d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

[Hentaispider]

So while I was walking home, I started derping around and thinking about AD&D, d20, and all the whining about fighters. This isn't really related to the unbalance-problem except tangentially, though.

Right now it's only bare-bones and hasn't really been thought through or anything, so feel free to point out if anything seems missing or unfair. Also, I'm well aware that it's cumbersome for actual Pen and Paper play, this is more meant for PbP style things.

Initiative
In the beginning of the combat, initiative is rolled normally on a d20 with normal bonuses. In the beginning of each round, everyone declares their intentions in the current initiative order. The current initiative order is then modified according to these intentions. Each action gives the listed penalty or bonus to the actor's initiative.

Improved Initiative: +1

Melee: 0
-Using light weapon or unarmed attack: 0
-Using one-handed weapon or natural attack: -2
-Using two-handed weapon: -4
-Using reach weapon: -1(stacks)
-Fighting with two weapons: -2
-Full attack with BAB of 6-10: -4
-Full attack with BAB of 11-15: -3
-Full attack with BAB of 16-20: -2

Ranged: -1
-More than one attack: -1 per each
-Using a composite bow: -1
-Using quick reload: -2

Supernatural abilities: -5+1 for every 5 HD

Spell-like abilities: As the spell, except the penalty is lessened by 1.

Spell casting: -5+1 for every 5 caster levels
-0-2 level spell: 0
-3-5 level spell: -2
-6-8 level spell: -4
-9th level spell: -6
-epic spells: -8
-Quicken spell: Unless the character uses quicken to cast two spells, he takes no initiative penalty from casting a quickened spell. If he does cast two spells, the quickened spell increases the total penalty by 1.
-Other metamagic: No effect.

Using magic items:
-magic weapons and other items that don't need to be activated: 0
-Command word: -1
-Drinking a potion, using wand or staff: -2
-Using scroll: -3

Delay action: You set your initiative count to another combatant's initiative count and declare your action after the combatant does. In addition, you can choose to forgo your action this round, in which case you either gain +20 to your initiative OR your initiative is set to 1 higher than the fastest other combatant has at the end of the current round, whichever is better. If multiple combatants skip a round, their order does not change, and their initiative counts will be set as described and at least 1 tick apart.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

Hrm, interesting. I can't say that having your action affect the order in which things resolve is a bad idea.

 

[Keylo]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

Problem is that player actions generally change based off enemy/ally actions in a real time game. Though in a play by post game it might work...

Edit: Disregard, misread. Though beyond what I mentioned, there's also immediate actions which are reactionary (Oracle's Misfortune, Liberating Command, Contingency spells, etc), how to treat metamagiced spells and the likes (one of the main ones being Quickened spells), how to treat class specific supernatural abilties with spell equivalent (and those without) effects, etc.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

Problem is that player actions generally change based off enemy/ally actions in a real time game. Though in a play by post game it might work.

The thing is that a round takes six seconds, so a) PCs don't really have time to rethink their actions and b) everyone is more or less acting at the same time, initiative is just the matter of resolving temporal conflicts like who knocked who out first.

EDIT: Regarding your edit: Immediate actions like contingent spells get resolved according to their triggers without affecting the rest of the initiative, so if, say, a wizard has a contingent teleport triggered when he's below 10% hp for example, he's teleported right after the attack that takes him below 10%, etc. Not sure yet how to treat metamagic, I'm thinking that they're treated as being of their original level, with the exception of quickened spells which don't give any penalty or bonus to initiative.

 

[Keylo]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

@Rounds definition: Well let's put it this way, if you're the cleric and you saw your front line get taken down a second before, that'd generally change your action from buffing everyone (or nuking them with holy light) to immediately healing them. And as stated, there are immediate action spells as well.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

My point is that when the cleric sees the fighter going down, he has already started casting his next spell, it just won't be completed until his turn in the initiative. The cleric isn't waiting until his turn comes to start casting spell, nor will everyone else be waiting for him to complete his actions when his turn comes.

 

[Keylo]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

Not all immediate actions have triggers however, as stated the Oracle's Misfortune and the spell Liberating Command are DESIGNED to change the result of a roll the instant you see it go bad for your party. How would you care to resolve those?

The cleric isn't waiting until his turn comes to start casting spell, nor will everyone else be waiting for him to complete his actions when his turn comes.

Delay action/ready action beg to differ. Though this initiative system essentially breaks them anyway.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

Ban those abilities? Just kidding.

For Play-by-post, those are kind of tricky anyway, though. I don't see how they'd work any differently from normal? You declare them during enemies' turn/ally's turn/your own turn anyway, and they change the results. Nothing to do with how the initiative order is determined.

As for delayed actions, you're essentially changing your initiative order to find out what others are going to do, the only difference is that you don't find out how well their actions worked before declaring your own. Which admittedly makes it a worse deal, most of the time. Tough shit. Although, if you don't mind skipping the current round entirely and starting the next round first in initiative(with some yet to be decided mechanic determining how far ahead the others you'd be), you can get the full benefits.

For readied actions, you need to declare them ahead of time anyway, and after that, they're essentially immediate actions, aren't they?

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: d20 tactical initiative system and other homerules by Spider

Not sure if this deserves not to die, but whatever.