Monster Initiative? Do they have bonuses?

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Londoner78

Nov 13, 2014 7:03:56

Do monsters use initiative bonuses in 5E?

 

I don't see a stat for them in the book like characters have.

#2

mellored

Nov 13, 2014 7:20:31

It's their dexterity modifier.

#3

Noctaem

Nov 13, 2014 7:50:36

That's something I've wondered myself since it's not clearly identified on monster stat blocks.  Do you add a proficiency bonus on sneaky monsters who emulate a rogue for example?  Like a Goblin who even has Cunning Action built in?  Seems like you could.

#4

mellored

Nov 13, 2014 8:04:50

Noctaem wrote:
#5

Londoner78

Nov 13, 2014 8:55:59

But it doeasn't say anywhere that DEX should be used. Like Mellored said, If they are special enough they would have an INIT stat listed. So my take would be that they have NO bonuses and NO DEX mod's and only use a D20 for INIT.

#6

Synjin

Nov 13, 2014 9:00:26

Londoner78 wrote:
#7

OoftaMeg

Nov 13, 2014 9:06:34

Basic rules page 69

 

Initiative
Initiative determines the order of turns during combat.
When combat starts, every participant makes a
Dexterity check to determine their place in the initiative
order. The DM makes one roll for an entire group of
identical creatures, so each member of the group acts at
the same time.

 

There may be some monsters that override this as a specific rule.


#8

AaronOfBarbaria

Nov 13, 2014 9:18:50

Isn't the only way to get a bonus other than just Dexterity modifier to your initiative check at current to have the bard's jack of all trades feature?

#9

iserith

Nov 13, 2014 9:22:32

AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
#10

mellored

Nov 13, 2014 9:25:36

AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
#11

Danny_Montanny

Nov 13, 2014 13:43:23

7th-level Champion Fighter

Remarkable Athlete: Half proficiency on Strenght, Dexterity, and Constitution checks that you're not proficient in.

#12

Synjin

Nov 14, 2014 7:42:46

Hmmmmmm....this may seem like a silly question, but if you're Proficient in DEX, do you add that bonus to Init? Or is it always straight DEX modifier only? The books say "DEX check". Common sense would stand to reason that you do add your Proficiency Bonus, since you tend to be quicker than others, but is that RAW? As far as I know, the only place you add your Prof. Bonus to your ability modifiers, are Skills and Saves.

 

PHB #177

I n i t i a t i v e
At the beginning o f every combat, you roll initiative
by making a Dexterity check. Initiative determines
the order of creatures’ turns in combat, as described
in chapter 9.

 

PHB #189

I n i t i a t i v e
Initiative determines the order o f turns during combat.
When combat starts, every participant makes a
Dexterity check to determine their place in the initiative
order. The DM makes one roll for an entire group of
identical creatures, so each member o f the group acts at
the same time.
The DM ranks the combatants in order from the one
with the highest Dexterity check total to the one with
the lowest. This is the order (called the initiative order)
in which they act during each round. The initiative order
remains the same from round to round.
If a tie occurs, the DM decides the order among
tied DM-controlled creatures, and the players decide
the order among their tied characters. The DM can
decide the order if the tie is between a monster and a
player character. Optionally, the DM can have the tied
characters and monsters each roll a d20 to determine
the order, highest roll going first.

 

 

#13

iserith

Nov 14, 2014 7:47:57

Nobody is "proficient in Dexterity." They are proficient in Dexterity saving throws.

#14

mellored

Nov 14, 2014 7:49:12

Synjin wrote:
#15

Synjin

Nov 14, 2014 7:51:03

Makes sense. Thanks!

#16

WizardV

Nov 14, 2014 14:42:07

It still would have been helpful if there was an initiative value or at least the proficiency value listed in the monster stat block like previous editions. If nothing else my encounters sometimes mix monsters of different CR's. It can be annoying to remember the proficiency/CR table each time. It may just be that I'm still getting used to 5e but Level/2 was a comparatively easy thing to remember.

(Reply to #16)

AaronOfBarbaria

WizardV wrote:
(Reply to #17)

OoftaMeg

AaronOfBarbaria wrote: