Quote Originally Posted by shamgar001 View Post
Q 472b (follow up)

Is there a source for that? I looked up initiative in the glossary of the Rules Compendium (to determine whether initiative is the bonus, or the end result), and it wasn't in there.

~EDIT~
My main source of confusion is that you still have an initiative at the start of the encounter. Whatever you roll for your perception is your initiative.
Let me use an example. Let's pretend you are level 20 (so 1/2 level is 10) with a Dex of 14 (so +2 modifier) with Improved Initiative (so +4). That's +16 to your Initiative.

You are trained in Perception (+5), with a background that gives +2, a Wisdom of 20 (+5), and you are an Elf (+2). That puts you at +24 perception.

Sense Threat reads: "When you roll initiative, you can make a Perception check and use its result for your initiative check."

So, you can roll initiative. You have a +16. You can also roll Perception and use that FOR your initiative. If you do that, you are at +24. Here's the thing: if you roll Perception and use it for initiative, you aren't rolling initiative. You are rolling perception and using it for initiative. So improved init (+4 to init) doesn't add to your perception roll, but skill focus (perception) would.

I'm trying to clarify this as best I can but failing pretty bad. Do you understand where the disconnect is?