The UA/SRD Trait Aggressive

[lylsyly]

The UA/SRD Trait Aggressive



+1 Initiative vs. -1 to AC. Is it really worth it for:

a. primary melee character

b. secondary melee character

c. ranged attack builds

d.skill monkeys

d casters


your thoughts?

[Karl Aegis]

If that one initiative lets you get your dexterity bonus to AC before the enemy can attack it is worth it. If you have zero or less dexterity bonus or uncanny dodge it is less worth it but still worth it. Five percent more chance to be hit is worth a five percent chance of being able to act before your enemy can attempt to hit you at all.

[Inevitability]

At low optimization, initiative is less important as PC's and monsters able to end encounters in one turn are rarer. -1 AC, however, is quite a big penalty when monsters will typically hurt you by direct, no-nonsense attacks.

At higher optimization levels, initiative becomes more valuable than AC. +1 initiative means a higher chance to decide the encounter outright, while alternative defenses (concealment, proxies) and easy resurrections mean that one less AC isn't going to hurt that much.

[Fizban]

If AC matters in your game, it is not worth it. +5% chance to being hit all the time vs +1 on an opposed roll where most major bonuses are far more than that, where pretty much every other source of initiative bonus or roll manipulation eclipses that +1 entirely.

If AC does not matter in your game then sure, why not?

[Troacctid]

It is not worth it for anyone. AC bonuses are more valuable than initiative bonuses. They're harder to get, and they're rolled against way more often.