D20 Mechanic: Initiative

This page outlines how Trinity's intiative system works.

Initiative

In general, initiative in Trinity functions much like in standard d20 or Pathfinder. However, to accommodate the temporal abilities of some classes, as well as give combat a slightly more fluid feeling, those rules have been modified slightly.

The Check

Initiative is a special type of ability check. Every character has a base Initiative bonus equal to one-half their level, rounded down, with a bonus equal to their Dexterity or Intelligence modifier, whichever is higher.

Only abilities or effects that indicate that they modify Initiative can do so. Abilities or effects that apply to "any d20 roll" also apply to Initiative checks.

Rolling Initiative

In the event of a tie, the following order is used to determine who goes first.

• Higher Initiative bonus goes first; if tied, then
• Higher ability score bonus for ability used for Initiative (either Dexterity or Intelligence); if tied, then
• Higher ability score for ability used for Initiative; if tied, then
• Higher ability score bonus for ability not used for Initiative (so if you use Dexterity, you use Intelligence for this step); if tied, then
• Higher ability score for ability not used for Initiative; if tied, then
• Each remaining member of the tie makes another Initiative check. If tied, repeat this step until no ties remain.

Example: Ehrgeiz, Tellah, and Balthier are rolling initiative. Each rolls an 18. Ehrgeiz has a +13, while both Tellah and Balthier have a +7. Ehrgeiz will go first. Tellah and Balthier then compare their respective ability score modifiers (Int for Tellah, Dex for Balthier), and each has a +3. Tellah has a 17 Int, while Balthier only has a 16 Dex, so Tellah will go second, and Balthier third.

In terms of how the initiative count looks, each goes in 18. However, technically Ehrgeiz goes in 18.3, Tellah in 18.2, and Balthier in 18.1. This is because the actual initiative result is important.

When you use the Delay action, your initiative is set to the value immediately after the current creature's or event's turn when you announce that you "un-delay."

When you use a Readied action, your intiative is set to the value immediate prior to the current creature's or event's turn when the condition for your Readied action occurs.

If you are Delaying and "un-delay" in response to a Readied action going off, your intiative is set to the value immediately after the initiative of the creature or event that triggered the Readied action.

Fluid Initiative

If your initiative is higher than 20 in a given round, at the end of your turn (provided you do not ready an action, delay, or have your intiative modified in any way), your initiative is reduced by 20, and you go again in that round. This process repeats until your initiative is less than 20.

Example: Ehrgeiz has a +13 initiative modifier. He rolls a 31 for initiative. After his first turn, because his initiative is higher than 20, he subtracts 20 from it, and will go again in the same round on 11.

If your initiative is lower than 1 in a given round, you do not act that round; instead, at the end of each round, all characters who did not act in that round with an initiative of less than 1 gain a +20 to their initiative.

Example: Ehrgeiz goes in 11, but an enemy epochent goes in 8. Seeing an opportunity, the epochent uses temporal shove on Ehrgeiz, reducing his intiative by 13, to a total of -2. Because Ehrgeiz has already gone this round, his initiative is not reset at the end of the round, and thus he does not have a turn in the next round. At the end of that second round, he gains a +20 to his initiative, and will go in the third round on 18 (-2 + 20).

When a creature's initiative is modified in this fashion, any effects it generated have their durations based upon the initiative count in which the creature caused those effects. In effect, all force effects and status effects have their own place in initiative, but unless temporal effects are in play, they are not tracked separately for ease of play.

Example: When Ehrgeiz went in 11 on the first round, he used speed break on a creature, with a duration of 3 rounds. After his initiative is modified, that effect gains its own place in the initiative order, at 11; each round, on "it's" turn, the duration of the effect is reduced by 1 round, until it expires.

At the end of each round, initiative-modifying effects - such as the status effects compress and lag - are applied to each creature as appropriate.

Example: After the epochent uses his jikuu on Ehrgeiz, a friendly epochent uses compress on him in the same round, granting him compress (4). At the end of that round, Ehrgeiz's initiative is increased from -2 to 2, and thus he now goes on the second round on 2, rather than on 18 in the third round.

If a creature has multiple turns in a round, all initiative-modifying effects, including jikuu such as temporal shove and status effects like compress and lag, must specify which turn they affect. If you use an ability that gives you an extra turn, all previously-existing effects only affect your original turn, not the new one. New temporal effects must specify which of your initiatives they target.

When you use an ability that grants you an additional turn in initiative order, you do not roll your Initiative, but the new turn instead comes immediately after the effect that granted you an additional turn.

Example: In 19 on the second round, another friendly epochent uses chrono break on Ehrgeiz, giving him another turn each round. Ehrgeiz now has a turn in 19 (though after the epochent), and on 2. At the end of the round, his compress (4) status boon will affect his original turn (on count 2), so in the third round, he will have turns on 19 and 6.

When you join an already-existing combat, you roll your Initiative as normal, but the maximum value you can get is 20, as anything higher would technically have gone in the round prior. However, if multiple participants also go on 20, you treat any excess as a bonus to your Initiative skill for purposes of determining when you go in 20.

Example: Ehrgeiz's friend Agrias joins the combat at the beginning of the third round. She rolls her Initiative, and gets a 27; however, she cannot go any sooner than 20, as a 27 would have put her at 7 in the prior turn. Another combatant is also in 20, and so Agrias compares her Initiative modifier to his, and she gains a +7 bonus from her Initiative roll; Agrias definitely goes first.

Surprise Rounds

Because of the nature of fluid initiative, the idea of a "surprise round" is significantly more complicated.

If there is a surprise round and you are not surprised, your first turn in the surprise round is treated as normal (that is, you are restricted to one standard or one move action). If you have multiple turns in the surprise round, either due to a high Initiative or an effect, all further turns are normal turns.

If there is a surprise round and you are surprised, you automatically skip your first turn. If you have multiple turns in the surprise round, you can act on your second and later turns normally for a surprise round (thus, restricted to one standard or one move action).

Example: Ehrgeiz surprises a pair of bandits. He gets a 23 for Initiative, while Bandit A gets a 7, and Bandit B a 22. Ehrgeiz can take one action on his first turn, and will go again in 3. Bandit B skips his first turn, but has another on 2. Bandit A's turn comes and is skipped, and he must wait until next round to act. Ehrgeiz goes again in 3, again with the standard surprise round limitations. Bandit B has a turn in 2, and now he can also act, with the standard surprise round restrictions.

Feats

Here is a list of feats relevant to Initiative.

 

ADAPTIVE COMBATANT [Initiative]
Your ability to react to changes on the battlefield is incredible.
Prerequisites: Any two Initiative feats.
Benefit: You gain innate compress equal to the number of Initiative feats you have taken, to a maximum of one-quarter your level, rounded down. (If you would lose a status effect with the innate flag, you immediately regain it. A character with the compress status increases their Initiative by the listed amount at the end of each round.)

 

IMPROVED INITIATIVE [Initiative]
You are quicker to react to danger than others.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to Initiative checks.

 

PATIENT OFFENSE [Initiative]
You bide your time in combat, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Prerequisites: BAB +2, Improved Initiative.
Benefit: As a non-action on your turn, you can choose to suffer a penalty to your Initiative up to your BAB. If you do, you gain half that amount, rounded down, as a bonus to all attack rolls.
You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn.
This penalty is applied to your Initiative before "fluid initiative" is calculated.

 

QUICK TO REACT [Initiative]
You can quickly assess the shifting tides of combat.
Prerequisites: Improved Initiative.
Benefit: You can spend an action on your turn to improve your Initiative. You can spend a swift action to get a +1 bonus, a move action for a +2 bonus, or a standard for a +4 bonus. You can spend any of these actions as you see fit; expending actions in this manner is a free action.
This bonus is applied to your Initiative before "fluid initiative" is calculated.

 

RAPID ASSAULT [Initiative]
You throw caution to the wind, attacking rapidly without concern for defense.
Prerequisites: BAB +2, Improved Initiative.
Benefit: As a non-action on your turn, you can choose to suffer a penalty to your AC up to your BAB. If you do, you gain half that amount, rounded down, as a bonus to your Initiative. The penalty to your AC lasts until the beginning of your next turn.
This bonus is applied to your Initiative before "fluid initiative" is calculated.

 

TIMELY DEFENSE [Initiative]
You sacrifice speed for defense.
Prerequisites: BAB +2, Improved Initiative.
Benefit: As a non-action on your turn, you can choose to suffer a penalty to your Initiative up to your BAB. If you do, you gain half that amount, rounded down, as a dodge bonus to your AC, which lasts until the beginning of your next turn.
This penalty is applied to your Initiative before "fluid initiative" is calculated.