Post/Author/DateTime	Post
crinos43 07-28-05, 01:19 PM	This is a rule based on the L5R combat rule for tides of battle. It makes things more interesting by altering initiative in some ways. Here is how it works. Any character who does not recieve wounds in combat may choose to increase or decrease anyone's initiative for the next round by 1d10. Example: a standard adventuring party is fighting four bugbears. After initiative is rolled, here is the order: Rogue: 28 Fighter: 23 Bugbear 4: 21 Bugbear 3: 12 Cleric: 10 Bugbear 2: 9 Wizard: 5 Bugbear 1: 3 Now let's say at the end of combat for that round, the wizard, the rogue, and one bugbear each suffer no wounds. The player for the wizard chooses to increase his initiative, the rogue chooses to lower bugbear 4's initiative, and the DM chooses to lower the rogue's initiative. The wizard rolls 6, the rogue rolls a 4, and the DM rolls a 7 So now we have this order for initiative. The numbers in red are the ones that did nt take damage. Fighter: 23 Rogue: 21 Bugbear 4: 17 Bugbear 3: 12 Wizard: 11 Cleric: 10 Bugbear 2: 9 Bugbear 1: 3 If in the next round any of the red names do not take damage again, the player (or DM) can choose to once again let the tides of battle alter initiatives for other characters. Of course, to go along with this, there are a few feats I made for it. Improved Tides of Battle [General] Prerequisite: character level 6+ Benefit: If you are allowed to alter initiative for tides of battle, you may roll 1d10+4. Greater Tides of Battle [General] Prequisites: Improved Tides of Battle, character level 12+ Benefit: If you are allowed to alter initiative for tides of battle, you may roll 1d10+8. Superior Tides of Battle [General] Prequisites: Improved Tides of Battle, Greater Tides of Battle, Character level 18+ Benefit: If you are allowed to alter initiative for tides of battle, you may roll 1d10+12. A fighter may take any of these feats ads bonus fighter feats.
Sinaz 07-28-05, 05:39 PM	I had been toying around with the simple idea that natural 20's and natural 1's on an attack roll have a side-effect of bumping your initiative order up or down one respectively. At times, it can effectively give a player a second turn or cancel a turn (if their initiative is 'adjacent' to the initiative of someone they are fighting.) Your concept is neat, but all that extra rolling sort of adds a new phase to combat... might it be better if you simply bump up one spot in initiative if you suffer no wounds? I'm just offering a suggestion that doesn't require lots of re-rolls... plus nytime you allow someone to effect a mechanic in such an arbitrary way makes the game feel artificial (in my mind)... like, in your example, I get the distinct impression in my mind of the Rogue patting himself down, and then going "HAH! I'm safe! You there, bugbear- hold up a second, wouldja?" Bugbear realizes the Rogue is unhurt and for some weird reason says, "Sure thing Mr. Rogue... " I think mostly this system bugs me because the unhurt character can choose which initiative to alter... as though they are stirring the tide of time with thier finger. If I had veto power over your games, I'd veto this mechanic in favor of simply bumping up an unhurt character's initiative by one slot. my 2 cents.
BelZoradon 07-29-05, 05:01 PM	while i like the idea i do see where sinaz is coming from... i would sigest just the simple varent of rolling init every round with a penaltiy or bonus if wounded in the past round
Sinaz 07-29-05, 08:22 PM	while i like the idea i do see where sinaz is coming from... i would sigest just the simple varent of rolling init every round with a penaltiy or bonus if wounded in the past round That's a pretty good idea too.
crinos43 08-01-05, 11:50 AM	Well the whole idea behind only the unwounded ones getting to add or remove to init is that the unwounded ones ould have an advantage over wounded ones.
IceFractal 08-01-05, 11:58 AM	I think it will tend to mean that ranged attackers and spellcasters end up with very high initiatives compared to melee types.
weasel fierce 08-01-05, 08:47 PM	Rather than basing it off not taking damage, I'd consider basing it off causing more damage than you receive. The Warhammer RPG has a rule like this (or had in 1st edition anyways), which worked pretty well.