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

["Matt Hegge" <gambor15@hotmail.com>]

>
>"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)
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: owner-deadlands@gamerz.net [mailto:owner-deadlands@gamerz.net]On
>Behalf Of Imandos@aol.com
>   Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 2:45 PM
>   To: deadlands@gamerz.net
>   Subject: Re: d20 Initiative (was [DL] Re: [WW] Re: Systems [Veering OT])
>SHANE
>
>
>   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


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