Speeding up Combat: Initiative

[Starshadow]

I have seen a marked improvement in the game lately from a speed stand point. Last game, you spent far less time in between posts and more time actually playing. I hate when nobody does anything for 10 minutes at a time, and that seems to have improved. Thank you all!

In the hope of speeding up combat, which can easily bog the game down, I am posting a series of hints...ok...requirements (or at least desires) which I KNOW will help speed things up. feel free to post comments, counter ideas and questions in this regard.

The initial Initiative roll is required during any encounter in which many people will want to act and order matters. While it is not always to be rolled for just combat, that is clearly when it is most needed.

Keeping in mind that a minute is 10 round of six seconds, you really cannot do a whole lot in each round, and once initiative is determined, that will be the order of the combat unless someone drops out (goes unconscious), enters combat (summoned creature or new foe) or holds an action.

To roll Initiative, you roll a D20, add your dex modifier, the bonus for improved initiative (if you have it), and any magical or special bonuses.

Once I call for it, you can either post it publicly or through AIM. The Parachat private message is unreliable, so I would prefer we don't use that, and if you can't use or don't have AIM, just post it publicly. After all, in a TT game, everyone would see you roll anyway.

When you send me your initiative roll, also send me your regular AC, and also your Flatfooted AC, because everyone begins combat flatfooted (unless a special ability prevents it, such as in some cases for rogues and barbarians). Flatfooted mens it is the beginning of the turn, you are caught slightly off guard, you haven't got your rhythm down yet, and other similar things.

A simple post will do, such as:

Init 16, Ac 20, Flat 16

or

Init 16 AC 22 (no flat, Barb feat)

This saves a lot of time, because we don't always waste time because I am waiting for you, but because you are waiting for me. If you do not include these things, I must then eitgher contact you, open up your character file or search through other notes to get this info, and every few seconds counts.

I can't remember everyone's various AC's, because they may also change from week to week.

During combat, keep track of when your turn is, and the moment you see the person before you post, send me your actions.

HOLDING ACTIONS: If you are not going to act, or wish to hold your actions, you MUST let me know, but you should also post in on the board so that the person following you isn't waiting.

If you decide you want to wait and see what your friends or foes are doing before you act, you may do so, but that pause puts you down in the order, not just for that round, but for the remainder of the encounter, due to your intentional delay.

When you hold, you can choose to put yourself at any other point after you would normally go, up to and including last. Once everyone else has gone, if you are holding, you must tell me what you finally decide to do, or that you do nothing at all, and forfeit your actions.

When you can't really attack ( aranged situation and no ranged spells or weapons, for example), remember you can always move somewhere, use a skill (hide, serach) or ready an item for next round (change weapons, take out potion vial)

Understanding the hows and whys of Initiative is important for game flow, and following these instructions will speed up the encounters, which means more opportunities to get more done each night.

[Lyssandra]

Magic is also something that slows down combat. If you have AIM, I've found that it speeds the process up if you do all the rolls required in advance and relay the information all at once to the DM, in a single message. A sample post I send for Gwylln is as follows:

Melf's Acid Arrow cast on <baddie>. 10 percent spell failure chance. No save. rolled a 14 to hit with a touch ranged attack. 4 damage this round if it succeeds, and 2 more damage next round.

DM then sends me back a message saying if the spell failed due to the Mithril shirt she wears or not, and whether the touch attack was sufficient to hit the target, and I post accordingly. He then has all he needs to carry on with the next person.

[Starshadow]

Excellent point Lyss....Spellcasting was installment #3 in this little series (Initiative, attacking, spellcasting...maybe more).

[Starshadow]

Here is a clarification to being flatfooted, that I took directly from an official source...it is a minor distinction, but potentially helpful. My interpretation follows the text:

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"Being Caught Flat Footed

This happens to almost everybody sooner or later. Anyone who is surprised is flat-footed during the ensuing surprise round. Surprised or not, anyone also is flat-footed during the first round of any combat from the time the combat begins until the creature takes its first turn in the initiative cycle."
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What this tells me is that, you are flatfooted until you act. This means if you have the good fortune to get the highest initiative and can strike before anyone else, you have managed to get your wits together before the others, and are no longer flatfooted. Therefore, you do not suffer the AC penalty and are not flatfooted any time after your first action.