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CharonsHelper
2016-08-04, 01:45 PM
The standard RPG initiative system has been around since the first D&D; the standard turn-based system.

There quite a few different initiative systems, but I haven't found one quite like the one I'm working on in my system Space Dogs (a sci-fi space western RPG). The play-testing has been pretty smooth, though with a bit of a learning curve due to it being different from the standard.

I'd like to get your guys' feedback on it.

There are four steps in a Space Dogs' combat turn.

1. Initiative Phase: Everyone rolls 1d8 which determines the initiative order. On a tie the character with the higher Initiative Edge stat chooses whether to go first or second between them. (Going first isn't always beneficial.)

2. Movement Phase: Everyone moves in initiative order (drawing/reloading weapons etc. happens here) and chooses their Action. (Ex: pick pistol/sword/psychic power etc.) As you can see, going first has the disadvantage of picking your Action first, especially since the system has somewhat more R-S-P than most systems.

3. Ranged Phase: Everyone not yet engaged in melee and who chose a Ranged weapon/ability takes their Action in initiative order.

4. Melee Phase: Everyone else takes their Action in initiative order. (If you chose a melee weapon you get extra movement here.) At the end of the phase everyone rolls their melee attacks. (Melee is basically opposed attack rolls where one side is always hit.)


How does that seem? I will totally agree that it's more complex than a standard initiative system, but it also adds extra tactical depth. As I said above, it seems to be working pretty well in play-testing thus far (though I haven't done nearly as much play-testing as I'd like to yet).

SethoMarkus
2016-08-04, 02:55 PM
Seems pretty decent to me! Definitely more involved than traditional D&D style initiative. My only suggestion would be some sort of mechanic (ability, limited resource, penalty, etc) that would allow a character to change their action in subsequent phases of initiative to react to others' actions. This would allow someone to switch targets, say, if they were melee and their original target was slain in the Ranged Phase. Opens up some more tactical and strategic options.

CharonsHelper
2016-08-04, 03:27 PM
My only suggestion would be some sort of mechanic (ability, limited resource, penalty, etc) that would allow a character to change their action in subsequent phases of initiative to react to others' actions. This would allow someone to switch targets, say, if they were melee and their original target was slain in the Ranged Phase. Opens up some more tactical and strategic options.

That is part of the risk of the system, though there are ways to do that.

1. You are always allowed to change your Action to another movement when your turn rolls around. (important for dodging grenades)

2. A few melee weapons (spear/handaxe etc.) can be thrown if you end up out of melee range, though they are pretty bad, so it shouldn't be a primary tactic at all. Also, if you are Dual-wielding a melee weapon in one hand and a ranged weapon in the other, you can switch which weapon you are using for a -3 penalty to your attack roll. (modifiers are kept rather low, so a -3 penalty is pretty significant)

Thanks for your feedback.

Khedrac
2016-08-04, 03:53 PM
That is actually a lot closer to the BECMI D&D initiative system than either are to the 3.5 D&D initiative system. There is no "standard" RPG initiative system, but 3.0/3.5 has heavily influenced people's perceptions.

It looks like a decent system, but so do many others; for example, simply going in Dex order is common (if not always the actual rule, just a useful simplification for harrassed GMs).

Arbane
2016-08-04, 10:39 PM
I've seen some odd init systems.

FVLMINATA has characters act in order of social status (rank hath its privilege...).
Tribe 8 has characters act using a roll on their Combat Sense skill - the more savvy you are, the faster you go.
One game I'm blanking on the name of has you draw playing cards equal to the init stat - each card is a 'rank' you can move in. (Draw a pair, sorry - you still only go once that rank.)

CharonsHelper
2016-08-05, 01:33 PM
That is actually a lot closer to the BECMI D&D initiative system than either are to the 3.5 D&D initiative system. There is no "standard" RPG initiative system, but 3.0/3.5 has heavily influenced people's perceptions.

You're right, but I meant 'standard' in that you do your entire turn at once. That and declaring your Action after your move are the things which are probably the most unique about the Space Dogs system. (I haven't found them in other RPGs, though I've seen the split turns in wargames before, though it didn't have declared Actions.)

In 2E initiative (or at least 1 version - I believe that there were 3 in the core system) you declared your entire turn (ball-parking) before you even rolled your initiative roll, all chosen blindly rather than in Space Dogs where you declare your Action after movement and, if you rolled a low initiative, you already know what your foes are going to do (weapon or ability, though not targets). I think that it adds a level of tactical depth.