Questions tagged [initiative]
For questions about the rules governing the order of action in turn-based combat systems, commonly known as "initiative".
239 questions
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Can I use guidance for initiative?
Can I use the Guidance cantrip to roll Initiative, immediately after the gamemaster says: roll Initiative?
Our gamemaster says: Initiative is a Dexterity ability check and not a skill check, so it can'...
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When can the enemy actually use their legendary action on the first turn of combat?
The rules about Legendary Actions say:
... A creature regains its spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
When it's the first turn of combat, and the legendary creature is down at the ...
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How do game features lasting until start/end of the next turn work under the DMG variant rule for initiative? [duplicate]
I would like to test the variant initiative Speed Factor explained in the DMG, pages 270-271. This rule, briefly, reads as follow:
At the start of the round, each player tells what the player is ...
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Can an Investigator use Inspiration on Initiative checks?
From the Initiative rules:
At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check. Each character applies his or her Dexterity modifier to the ...
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What is "fighting" for purposes of Charm Person / Monster spells?
In an initial encounter with a creature that is likely to be 'Hostile" (PHB pg 368) it's quite possible that the creature will initiate combat with the players. At what point are the players to ...
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Does a controlled mount's initiative revert when dismounted?
The general rule for Combat - Initiative is that:
Initiative remains the same from round to round.
However, a controlled mount's initiative changes to match its rider's:
The initiative of a ...
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What is the resulting initiative order when a readied action triggers after a summoned monsters action but before the summoner?
In a recent game we had a situation where the PC summoned some monsters.
Per SRD Summon monster 1:
It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the ...
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Dominate Person/Dominate Monster and action order for the dominated creature
A creature fails the saving throw and is dominated by the Dominate Person/Monster spell:
Can the caster command a first order to the dominated creature (e.g., 'move closer to me') immediately, or ...
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How can Arcanist max out his Initiative?
As the title says, I'm looking for ways to guarantee my Arcanist (currently level 7) goes first in every single encounter. Ways that I figured out already:
+2 Initiative Trait, sadly I had to pass on ...
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In Rolemaster Unified, when in the combat round do persistent spell effects occur?
Using the lvl 4 spell from "Wind Law" Stun Cloud I as an example (Rolemaster Unified Spell Law pg 159), but this question comes up for other spells.
Stun Cloud I – Creates a 5'R cloud of ...
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In D&D 5e during naval ship combat, do the PCs still roll initiative alongside the ship? If so, even when they are crewmates and not passengers?
I'm using the ship combat rules provided by Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and unless I'm missing it, how initiative works is not very well explained. It explains how a ship's initiative is calculated but ...
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On what initiative order do you act after possessing a creature?
In a ongoing campaign I'm playing a character themed around ghosts and possession. I'll later gain access to the Possession spell. But I don't have a grip on how it's supposed to work regarding ...
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Does the rogue's Reliable Talent feature apply to a harengon's initiative checks (thanks to the Hare-Trigger trait)?
Rogues gain the Reliable Talent feature at level 11:
By 11th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your ...
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Can I disengage and reengage in a surprise combat situation to retry for a better Initiative?
There are lots of questions posted about surprise and initative, but one scenario still seems ambiguous to me. If this has been answered, please link, as I couldn't find it.
Scenario: A player is ...
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When should Death Saves be rolled under the rules for Speed Factor Initiative?
In my new campaign I am using the Speed Factor variant for Initiative (DMG pp. 270-271). We like this a lot but it is confusing concerning unconscious PCs.
This question says that taking Actions while ...
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