How do you know when someone gets to do something? Should there be complex systems for tracking whose turn it is, or should the GM just decide? What about combat? Once the dice start rolling, what’s the best way to give everyone a fair chance to do something? Most importantly, how often does Cthulhu devour 1d3 investigators? Sarah joins us once again as we consider all these questions and more.
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My biggest problem with initiative is how seldom it matters in most games. If both characters have 200 hp and do 12 damage on average, who hits whom first isn’t going to matter for many turns (until someone’s only 2-3 hits from death). Too many systems don’t have any ways to change the combat dynamic – hit points don’t because they are binary, they don’t matter at all until they’re gone.
Now, if your character could grab the bad guy’s shield, our buddy tackles him, and then I get an automatic hit to spear-butt him into sleepy-time; now the order of us acting means something. Too bad most games don’t do that well.