What happens if initiative goes below zero?

[apoc527]

This is a basic question, but my very first MGT game starts tomorrow night and I'm sure this is going to come up.

What happens if someone reacts so many times that their Initiative goes below zero? Thanks!

 

[CosmicGamer]

Personally, I wouldn't allow voluntary actions, like dodging, if it would make it go negative.

 

[alex_greene]

They get negative Initiative and turn into politicians?

 

[BP]

As to unlimited reactions and negative initiative - the book explicitly states the former, and doesn't address the latter. Consider, though, that having a negative initiative can easily happen if, say, your initial roll was a 2! Two reactions and you are at -2. Mechanics wise, initiative is simply the order of combat - so negative numbers are just lower in the sequence.

(-As replied in your prior post - http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=42815&highlight=initiative)

Hope this helps - and good luck with your game!

 

[alex_greene]

You just automatically end up last in the initiative order of combat. That's the equivalent of being reduced to a gibbering heap lying curled up in a foetal position or just standing there frozen like a rabbit in the headlights, with the bullets flying all around.

 

[CosmicGamer]

You just automatically end up last in the initiative order of combat. That's the equivalent of being reduced to a gibbering heap lying curled up in a foetal position or just standing there frozen like a rabbit in the headlights, with the bullets flying all around.

Brings up a question. In your (the general your, not specifically Alex) games, do players role play their initiative?

Also, in general, do they role play results of die rolls such has having their player shout out in pain when hit. Or is it just a bunch of dice rolling and rules mechanics?

 

[dreamingbadger]

You just automatically end up last in the initiative order of combat. That's the equivalent of being reduced to a gibbering heap lying curled up in a foetal position or just standing there frozen like a rabbit in the headlights, with the bullets flying all around.

Brings up a question. In your (the general your, not specifically Alex) games, do players role play their initiative?

Also, in general, do they role play results of die rolls such has having their player shout out in pain when hit. Or is it just a bunch of dice rolling and rules mechanics?

a mixture... a lot depends on the situation... and the player

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

One way to play negative initiative would be to NOT let them do anything next round. That might be a bit severe, but if they are hell-bent on using all those reactions, there should be consequences!

I haven't run in to it in my games, so I don't actually have an answer, just an opinion (got lots of those!) and you know what they say about opinions...

 

[Chuckhazard]

Ill be running my first MGT game in a few weeks. i hadn't thought about it but off the top of my head i think ill do this:

- Apply negative initiative as a penalty to players next initiative roll.

And maybe add:

- Allow player to forfeit action this turn to negate this penalty.

 

[dmccoy1693]

I haven't encountered that in my game (yet) but if I did, I'd make their new init equal to whoever was at the top of the order and they don't get an action this round. So if the person with the highest init at an 11, the player with the neg init would be 11 and from there they can keep reacting as per normal. So it is possible they just keep reacting and never act.

 

[DigitalMage]

- Apply negative initiative as a penalty to players next initiative roll.

Just checking - in MGT you only roll initiative once per combat right? So that option is out. I would tend to say if it goes below 0 you don't get to act, nor perform any other reactions, but that is purely a houserule.