Re: d20 Initiative (was [DL] Re: [WW] Re: Systems [Veering OT]) SHANE

[Imandos@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/24/02 12:44:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time, darious@plato.nmia.com writes:


> Though I do have to admit that while having a higher init is only 
> important in 
> the first round of combat, it has the extra whammy of determining when you 
> come off of being flat footed.


Wait a minute.  If you are hitting first every round, you have a chance of defeating an opponent before he can act.  Let's forget the first round (Clint misses at an initiative rank of 17 even though Mr. Wayne was flatfooted.  Mr. Wayne missed at 13) From round two and on Clint will shoot first.  If both have 11 Hps and both hit every other shot for 6 Hps of damage, Both are at 5 Hp at the end of round two.  Both miss round three, and Clint takes Mr. Wayne down on round five (Mr. Wayne doesn't get an action and is at -1 Hp at Initiative 17.  He just gets to bleed at his rank of 13.)  Therefore higher initiative is very important.  As for readjusting to get a 20, it only helps in mass combat where one lost action won't cost you everything or when you have cover.  This is realistic enough if you view it as delaying to get a quicker draw among a group on group fight.  One on one, it isn't a good tactic.
     All that said, I still prefer the D100 COC/DG/Stormbringer rules and am slowly converting my D20 games to it.  I look forward to picking up both Deadlands and trying wildcards.  D20 Deadlands and D20 WW have however, opened my group up to trying first the settings and now possibly the new rules.  In that way it really helps Pinnacle out.  I wish the good folks at Pinnacle would consider adding D20 stats to each new game's books as they did in the Deadlands Lone Star book.  Even PDF ebook supplements covering them in D20 and selling as a separate supplement would be nice.

Best,

Tom