Do Nerveskitter and Improved Initiative stack?

[Seharvepernfan]

I'm making a character that will eventually have ridiculously high initiative, and I want to make sure that I dont waste any feats or abilities on non-stackable initiative bonuses.

The character in question, when fully leveled, will be a human scout 3/swordsage 3/transmuter 2/ruathar 3/swiftblade 9.

So, I have the aggressive trait, improved init, battle fortitude, quick to act, arcane reflexes, and nerveskitter.

Do these stack?

[Hirax]

Unnamed bonuses from different sources always stack, but I'm mostly coming in here to plug factotum for int to initiative.

[sreservoir]

don't forget a casting of sign, at least until you have mind blank on all the time.

[Zombimode]

Only a partial answer: at least Improved Initiative and Nerveskitter provide untyped bonuses, so they stack with every other source.

[TehLivingDeath]

Battle fortitude and arcane reflexes won't stack, both are competence bonuses.

All of the others will because they're untyped.

[tyckspoon]

Most of them should stack, yes. Check the abilities for a type descriptor- Arcane Reflexes is a Competence bonus, for example, and Insight is fairly common among items that grant initiative bonuses. Bonuses of the same type don't stack; otherwise, you're good.

[Seharvepernfan]

Battle fortitude and arcane reflexes won't stack, both are competence bonuses.

All of the others will because they're untyped.

I don't have tome of battle at the moment, is quick to act a competence bonus?

[Big Fau]

I don't have tome of battle at the moment, is quick to act a competence bonus?

Quick to Act is in CAdv. And no, it's untyped.

[Seharvepernfan]

Quick to Act is in CAdv. And no, it's untyped.

I think you're thinking quick reconnoiter, I'm talking about the swordsage init bonus.

[Big Fau]

I think you're thinking quick reconnoiter, I'm talking about the swordsage init bonus.

Oh. Well, they still stack.

[Person_Man]

You may wish to look at the optimizing initiative (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6000.0) thread.

[NeoSeraphi]

Carry a warning weapon. Gives you +5 insight bonus to your initiative checks for a +1 bonus. Additionally, Sandals of the Vagabond (Complete Champion, iirc) gives you a +2 luck bonus to your initiative for 4000 gp, and Bands of the Iron Monkey (Dragon Compendium) grants you a +2 untyped bonus to your initiative checks and the Deflect Arrows feat as a bonus feat while you wear them for 15,000 gp.

That's a +9 extra bonus for you. May you always go first, even if you roll a 1.

[Seharvepernfan]

Ok, wow. Thank you, everyone!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Don't forget a Hummingbird familiar with the Elf Wizard 3 substitution level for another +8 untyped bonus. Martial Wizard 1 can get Improved Initiative instead of Scribe Scroll, and you can focused specialize in Transmutation for a lot of Nerveskitters, but I'd go Conjuration for Abrupt Jaunt and get Obtain Familiar at 3rd. That's a total of +17 without even considering Dex.

[tyckspoon]

Carry a warning weapon. Gives you +5 insight bonus to your initiative checks for a +1 bonus.


You can also combine this with the Eager property for another +2 untyped, but the way weapon pricing works makes it a lot harder to justify the return on investment.

[marcielle]

By the end of this thread, I can imagine DMs going 'Roll for initiative. Except you, you just go first'.

[The Underlord]

For added bonus figure out a way to spam white raven tactics :smallbiggrin:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Get a +1 Warning Gauntlet, +1 Eager Spiked Gauntlet, and +1 Illithidwrought Armor Spikes. It's significantly cheaper to do that than to put multiple properties on one weapon, especially your primary weapon. Plus if you can get a (Lesser Rod of Chained) Greater Magic Weapon on all of those, Defending wouldn't be a bad idea for up to +15 extra AC.

[Metahuman1]

Unnamed bonuses from different sources always stack, but I'm mostly coming in here to plug factotum for int to initiative.

Where does Factotum get that ability? I know where it get's int too AC, Saves, Attack rolls, and Damage rolls, but not Initiative.

[Hirax]

Brains over brawn at level 3. Initiative is a dex check.

[Metahuman1]

Huh. Never though of that application. Cool.

[Zaq]

Illumians with the Uur sigil get a +2 bonus on all DEX checks, which includes initiative. Killoren manifesting the Aspect of the Hunter get a straight +2 racial bonus.

[dextercorvia]

Belt of Battle grants +2 Competence bonus to initiative in addition to its other awesomeness.

[Xtomjames]

I'll also point out that quick reconnoiter will stack with that thread and is a good choice to replace one of the competence bonus based feats chosen.

[NeoSeraphi]

Belt of Battle grants +2 Competence bonus to initiative in addition to its other awesomeness.

She's already got 2 other competence bonuses to initiative. Still a good item for her to have though, as she's a partial scout.

3 levels of factotum also would give her access to Iaijutsu Focus as a class skill, which would definitely help a high initiative character. I think you should replace your levels of swordsage with factotum, so that you can use that high Int of yours in place of a simple +1 bonus from Quick to Act. You don't really need Wis to AC anyway, if your AC is really that low, squeeze in a single level of monk and take Carmadine Monk or Kung Fu Genius to change the Wis to AC to Int to AC.

[sreservoir]

sandals of the vagabond are +2 luck. binders can get +2/pact augmentation, insight, which stacks with itself but not other things.