Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Rinfor Jul 31, 2014 19:26:31	I didn't see any rule that allow delaying initiative. I saw ready as an action, but it is not the same. Is the any rule for delaying or do i have to houseruling?
#2 Shiroiken Jul 31, 2014 20:08:51	There is no rule for Delaying in the Basic Game. There wasn't during the playest, so I doubt that it will be in the PHB either. My guess is that it didn't fit into the notion of streamlined combat round, so it was dropped. I think this is a shame, because they finally gave a solid difference between Ready and Delay (Ready sets your Initative to just before the triggering player's turn, Delay would set your Initiative to just after). It would not be hard to simply add this action in as a houserule.
#3 obsid Jul 31, 2014 20:13:43	I rather liked delay as well.  Maybe I'm not sure yet what I want to do, I can just let the others go first and slip in with a full action latter.  Sad they removed it.
#4 Kalani Aug 01, 2014 7:39:35	I expect delay was not a rule that required playtesting, and was therefore irrelevant to include in the playtest materials. I see no reason why this mechanic would not be included in the PHB (or at least the DMG), other than space reasons. Given the fact that they added an extra 20 pages to the monster manual at no additional end-user cost, I don't see space issues being a problem here.
#5 AaronOfBarbaria Aug 01, 2014 10:31:43	Space is not an issue when determining the inclusion of a "delay" rule - but simplicity might be.   There are no other instances in which the order of initiative changes once determined - even "ready" doesn't change your initiative, not even temporarily.   In fact, the Ready action causes not only your Action on your turn to be used up in declaring your readied action, but also uses your Reaction when action performing your readied action - keeping everything in the neat "box" that is your Action being on your turn and any action you take outside your turn being your Reaction.   That means having an option to just say "I know it's my turn right now, but I don't want to take it yet" causes a bunch of exceptions to the rules and necessitates introduction of much more complex language to explain why someone that actually knows what they want to do when it is their turn (i.e. "I'll move over near the archway and ready to attack the first goblin that comes through with my axe") doesn't get the same benefit as someone that didn't at all know what they wanted to do gets (i.e. "Oh, a goblin moved into the archway? I move over there and attack it" without having risked wasting their turn on a trigger that never happened, without using their reaction, and with the benefit of any Extra Attacks because it's their turn).
#6 Psikerlord Aug 01, 2014 16:30:23	Rinfor wrote:
#7 Psikerlord Aug 01, 2014 16:34:35	Rinfor wrote:
#8 iserith Aug 01, 2014 20:27:19	AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
#9 Archon007 Aug 01, 2014 23:39:54	I allow delay you are just removed from intiative order until you want to act. Once you enter intiative you are at that new position for the rest of the combat or until you delay again.
#10 Sword_of_Spirit Aug 02, 2014 11:55:02	I agree with AaronOfBarbaria.   It was an intentional decision. Delaying and pre-5e readying does slow down combat and require the DM to keep track of more things. Moving characters in initiative order is a pain much of the time--it depends largely on how you keep track of initiative. (Greg's method in the livestreams is pretty convenient.)   It is also conceptually justifiable to not allow delaying. You say that characters are acting and reacting to a fast moving dynamic environment. There isn't really a whole of lot of timing you can do. If you decide to just "wait and see," by the time you've seen something you want to respond to, decided you want to respond to it, and started to do it, it's pretty easy to say you are back to your initiative count anyway. Readying and using your action means you are ready to act a moment's notice because you are doing something very specific and have more or less already decided what it is and are all set to go as soon as you see the chance. Of course, being able to act again on your initiative if your readied action happened right before it makes little sense. But I wasn't explaining how it all makes sense as much as just explaining how you can justify not allowing delay. The real reason is for speed of play.
#11 UngeheuerLich Aug 03, 2014 3:49:46	I like, that there is no delay action during combat. But in the first round of combat I would allow anyone to willingly enter the fight later. So no change of initiative during combat.
#12 shivafang Aug 04, 2014 14:23:20	The rules say something along the lines of "If you are unsure what you want to do on your turn, take a Dodge action."   I'm pretty sure Delay is intentionally taken out, for resaons said above.   Do I like it?  Hell no.  I delay all the time in other editions.  However, I have a feeling this was intentional.   Edit:  Found it.  Page 69 of the Basic Rules PDF; 'If you can't decide what to do on your turn, consider taking the Dodge or Ready action, as described in "Actions in Combat"'