Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Greenstone.Walker Jan 22, 2015 15:45:09	If so, how did it go?   Popcorn Initiative is something I read about on AngryDM's site. In short, the initiative roll determines who goes first. After thet person acts, they choose who goes next, and so on. The person who acts last in a round determines who goes first in the next round (they can pick themselves). Duration effects generallyexpire at the end of a round, rather than on a person's turn.   This allows players (and GM!) to set up complex actions and teamwork. It provides energy to the table - instead of just passively waiting until your turn in the numerical order, you now have to pay attention. "No, Alice, choose me next, so I can do X". Angry DM phrases it as the players “waiting for a good opportunity to show up and then basically asking to be tapped in.”
#2 Illithidbix Jan 22, 2015 18:04:02	That's a really interesting idea.   One thing that it will play "well" with is the Prone condition.   Prone wrote:
#3 Nevvur Jan 22, 2015 18:41:44	I usually like AngryDM's stuff, but took a pass on his endorsement of this system. It just feels unnatural to me.    Neither do I particularly like the static initiative of 5e. I've gone through several systems looking for the right answer. I settled on rolling 20 on an attack roll or ability check allows the combatant to choose his spot in the initiative order the next round.
#4 bawylie Jan 22, 2015 19:33:07	I've done it and it was great. I like it for one-offs best. For one it's easier record keeping. For two they think more team-minded while they do it.
(Reply to #4) Nevvur	bawylie wrote:
#6 bawylie Jan 23, 2015 9:45:08	I don't pull punches. However, I told them (as part of explaining how it worked) that if they gave me the opportunity, I would absolutely wreck them. They took this to heart.    Now, typically for one shots, my first fight is a gimme. So I find the party goes all at once and just owns it. But they still talk about who is next.  From there, I scale it up. And eventually they learn (generally by 3rd encounter) that they cannot reliably decimate enemy forces in one round and have anything left in the tank for further fights. So they begin to learn to moderate their strategies, look for ways to mitigate incoming Attacks or bolster their "scrimmage line."
#7 CFK Jan 25, 2015 23:10:07	Talked it over with the party yesterday and we all thought it was something to try at least for one session.   I will however use something like a small hourglass to keep it flowing, I predict massive discussions on "tactics".
#8 slumgum Jan 26, 2015 4:00:37	Things expiring at the end of the round don't play nice in D&D.  For example, if I am last in initiative and I take the defensive action it would be completely wasted.
#9 QwertyAzerty Jan 26, 2015 5:12:31	instead of effect end at the end of round, why not end at the end of the "team turn"   if I understand we roll a team initiative VS enemy initiative, then who ever win his team go first? From there one is player then enemey then player again?   So let's simply consider this as being player turn and enemy turn.   If an effect last untill next turn, (like defensive action) then it will last until the next player turn. so it's still usefull if your the plast player (since you'll have defensive action during the entire monster turn)
#10 mellored Jan 26, 2015 6:48:20	QwertyAzerty wrote:
#11 bawylie Jan 26, 2015 8:17:19	You could modify it. Players must pick someone off team monster. Monster must pick someone on team player.    Or allocate a budget of turns to each side. Team player can go 4 times, team monster can go 3 times for example. Then durations simply last as long as you've allocated actions. So a round might go Fighter, monster, monster, fighter, wizard, monster, fighter. And if the wizard cast a spell that ends next turn, it would end 5 actions later (bc he went 2 turns ago).
#12 Nevvur Jan 26, 2015 9:32:09	Bawylie, I seem to recall you stating in multiple posts you don't like "fiddly bits." Is this you suggesting them?! =D   Anyway, I think a better response to tweaking popcorn initiative is simply to be aware of the metagame it creates. If your defensive action would be wasted, then don't use it. Ask your teammates to pick you earlier in the initiative so you can benefit more from using Ability X. In this respect, knowing your ability will expire at the end of this round or the next, and seeing how much mileage you get from using it on Initiative X is another element of the tactical part of combat.   Just an idea. I still have no intention of using popcorn initiative myself, but theory is fun.
(Reply to #12) bawylie	Nevvur wrote:
#14 Greenstone.Walker Jan 26, 2015 17:43:36	slumgum wrote:
#15 slumgum Jan 26, 2015 18:43:30	That feels exploitative.  Attacking recklessly incurs a penalty to offset the advantage, so attacking recklessly only because you the player knows the rules eliminate the penalty is just meta gaming.  Your character doesn't know this.  He wouldn't attack recklessly unless he was expecting the return blows, expected the creature he was fighting to die, or felt compelled to do so to help an ally (or any other reason other than knowing the penalty won't actually be there).   This method needs to address the defensive action being bad unless taken before every single enemy and reckless attacks being extra good if taken after at least 1 enemey combatant.