Pathfinder initiative

[Iamacup]

Hey folks,

Just wanted to clarify what dice you used for initiative and why?

I used a D8 in AD&D, then had years of a break and started using D10, now sharing the DM duties means it's being questioned, we are looking at using a D20 in the future. Personally I think D20 is too much range for a group of 5 players and a DM.

What are your thoughts.

Cheers,

Cup

[DracoknightZero]

Honestly... i have always used a d20 when it comes to D&D. The "range" doesnt matter that much unless you have way too many monsters which in that case you start rolling them as groups instead just to make it easier on yourself. ( Or if you are even more effcient you already rolled ahead of time )

All in all it really doesnt matter if you use a d10 or d20 as you will technically have the same "order" of things and even if you have player 1 with 40 initative score VS a guy with 5 you dont get more actions than the guy going last. ( Which is a whole other case in Shadowrun 5th )

Hell, you could never use a initative roll and just gone by their stats, but then you kinda take away the player "agency" of throwing the dice and in my group saying "Throw initative" is quite dramatic and put the players in "combat mindset" which is quite handy to speed things up.

As a last note, the larger range lets low initative characters actually a chance to get the upper hand VS a full dex/initative based character as you can get a high roll VS his low roll and come first. So in my opinion d8 or d10 is too LOW of a range as you can just stack initative and garantee you going first in every combat.

So yeah, these are some loose thoughts around initative a bit of design, a little bit of personal opinion, etc.

[Firest Kathon]

By the rules (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Initiative), it is a check (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/glossary#TOC-Check) using a D20:

An initiative check is a Dexterity check.

A check is a d20 roll...

I agree with you that the spread of a d20 is quite large, making initiative modfiers (unless extremely high) quite insignificant in relation to the possible rolls. But I have (for D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder) always used a D20 for initative rolls, and not really had any problems with it.

[CharonsHelper]

The rule is to use a d20. Anything else is a houserule.

[Tuvarkz]

D20. Smaller die means each individual + to initiatve counts for more, and at that point Improved Initiative and other stuff ends up being a feat tax.