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RE: d20 Initiative (was [DL] Re: [WW] Re: Systems [Veering OT]) SHANE
"Delaying to get a quicker"???? Refocusing is only helpful if for
some reason you've got absolutely nothing useful to do on your turn, so you'd
like to delay until the start of next round. But you could more
effectively use the delay mechanic, and achieve the same result or better.
Say you've got a middling init, the monsters have a terrible init, so you'd like
to wait until they've moved closer so that they are in range of your attacks
(rather than you running up and getting shot at). Like you said, you have
to have cover for this to work. But this is pretty much the only useful
point to the refocusing rule, and you could just as easily delay until the end
of the current round rather than refocus until 20 of the
next.
In
fact, a 1 this round goes before _any_ init score for next round. Let's
say Speedy has an unreal init modifier of 15. GoSloMo as an init modifier
of -2. You have an init modifier of 8 (good Dex, Improved Init for
arguments sake). Speedy rolls a 20, giving hima 35 init score.
GoSloMo rolls a 4, giving him a whopping 2 init score. (That is how I
usually roll by the way. D20 dice hate me.) You roll a 10, getting a
total of 18 for init. No matter what, Speedy goes first. Lets say he
does some protective magic on himself. (or anything else you would live
thru). You have a ranged attack, but both Speedy and GoSloMo are beyond
your range. You could leave the cover of the overturned table you are
hiding behind, run up and still be out of range. Bad idea if GoSloMo could
then at 4 move up and shoot you. So, you refocus. GoSloMo then goes
at 4 and moves his limit, but still can't reach you, and then Speedy goes
and attacks you. Hmm, not good. Or you could delay until
3. GoSloMo moves his limit but is still out of range. But you go at
3, close the range, and get a shot in. Then next round Speedy goes.
Even given the 20 from refocusing, you get a 28 and don't go first the next
round (Speedy has a 35 afterall). But you can delay until 1 this round and
go before Speedy. Refocusing as a mechanic is a waste. Delaying
provides the same function with some benefits.
But
like I said, when I play d20 DND I have been able to delay only once, cuz I
usually roll horribly for inits (and saves and...). Yup, I play DND3 and I
have a good time doing it! (I don't have Deadlands d20, so my comments are
based on DND).
Jeff
Y.
Marshal for the Dynamite Gang (when it's my turn to
GM)
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