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Brennan
2010-06-05, 03:17 PM
First off, I'm having trouble keeping up with initiative rolls. I have 5 PC's playing my campaigns, and I usually pit them against 6-7 enemies slightly weaker than they are, but with different strategies that play against the players (Example: One has feats that help him disarm the melee fighters in the party, one constantly counterspells, one heals, one defends the healer with trips and grapples, one fires arrows at the party from a vantage point, complete with cover, then two cannon fodder grunts with Toughness to provide cover for the counterspeller.)

My problem is, it takes me like 6-12 minutes to get initiative ready for everyone in every fight because of outside distractions breaking my train of thought while I do the math, (such as bored PC's cracking a joke) and PC's stating what their roll was and expecting me to add their INitiative mod to the rolls for them, RIGHT as I'm trying to roll the monsters.

Another problem I'm having lies within the enemy tokens I use in place of figurines. Since figurines are severely limited in the fact that you probably won't have just the one you need, I make my own. I make a set of twenty quarter-sized circles (diameter apprx. 1 inch) and number them 1 to 30. I'm having trouble keeping up with which enemies have which bonuses and feats due to confusion created by the numbering strategy I'm using. ("#1 uses disarm, #2 counterspells, #3 heals... Oh wait, was it #2 that was supposed to be a cleric?")

Do you have any types of initiative tracking or token creation strategies that work for you? I really need help here, lol, encounters are starting to be the bane of my existence as a DM.

Ernir
2010-06-05, 03:20 PM
Initiative cards. Write the name of each character/NPC on a card, stack in the initiative order.

Keld Denar
2010-06-05, 03:23 PM
Combat Pad
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/311eJ3mD1xL.jpg

Brennan
2010-06-05, 03:26 PM
Combat Pad
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/311eJ3mD1xL.jpg

I can't even tell what that is from the image, lol

EDIT: I decoded the URL in the picture to find that it is magnetic... I could probably code a flash-based initiative tracker for free instead of that, but thanks, you gave me the idea to create a flash-based initiative tracker. :P There's still the matter concerning tokens, though.

Cards would be interesting to try, but it sounds like it wouldn't solve my problems with the tokens or figuring out the order in the first place, which are the problems I'm trying to thwart.

Thanks, though, it will work better than using the lined paper. Any other ideas?

Keld Denar
2010-06-05, 03:27 PM
Refresh this thread, I fixed the link.

jindra34
2010-06-05, 03:29 PM
I can't even tell what that is from the image, lol

Cards would be interesting to try, but it sounds like it wouldn't solve my problems with the tokens or figuring out the order in the first place, which are the problems I'm trying to thwart.

Thanks, though, it will work better than using the lined paper. Any other ideas?

Use more descriptive notes with #s. As in right down whats what before hand.

Brennan
2010-06-05, 03:30 PM
Use more descriptive notes with #s. As in right down whats what before hand.

That's an excellent idea! I can have a different page of notes describing what number means what in that particular encounter! :D

Sliver
2010-06-05, 03:32 PM
You could pre-roll the monster's initiatives... That way your players won't have to wait around while you need your quiet rolling and calculating time.

Brennan
2010-06-05, 03:32 PM
Allow me to specify: My problem lies in ROLLING the initiatives of every character, and my PC's relying on me to do their simple math for them. I am seeking a simpler way to ROLL initiative, so that I can have fights with 15 or so active combatants without spending 40 minutes calculating their initiative rolls.

EDIT: Excellent idea... You'd think that would have been obvious to me, but alas, I am a fool.

Mongoose87
2010-06-05, 03:33 PM
Make them add their own mods?

Brennan
2010-06-05, 03:36 PM
Make them add their own mods?

Well, it's more of a compulsory thing to them... They roll and see that they got something like a 17 and shout, "I ROLLED A SEVENTEEN," then they get confused when I say, "Well, what did you get with your init. mod?" After about 20 seconds of remembering what their roll was, (my mentioning the mod does something to their short-term memory or something... I think it makes them drop everything in their internal RAM so that they can remember their mods. Not calling them stupid, lol, I do it too.) they add it up, and tell me what it is. (One of my players sometimes STILL asks me what an initiative modifier is... She has problems paying attention, so I don't really blame her, but...)

Jair Barik
2010-06-05, 03:37 PM
You could pre-roll the monster's initiatives... That way your players won't have to wait around while you need your quiet rolling and calculating time.

This. Also have the enemy share group initiative. Goblin Wizards 1-3 have one score, Goblin mooks another, high Goblin Wizard another and then the Goblin Warlord another. Saves time and a lot of effort (heck you may just want all the enemies to act together. Also prevents the following occuring.

Player-Okay I killed the goblin
DM-Okay you are hit for...3 points of damage.
Player-What? I thought it was Mc Wizards go next?
DM-No Goblin after you but before Mc Wizard.
Player-I thought I just killed that Goblin?
DM-No you killed the Goblin who took initiative before you.
Player-Why would I kill the Goblin that goes before me?
DM-You said you attacked the one directly in front of you.
Player-I thought that was the other Goblin!

And so on.

Keld Denar
2010-06-05, 03:38 PM
You could write a simple HTML or Flash script that does all the math for you.

Alternatively, write a TXT file that that includes the code for each character

1d20+1
1d20+4
1d20+2
1d20+X
1d20+Y
1d20+Z


And then copy and past that into the dice roller test thread on the PbP forums here in the playground. Just fill in the values of X, Y, and Z accordingly, everything else should remain pretty constant.

AgentPaper
2010-06-05, 03:38 PM
Roll initiative for the enemies beforehand. If you're making cards with essential stats for them as well (which is a great idea), then write down what you rolled for their init as well as what they bonus is.

So, for example, a card might look like:

Helvesian Soldier 1
Init +6 (23)
HP: 25
Attack: +6; 2d6+5; x2

Plus whatever else you need to know about them. Keep ones for each of your players as well, though probably not as detailed. When one of your players tells you they rolled a 16* for initiative, then just slot them in between the monster that got 13 and the one that got 19. Then, as the turns go by, just keep moving the top card to the bottom once their turn is done.


*just ask them to give the total, if they keep not doing so then just use whatever number they give you and say they can only blame themselves.

Keld Denar
2010-06-05, 03:41 PM
Also, if you DO use cards like AgentPaper mentioned, make use you have one card with END OF ROUND written on it in big letters. This helps you count down spells and effects that have a limited round durations.

Brennan
2010-06-05, 03:41 PM
-snip-

Where can I find the dice roller? I've never seen it around the forums.

Sliver
2010-06-05, 03:41 PM
Make a quick cheat sheet, containing all the mods for rolls that your players tend to shout out the roll instead of the end result. I like having keeping track of their spot-listen and other skill checks for passive use... But you can keep a list of init mods for yourself or your players so they don't have to ask (although the sheet should have the bonus pretty obviously written... so having a list for yourself is still advised.)

Brennan:http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43

Keld Denar
2010-06-05, 03:43 PM
This forum. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43)

Just make your own thead and roll in it as much as you desire.

jiriku
2010-06-05, 03:53 PM
I have many strategies for you to consider.

For your initiative indigestion:

Pre-roll initiative for all monsters when you're building the encounter and write down the results.
Consider asking players to pre-roll ten or twenty sets of initiative rolls. If used with the above pre-rolling of monsters, you can have initiative order sorted out before play begins.
Group all monsters with the same initiative modifier together and give them one initiative roll.
Alternately, average the iniative modifiers of the entire monster group and give the whole group one roll with the average modifier.
On round 2 or 3 of combat, have your monsters use the delay action to shuffle their order of actions around until no PC is acting between the fastest monster and the slowest monster. This means that all PCs will go in whatever order then all monsters will go in whatever order. You wait until round 2 so that fast monsters can get in a first strike on round 1.
Keep a dry-erase whiteboard handy, and either write down iniatitive for each PC and monster or use a row of magnets to track the same. The magnets make it especially easy to handle changes to the order when anyone delays or readies an action. You can use a small whiteboard just for tracking iniative and conditions, or a very large one as the map/play surface.
Do you have the monster initiative modifiers ready at hand before combat starts? Better do.
If you're leafing back and forth through several monster manuals, that's the hard way to do it. Learn to build abbreviated monster stat blocks that you can refer to without cracking open a book. I type them up on my PC and DM with my computer by my side, but you could type and print them, load them on a netbook, write them out in a spiral notebook, scribble them on 3x5 index cards, photocopy them from the book, or whatever.
If you're "doing math" for so long that you can be disrupted by a distraction when rolling iniative, something is wrong.Normally you're just adding two numbers, but some people have considerable doing mental arithmetic. If that's you, use a calculator.


Mini-Managing Mayhem:

I run battles on a large dry-erase whiteboard, using colored magnets of various sizes for PCs and monsters. Each PC magnet is marked with the first letter of the player's name, and I have 3-5 magnets of each color in four different colors for the monsters. But the principle is the same for tokens on a non-magnetic surface.
Don't use numbers, use colors or letters; they're easier to remember. Have several identical tokens with each color or letter in case you have several monsters with the same role. Then you can say "the soldiers are the red tokens, the archers are the blue tokens, and the caster is this orange one over here."
Simplify encounters by using several monsters in the same role. Use repetition to help yourself. For example, instead of one disarmer, one tripper, one healer, one counterspeller, and one archer, use thre trippers who can switch to bows if need be and two healers who can also counterspell. Having only two stat blocks to refer to instead of five will make your life easier.

PersonMan
2010-06-05, 05:15 PM
I just use initiative scores. It keeps fast people fast, slow people slow and no wasting time on initiative. It also helps that my current PCs are "team 13". They all have an initiative score of 13.

Douglas
2010-06-05, 05:34 PM
Also, if you DO use cards like AgentPaper mentioned, make use you have one card with END OF ROUND written on it in big letters. This helps you count down spells and effects that have a limited round durations.
I prefer adding a card for the spell/effect. When that card comes up, put a tally mark on it. If it's got enough tally marks to match its duration, take the card out of the stack and end the spell. If it doesn't, resolve any per round effects and put it on the bottom. This helps with confusion about which spell started on turn 2 and lasts for 5 rounds and which one started on turn 4 and lasts for 4 rounds.

Thurbane
2010-06-05, 06:58 PM
Combat Pad
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/311eJ3mD1xL.jpg
We use that, and find it extremely useful.

Brennan
2010-06-06, 02:32 AM
Spray paint + Sharpie + Old back of a metal computer case = My new battle mat. I thwart thee, $17 dollar price check!

Now I just need little one inch by five or six inch pieces of magnet with dry-erase capabilities. 'Twill make things so much easier.