Best uses of Initiative?

[Gwazi Magnum]

Mainly what the some of the best ways do you think you can set up or win a battle and/or encounter by winning Initiative?

This can be either magical or non-magical.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Charge and kill the opponent in a single hit with Power Attack, Leap Attack, Shock Trooper, etc.

Crowd control all the opponents with Web or Black Tentacles or Freezing Fog or similar.

Teleport your party away from the obvious ambush, thanks Foresight!

[Deophaun]

Best use: roll initiative after you've already won. [/Sun Tzu]

[Larkas]

Getting the opponent flat-footed is an obvious, if underwhelming, reason. Apply Sneak Attack+Iaijutsu Focus to a Dex-less opponent. Might equal win!

[Forrestfire]

At most levels, the game is rocket-taggy enough that a party with a little bit of resources spent on it can instantly decide the battle if they all win initiative. If if it's not technically an instant win, much of the time taking out the most important threats before they can respond at all (not even immediate action spells can be used when flat-footed) will end the battle in your favor.

[Immabozo]

1.) Win initiative
2.) Temporal acceleration, overchanneled or the wilder ability to get 2 more turns and then use your 3 turns to slide a portable hole filled with Quintessence under your targets feet.
3.) Watch him fall in
4.) Roll up your opponent and put him in your pack and carry on with your day
5.) Meet a Great Wym dragon and offer a sacrifice for his/her friendship
6.) Unroll said opponent and fish them out.
7.) Wish them luck.

[HaikenEdge]

1.) Win initiative
2.) Temporal acceleration, overchanneled or the wilder ability to get 2 more turns and then use your 3 turns to slide a portable hole filled with Quintessence under your targets feet.
3.) Watch him fall in
4.) Roll up your opponent and put him in your pack and carry on with your day
5.) Meet a Great Wym dragon and offer a sacrifice for his/her friendship
6.) Unroll said opponent and fish them out.
7.) Wish them luck.

That is so full of win, it's incredible. I just think it doesn't work because Temporal Acceleration doesn't really allow you to interact with your surroundings.

[Te'Shen]

1.) Win initiative
2.) Temporal acceleration, overchanneled or the wilder ability to get 2 more turns and then use your 3 turns to slide a portable hole filled with Quintessence under your targets feet.
3.) Watch him fall in
4.) Roll up your opponent and put him in your pack and carry on with your day
5.) Meet a Great Wym dragon and offer a sacrifice for his/her friendship
6.) Unroll said opponent and fish them out.
7.) Wish them luck.

You know, I remembered something about quintessence interfering with powers and, by virtue of transparency, spells. So I thought it would interfere with the magic of the portable hole/bag of holding, but no. After rereading the description of quintessence I find I am happily wrong.

I second HaikenEdge. This is brimming with the awesome.

[Immabozo]

That is so full of win, it's incredible. I just think it doesn't work because Temporal Acceleration doesn't really allow you to interact with your surroundings.

Thank you, than you.


Temporal Acceleration
Psychoportation
Level: Psion/wilder 6
Display: None
Manifesting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round (in apparent time); see text
Power Points: 11

You enter another time frame, speeding up so greatly that all other creatures seem frozen, though they are actually still moving at normal speed. You are free to act for 1 round of apparent time. You can manifest powers, cast spells, move, or perform other types of actions, subject to the restrictions outlined below.

While your temporal acceleration is in effect, other creatures are invulnerable to your attacks and powers. This means you cannot target a creature with any attack or power. However, a power you manifest that affects an area and has a duration longer than the remaining duration of your temporal acceleration has its normal effect on creatures in the area once this power ends.

You can affect an unattended object but not an object held, carried, or worn by another creature. You are undetectable by any means while your temporal acceleration lasts.

While under the effect of this power, you cannot enter an area protected by a null psionics field or by a power or spell that neutralizes high-level powers or spells. Normal and magical fire, cold, acid, and the like can still harm you.

When your temporal acceleration expires, you resume acting during your current turn in the standard time frame. You are shaken for 1 round upon your return to the standard time frame.

Splintered or partitioned minds within your own mind, such as might be in effect through the use of powers such as schism, are not temporally speeded up, even if your second mind manifested this power (your primary mind gains the benefit, while your second mind remains stuck in the standard time frame).

Manifesting this power is a swift action You cannot manifest this power when it isn’t your turn.
Augment

For every 4 additional power points you spend, this power’s duration (in apparent time) increases by 1 round.

I see no such restriction. Just cant target them with powers. No reason you cant shove something under their feet.


You know, I remembered something about quintessence interfering with powers and, by virtue of transparency, spells. So I thought it would interfere with the magic of the portable hole/bag of holding, but no. After rereading the description of quintessence I find I am happily wrong.

I second HaikenEdge. This is brimming with the awesome.

Again, thank you my friend, thank you

[Curmudgeon]

2.) Temporal acceleration, overchanneled or the wilder ability to get 2 more turns and then use your 3 turns to slide a portable hole filled with Quintessence under your targets feet.
Assuming your opponent wears some sort of footwear, this is disallowed; you can't touch anything they're wearing.
You can affect an unattended object but not an object held, carried, or worn by another creature.

[Immabozo]

Assuming your opponent wears some sort of footwear, this is disallowed; you can't touch anything they're wearing.

You are not effecting their feet in any way. just put it under the foot that is stepping, or place it in front of them and hold an action to push him in when the temporal acceleration wears off

[RavynsLand]

Going first.

[Curmudgeon]

You are not effecting their feet in any way. just put it under the foot that is stepping, or place it in front of them and hold an action to push him in when the temporal acceleration wears off
Because of the turn-based nature of D&D, there is no "foot that is stepping" except on that character's turn. You can put the Portable Hole in the adjacent square and Ready a Bull Rush attempt, though; that might actually work.

[GreenZ]

Scouting alone, opened a door, two giant spiders are inside, roll Initiative.

My level 2 Inquisitor managed to win Initiative.

I closed the door and walked away.

[Immabozo]

Because of the turn-based nature of D&D, there is no "foot that is stepping" except on that character's turn. You can put the Portable Hole in the adjacent square and Ready a Bull Rush attempt, though; that might actually work.

there is no reason that a persons feet cannot move within their square. If it were any other way, everyone would always be flatfooted when it is not their initiative. Or at least denied dex bonus to AC

[Curmudgeon]

there is no reason that a persons feet cannot move within their square.
A character is actually constantly moving; that's how D&D has no "facing": they're checking in all directions around them. However, that movement is considered to happen only during the character's turn. Thus no character can be caught off-balance (with one foot in the air) just for being between turns.

[Immabozo]

A character is actually constantly moving; that's how D&D has no "facing": they're checking in all directions around them. However, that movement is considered to happen only during the character's turn. Thus no character can be caught off-balance (with one foot in the air) just for being between turns.

Well I disagree. The character is always moving, therefore they get a dex bonus. If they were not, no dex bonus, no reflex saves and you could only see new opponents on the battlefield during your turn. Also, it is all happening "simultaneously" and is only broken down to initiative for the ability to play the game at all.

Sure, you could push them into it, that would work too

[TrueJordan]

I like Wizard or Beguiler 7/Incantatrix 10 and persist time stop forever, if you want. Or contingent time stop when you're about to get hit by an attack, then persist it because you can. even if you lose initiative, you win. Then when you do, summon everything forever.

Enjoy the book being thrown at your head.

[Haldir]

Because of the turn-based nature of D&D, there is no "foot that is stepping" except on that character's turn. You can put the Portable Hole in the adjacent square and Ready a Bull Rush attempt, though; that might actually work.

So, is the game supposed to emulate an internally consistent fictional world or be a completely artificial series of rules to trick you into thinking you're playing a game that is supposed to emulate an internally consistent fictional world?

If I had a DM that played under the second assumption it would be annoying as hell.

[Immabozo]

So, is the game supposed to emulate an internally consistent fictional world or be a completely artificial series of rules to trick you into thinking you're playing a game that is supposed to emulate an internally consistent fictional world?

If I had a DM that played under the second assumption it would be annoying as hell.

I think he is just arguing RAW, which is a totally valid and expected arguement on these boards

[madtinker]

May not always be optimal, but in my current game I'm a druid with a grizzly bear companion. Send in the grizzly to maul and grapple the biggest, baddest dude, while the opponent is grappling the bear he really can't do much else, so I stabbity-stab him to death (if one-on-one) or pick off the weaker opponents one by one.

Really, anything you do to prevent your enemy from using their schtick will end up turning the odds in your favor.

[nedz]

A character is actually constantly moving; that's how D&D has no "facing": they're checking in all directions around them. However, that movement is considered to happen only during the character's turn. Thus no character can be caught off-balance (with one foot in the air) just for being between turns.

Unless they are in the middle of a really long jump — but this is ridiculously contrived. It might happen, but you couldn't plan for it — or could you ?