Alternatives to Initiative

What’s the best way to find the first to fight? (Art: KateMaxPaint)

Initiative is a mandatory part of D&D combat, and it provides a nice line of delineation between the roleplaying element and the combat elements of the game we love. However, it’s existed in its current format for a long time now, and maybe it’s worth giving it another look. It’s time to question whether there is a better solution out there for capturing the “who reacts first” concept that is Initiative. In this article, we’ll present a couple of other options that you might want to use in your game, fresh ideas, and collated from other proposals online.

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Using Dexterity

Let’s start with a quick look at the classic method of determining initiative (in D&D). Dexterity works, it plays on the feeling of quick reactions, and it has a lot of connections to gunslingers of the wild west. I think natural game design has leant to maintaining Dexterity at the core for initiative because the classes you expect to go first or benefit from going first, traditionally have high dexterity: the assassin rogue archetype and fast punching monks.

All of this is okay, it’s solid but uninspired. An often unnoticed issue with it however is the importance Dexterity as an ability has come to have on the game of D&D, especially when compared to the other “physicality” abilities. Dexterity is used for initiative, armour class, attack rolls & damage, not to mention more skills than either Strength or Constitution. This is a wider problem with the landscape with D&D 5e, but it may serve as a reason we want to look elsewhere. So what other options are there?

Perception over Dexterity

Is Perception more important in an ambush? (Art: Justin Gerard)

While the traditional method plays on reactions for your order in initiative other systems instead make use of a character’s ability to sense danger, notice threats, and be prepared for a fight. Using the Perception or even Insight skills depending on the situation can provide a better narrative sense of members of the party noticing that danger is afoot and being better prepared when combat starts.

This has its pros and cons. I like the idea of having your head on a swivel so you aren’t caught out in an ambush or sudden betrayal, but also it doesn’t reward the characters which might be able to react to such an event on instinct and reactions like Dexterity does. There may be room to allow for either or from players, although then you have to handle the ability to be proficient in skills while you can’t be proficient in initiative.

The other element to consider with this, Insight and Perception are Wisdom skills, which would mean that instead of the fast acting rogue and monk getting the jump in combat, you’re likely to have casters like the cleric landing at the top of initiative regularly with their Wisdom primary stat. I think ultimately while this is an intriguing solution, Perception and Insight is best used to avoid the surprised condition at the start of combat, than gaining the initiative itself.

The Initiative Pool

This method does not play with the base ability which decides initiative but instead gives the party an element of tactical agency as combat opens. The basic premise is the combat opens with a traditional call for initiative, everyone rolling a d20 and adding their Dexterity modifier (and other bonuses), then the players put their initiative totals in a pool, and can decide which character gets which initiative for that combat.

Initiative could introduce a tactical element. (Art: Loles Romero)

I am a big fan of this, especially for adventuring parties who have been together for an extended time, and have that natural tactical symbiosis between them. It will allow potential clever combo moves by getting two characters to act one after the other. It’ll allow the rogue to avoid a terrible roll and get to benefit from their class features. It has a lot of nuances and also while the players decide the order, it gives the DM chance to organise the combat behind the screen.

Of course, nothing is ever perfect, this system does slow down the opening to combat a little when you just want to get stuck in, and also could lead to players pulling the same repeated order consistently removing the element of random fun that appears from a more traditional method.

Party then Monsters

I can’t remember where I heard this idea for initiative but it stayed with me for its radical approach. When combat starts, no one rolls initiative. You split the field into factions (usually party and enemies), each faction goes as a whole then the next one. The players go before the monsters, in whatever character order they want, that round. Then the monsters go, again in any order they choose. When round two starts the party can change their order and repeat.

Like the Initiative Pool idea above, this one really promotes tactical synergy within the party, planning out combo moves, how to maximise their resources, and minimise their losses, which is great I love that sort of thing. However, it really makes combat quite one-sided and creates lulls at the table when the DM is running 10 monsters on their turn.

Overall, I think this gets at the grips of what we want from initiative, a bit of tactical flexibility, but tries to really simplify it, to the point of forcing DM’s to prepare encounters knowing many of the monsters won’t see their first turn.

Party acting all at once could lead to some epic cinematic moments, like the dragon fight from Legend of Vox Machina, pulling off a series of moves to land the killing blow (Art: The Legend of Vox Machina)

Fast vs Full Rounds

Now for the mac-daddy of new proposals. It’s a little bit like “Party then Monsters”, and but with a bit more flexibility and tactical thought required.

At the start of each round each creature in the combat decides between a Fast turn or a Full turn. A Fast turn allows a creature to only take an action on their turn, this action can be used to dash if they want to move. While a Full turn allows for the standard: movement, action, bonus action economy we know. That round, firstly all the Fast creatures act, with player’s acting before monsters in an order decided by the party, then all the Full creatures act in a similar fashion.

Sounds complex? It is, but it allows for a flowing initiative that changes based on what an individual is trying to do in that moment. It really helps capture the idea of a combat rolling around with a little bit of chaos. A creature can pull of two quick actions if they’re clever by going at the end of a Full group one round, then at the top of a Fast group the next. It keeps everyone on their turns, as what is happening in the next round is less clear cut.

The Fighter uses a Fast action to distract the Beholder, and let the Mage get a Full Round (Art: Caio Monteiro)

All that being said it can really slow down combat, having everyone declare every round, then the party has to decide, twice, who is acting before whom. Let alone the DM trying to do the same for half a dozen creatures at the same time.

I’ve never seen this method used in play, but I would be fascinated to see the impact it has on a combat, especially a longer 4-6 round one. Does it keep players engaged more? Does it create the feeling it’s aiming for?

Conclusion

Even after investigating possible alternatives I’m not sure I will change from the standard Dexterity check to start combat. It’s so clean and quick which lets everyone get into the meat of combat nice and quick. Of the options presented I do think I’ll keep The Initiative Pool in my back pocket for a late game option to my players, especially if it’s a group that has a couple of tactically minded characters/players that would really enjoy that premise. I don’t think it shifts the idea too far, it still only requires one roll, and one decision at the start of combat ultimately.

I still dislike how crucial Dexterity is to gameplay in D&D, and would love to find ways to reign its importance in, but I am not sure initiative is the place to start with that. That’s a discussion for another article anyway.

What do you think? Are you tempted by any of these other options for initiative in your D&D games?

Do you have your own method that you use at your table that’s better than all of these?

Let me know in the comments.