Initiative

[IanBruntlett]

Hi,

Just finished running my first (brief) scenario. It was fun

One thing that confuses me is the Core Rule book's take on initiative. Once it has been rolled for a combat, it can have +/- modifiers to it but it can't be re-rolled in successive rounds. Is that right?

TIA


Ian

 

[mhensley]

I believe the modifier is applied to the initially rolled init on the following round only.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Yep, after the first roll, initiative is not re-rolled in subsequent rounds, but adjusted due the actions taken by the characters.

Essentially, if your character is forced into making lots of defensive reactions, their initiative will be reduced the next round - otherwise it will stay fixed. The Leadership skill can also be used to affect other character's initiative. The Tactics skill has an effect on the first roll only (effect applies to everybody's rolls), and characters may also choose to hasten on this roll too.

The reaction/leadership adjustments are recalculated each round, but is not cumulative from round to round.

 

[Stainless]

Yep, after the first roll, initiative is not re-rolled in subsequent rounds, but adjusted due the actions taken by the characters.

Essentially, if your character is forced into making lots of defensive reactions, their initiative will be reduced the next round - otherwise it will stay fixed. The Leadership skill can also be used to affect other character's initiative.

To clarify, Leadership can affect only ONE other character. pg 56 "...which increases the initiative of one ally..."

 

[Cowboy]

Of course, if you'd prefer to roll initiative each round, there's really no reason not to do that instead.

 

[dgmonteavaro]

But I have a big doubt: if Player A has initiative-7, an player B has init-6. When does Player B declare that he's going to "hasten"? Can Player A hasten too for not being after Player B?

In what order is declared any "hasten", from Low to High initiative? Or from High to Low?

 

[Stainless]

But I have a big doubt: if Player A has initiative-7, an player B has init-6. When does Player B declare that he's going to "hasten"? Can Player A hasten too for not being after Player B?

In what order is declared any "hasten", from Low to High initiative? Or from High to Low?

I would allow anyone to declare that they will act hastily. The decleration occurs at the start of the round. They add 2 to their initiative and subtract 1 from all other rolls for that round. You then see if there are any initiative draws. If so, the character(s) with the highest DEX go first. If the DEX values are identical, then the characters go simultaneously.

Similary, if multiple characters declare they are waiting until the next round, they all become "Act first" which means there is a draw. Thus, this can be resolved by comparing DEX values and allowing simultaneous attacks if the DEX values are identical.

All is revealed in my combat flow chart available from the Mongoose Traveller Aids Yahoo group;

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/MGT-Aids/

 

[dgmonteavaro]

I would allow anyone to declare that they will act hastily. The decleration occurs at the start of the round.

Yes, but in wich order? In the example above, if player-B declares that hastens, could player-A declare hastens too or if player-A doesn't say anything at the start of the turn he can´t hasten?

I don't know if my point is understood.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I get it and I would say that if Player A doesn't declare hasten at the beginning of the round, then he can't hasten later in the round.

So, at the beginning of the round Player B says "Hasten". Player A must declare then and there his character is also hastening or loose the chance for that round.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[dgmonteavaro]

1. what if everybody (including the referee) bets in secret if the hasten or not, and is said everybody at the same time?

In the above example, Maybe player-A (superior initiative) declares "hasten" needless because the player-B is going to play his turn normal.

2. By the way, it's said in the core rules that initiative changes bay "reactions, recoil and hastening". ¿What about injures players, with a decreasing Dex, so negative "Dexterity DM"? Should be set a lower initiative?

 

[Woas]

Before I go too far off with a suggestion, could I ask follow up question on the topic?

On page 60 it says "At the start of each combat round a character may declare that he is acting hastily ... A character may only hasten once."

From my understanding of those two sentences and based on my knowledge of how the other Reaction work (you can react multiple times in a combat round, just not more than once per source), the jist of the above means a character can hasten every single combat round but just once (you can't 'double hasten' for +4 Init and -2 DM for example). Not once.. for the character's entire career or once per month or once per year... yes?

 

[AndrewW]

Before I go too far off with a suggestion, could I ask follow up question on the topic?

On page 60 it says "At the start of each combat round a character may declare that he is acting hastily ... A character may only hasten once."

From my understanding of those two sentences and based on my knowledge of how the other Reaction work (you can react multiple times in a combat round, just not more than once per source), the jist of the above means a character can hasten every single combat round but just once (you can't 'double hasten' for +4 Init and -2 DM for example). Not once.. for the character's entire career or once per month or once per year... yes?

"At the start of each combat round." Doesn't say at the start of each month or anything. So it follows that the next part "A character may only hasten once." would be in relation to that.

 

[Woas]

That's what I figured too. But it just says a character may hasten only once in it's own sentence at the end and not say for example, 'once per round' or something to that effect. But just thought I'd ask and clarify...

"At the start of each combat round." Doesn't say at the start of each month or anything. So it follows that the next part "A character may only hasten once." would be in relation to that.

Anyhow, keeping in mind that hastening would need to be checked at the beginning of every combat round, I don't think a secret ballot would be time effective.

My only suggestion is to keep initiative secret between players and NPCs. Between the players, who are a team anyway, knowing each others init numbers isn't an issue. The problem is only when Player A is a PC and Player B is a NPC from the previous example. If the referee rolls init for the NPCs privately and records them on a sheet of paper or wherever and keeps it from player's eyes. That way player's wont know if they are only 1 step away from the enemy and the risk/reward of hastening is still there.
The only issue that is easily solved is now the referee can 'cheat' by waiting for the players to declare hastening and then apply it to NPCs but that is easily solved by having the referee choosing which NPCs are hastening first (even before getting the PC's init numbers perhaps) and going from there.

 

[dgmonteavaro]

Of course, I mean Player-A is against Player-B, and there's no cheat at all. The referee choose first for NPC in secret and then the players.

I think "hasten" is more realistic as a bet like the western duels, "you can be the first, but is easier to miss the shot" (rememer Unforgiven Film)

 

[AndrewW]

That's what I figured too. But it just says a character may hasten only once in it's own sentence at the end and not say for example, 'once per round' or something to that effect. But just thought I'd ask and clarify...

True, but making it something like even 1/day wouldn't make any sense.