Re: RE: d20 Initiative (was [DL] Re: [WW] Re: Systems [Veering

["Allan Seyberth (darious@darious.com)" <darious@plato.nmia.com>]

> Well I didnt originally post this thread but Ill be happy to take it up 
> for a bit. AHEM. Using initiative is necessary to gain the advantage on 
> the opponent. If for instance I have a 19, and Clint has a 12, I can 
> shoot Clint dead before he can move. And if Clint has to spend this 
> round drawing his gun and I know my initiative will be higher than his 
> if I can refocus, then I would do so. You see that way I go before him. 
> If I go first and I can make him dead, then he dies, and I dont. Why is 
> this so novel a concept? It is all about having the immediate reaction. 


No. . . 
If you have a 19 to Clint's 12, then you shoot Clint on a 19.  On 12's 
Clint acts, and on 19 of next round you shoot him again.

If you refocus, then you LOSE an action to refocus.  On 19 you go, then on 
12's Clint goes, on 19's you refocus and on 12's Clint takes his second 
action.  

Because of the static cyclical nature of D20 combat, there is never a 
reason to refocus.


> Further if I cast a spell that takes 2 rounds to complete, I want it 
> going off at the top so that my spell goes off before the bad guy can 
> get away. Movement is why initiative matters. 


So on 12's you start your two round spell.  On 12's of next round you are 
halfway through and on 12's of the 2nd round it goes off.

Or.

On 12's you refocus, going to a 20. On 20's of the next round you start 
your spell, on 20's of the 2nd round you are halfway through and on 20's 
of the THIRD round the spell goes off.

> Well now that I have addressed that to the best of my ability, I would 
> like to share something with the list. I have decided to implement 
> cards into my initiative rounds for D20. I have the rules all decided, 
> and it includes splitting movement over the number of cards you draw, 
> and all bonuses to initiative become bonus's to the draw instead. When 
> I have more time I will post these to the list provided there are some 
> interested. 

Very interested.

We are working out the final tweaks for the D20 fate chip system in our 
DnD d20 game.  
I can tell you this - do NOT let the players draw three chips a night.