only problem with that approach bobber is it is extremely swingy especially for a large group.
Lets one of the 10 in the party opens a door and finds a group of 8 bad guys. If the monsters go first they will probably kill the guy who opened the door possibly the guy next to him and maybe set up some buffs / debuffs, this is going to be a very tough fight and a possible TPK.
Same situation with the players going first and before the monsters go the players are all buffed up and thinned out the bad guys the battle will be almost trivial.
I agree, it may work for your group but my groups and my the character I'm playing now would hate it. I'm playing a Gloom Stalker/ Assassin so I personally get a +10 to initiative and I get some massive bonuses for being the first one to act, including increased move speed, a big burst of sneak attack on my target if they haven't acted yet, autocrit if they don't know I'm there and a second double damage roll weapon attack on top of that before I get to use my bonus action of move on past and hide so I can set for an AoO/ reaction.
Your initiative rule would completely make taking a character who gets an initiative bonus pointless.
When that happens and lets say its the first player up and he attacks me (goblin, orc, etc.) Do I make a move after the player or is it the next players turn to make an attack and so on until its gets back to me?
Others have answered the mechanics of initiative but I just wanted to pull out this line of your post to make a comment, because you said you are a new DM.
I strongly urge you not to think of the monsters and NPCs as "you" or "your characters." The player is not attacking "you", he is attacking the goblin. "You" are not rolling initiative -- you are rolling the goblin's initiative. The round does not proceed until it gets back to you -- it proceeds until it gets back to the goblins.
I know this may sound like I am nitpicking, but there is a reason I'm pointing this out: As a new DM, it can be very easy to think of the NPCs or monsters as "yours" and that it is "you against the players." It's not. It's the monsters against the players. You are the judge, arbiter, referee. Just like the Umpire in a baseball game calling balls and strikes. You may be also controlling the home team's players because they are inanimate objects, but, when the visiting team's pitcher throws the ball, he's not trying to strike the Umpire out, he's trying to strike the batter out.
The most crucial thing for any DM to do is to separate from the NPCs and monsters. They are not you, and the players are not beating you when they win -- they are beating the monsters. Which, if you're a good DM, is probably what you want them to do, most of the time.
Maybe you already think this way but, based on the way your OP was written, I just wanted to toss this out there.
Actually, here's another detail to keep in mind... the idea of characters and creatures taking "turns" is an arbitration. It represents how quickly each creature manages to accomplish their goal in combat, but every turn in a round of combat occurs simultaneously. That's why each round of combat lasts for 6 seconds, regardless of how many turns are taken within that round. So don't think of your goblin as just standing there staring blankly into the distance until their turn in combat comes around. Whatever they do on their turn happens concurrently with whatever the players do... the players are just a second or two faster than the goblin.
As a new DM things are still a little confusing LOL. I think I understand the initiative roll, as a DM playing the monsters I will also make an initiative roll vs the players rolls?
When that happens and lets say its the first player up and he attacks me (goblin, orc, etc.) Do I make a move after the player or is it the next players turn to make an attack and so on until its gets back to me?
Initiative goes by count from Highest to Lowest.
Then you make a note of the rolls and call out that character when it comes around to their turn. The player gets a 19 (for instance) and your Goblin rolled poorly and got a 4. Then every player and every other monster who rolled between 5 and 18 will go before your Goblin.
Attacks of Opportunity and other Reactions can happen when it's not a player's turn, but they don't get their full Actions and turns until their initiative count comes up.
Awesome, Thank you! It just seemed interesting that these goblins were getting blown up before they got to attack haha but that clears things up.
Yeah, initiative isn't a contest of rolls in that the players and monsters are rolling against each other, they're all counted on the same initiative order, and their roll determines where each player or monster falls in the turn order.
Various ways to run initiative. Some have the players roll initiative to see who goes first among the players and then a single roll for the monsters.
My self I pre-generate all encounters with stats and HP for each creature and individual Initiative. I then sort them based in initiative and print them out with lines in between.
then the PC's roll and I put them in the sheet in their proper order. However, my active group is 10 players so we agreed on a different system.
We all sit in a circle (well rectangle actually). All the players roll initiative to see who goes first. Then the winner rolls against my monsters. Winner goes first. If the PC goes first then we just simply go clockwise. After the last person goes then all the monsters go. Then back to the first person. If the monsters go first then when the last one is done the PC winner goes. then the next combat we switch to counter clockwise.
It really has helped speed up combat and it makes it nice for the PC's as they know exactly when their turn is and I am not have to constantly check the sheet.
The only problem with that approach bobber is it is extremely swingy especially for a large group.
Lets one of the 10 in the party opens a door and finds a group of 8 bad guys. If the monsters go first they will probably kill the guy who opened the door possibly the guy next to him and maybe set up some buffs / debuffs, this is going to be a very tough fight and a possible TPK.
Same situation with the players going first and before the monsters go the players are all buffed up and thinned out the bad guys the battle will be almost trivial.
I agree, it may work for your group but my groups and my the character I'm playing now would hate it. I'm playing a Gloom Stalker/ Assassin so I personally get a +10 to initiative and I get some massive bonuses for being the first one to act, including increased move speed, a big burst of sneak attack on my target if they haven't acted yet, autocrit if they don't know I'm there and a second double damage roll weapon attack on top of that before I get to use my bonus action of move on past and hide so I can set for an AoO/ reaction.
Your initiative rule would completely make taking a character who gets an initiative bonus pointless.
Others have answered the mechanics of initiative but I just wanted to pull out this line of your post to make a comment, because you said you are a new DM.
I strongly urge you not to think of the monsters and NPCs as "you" or "your characters." The player is not attacking "you", he is attacking the goblin. "You" are not rolling initiative -- you are rolling the goblin's initiative. The round does not proceed until it gets back to you -- it proceeds until it gets back to the goblins.
I know this may sound like I am nitpicking, but there is a reason I'm pointing this out: As a new DM, it can be very easy to think of the NPCs or monsters as "yours" and that it is "you against the players." It's not. It's the monsters against the players. You are the judge, arbiter, referee. Just like the Umpire in a baseball game calling balls and strikes. You may be also controlling the home team's players because they are inanimate objects, but, when the visiting team's pitcher throws the ball, he's not trying to strike the Umpire out, he's trying to strike the batter out.
The most crucial thing for any DM to do is to separate from the NPCs and monsters. They are not you, and the players are not beating you when they win -- they are beating the monsters. Which, if you're a good DM, is probably what you want them to do, most of the time.
Maybe you already think this way but, based on the way your OP was written, I just wanted to toss this out there.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Actually, here's another detail to keep in mind... the idea of characters and creatures taking "turns" is an arbitration. It represents how quickly each creature manages to accomplish their goal in combat, but every turn in a round of combat occurs simultaneously. That's why each round of combat lasts for 6 seconds, regardless of how many turns are taken within that round. So don't think of your goblin as just standing there staring blankly into the distance until their turn in combat comes around. Whatever they do on their turn happens concurrently with whatever the players do... the players are just a second or two faster than the goblin.
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