I am sure this has been answered but I have looked all over and not found an answer.

When you roll initiative and generate Advantage, what (if anything) can you spend that Advantage on?

Can you spend it on the normal stuff you spend Advantage on in combat (the tables on p. 206-07 - passing on Boosts, etc)? What about the skill-specific things you can spend it on, listed under the Vigilance and Cool skill entries?

Or is it simply there as a tie-breaking metric and cannot be spent at all?

This came up in my group due to the Threat Monitor armor attachment in Lords of Nal Hutta - I feel kind of like it's kind of crappy if all it does is improve your tie-breaking.

You can spend it. I'm guilty of not doing that, but it is allowed. Check the vigilance skill description for examples.

It can be used as a tie breaker. I think this uses up the Advantage, but that could be up to you as the GM to decide.

A good use for it, if you can generate 2 or more, is to gain or pass off an automatic free maneuver. This is especially useful if the parties initiative slots are lower in the order, as it allows you to get to cover before the shooting even begins.

It can be used to spot them moments before they get the jump on you, or to sense the hostility before they act on it, giving you a boost due to your vigilant mindset.

If you haven't been spotted, perhaps you are able to do something that distracts the enemy, giving them a setback on their roll.

As a GM, this works just as well for your units.

Good luck, and may the dice be ever in your favor!

I think we got it in our heads that you couldn't spend the Adv because there was no difficulty to the roll and it has the potential for being kinda OP if you generate a ton of Adv. Thanks y'all.

I think we got it in our heads that you couldn't spend the Adv because there was no difficulty to the roll and it has the potential for being kinda OP if you generate a ton of Adv. Thanks y'all.

Pretty sure that's intentional. Without surprise rounds and such the players can use a combination of boosts and results to get similar effects.

Yeah, I believe the intent is that the Advantages are 'spent' by acting as part of the value you measure.

So 2 success and 3 advantages beats 2 success and 2 advantages, and in both cases the success and advantage are spent by resolving that initiative roll.

Yeah, I believe the intent is that the Advantages are 'spent' by acting as part of the value you measure.

So 2 success and 3 advantages beats 2 success and 2 advantages, and in both cases the success and advantage are spent by resolving that initiative roll.

If that was the intent it'd be nice if it was spelled out explicitly. I hope this is not the RAI, because I find that honestly really boring.

Unfortunately Initiative is in a little bit of a gray area since it doesn't explicitly say you can use the effects on the combat table (to my reading) so it seems like what's left is just the options from the Skill rolls...but then it seems like everyone allows the combat table options anyway.

Personally I'm happy to make Initiative checks go by as quickly as possible so we can get to the action.

Yeah, I believe the intent is that the Advantages are 'spent' by acting as part of the value you measure.

So 2 success and 3 advantages beats 2 success and 2 advantages, and in both cases the success and advantage are spent by resolving that initiative roll.

If that was the intent it'd be nice if it was spelled out explicitly. I hope this is not the RAI, because I find that honestly really boring.

Unfortunately Initiative is in a little bit of a gray area since it doesn't explicitly say you can use the effects on the combat table (to my reading) so it seems like what's left is just the options from the Skill rolls...but then it seems like everyone allows the combat table options anyway.

I don't think it is the intent actually. pg. 198 ("Step 1: Determine Initiative" in "Structured Gameplay Overview") As I read that section, you're only ever using Success and Advantage for ranking in initiative order.

Over in the Vigilance skill description/use section, I read the use of finding cover and what-not as being a separate thing. If you'll notice all the other skills, it has a specific order: effects of Success, effects of Advantage, effects of Triumph, effects of Threat, effects of Despair. So as I see it, the only things in the description meant to specifically be used for when making an initiative check in Vigilance's blurb is specifically listed in relation to combat. The things for Advantage and Threat are just mixed in with the initiative-related stuff due to formatting.

Yeah, I believe the intent is that the Advantages are 'spent' by acting as part of the value you measure.

So 2 success and 3 advantages beats 2 success and 2 advantages, and in both cases the success and advantage are spent by resolving that initiative roll.

If that was the intent it'd be nice if it was spelled out explicitly. I hope this is not the RAI, because I find that honestly really boring.

Unfortunately Initiative is in a little bit of a gray area since it doesn't explicitly say you can use the effects on the combat table (to my reading) so it seems like what's left is just the options from the Skill rolls...but then it seems like everyone allows the combat table options anyway.

I don't think it is the intent actually. pg. 198 ("Step 1: Determine Initiative" in "Structured Gameplay Overview") As I read that section, you're only ever using Success and Advantage for ranking in initiative order.

Over in the Vigilance skill description/use section, I read the use of finding cover and what-not as being a separate thing. If you'll notice all the other skills, it has a specific order: effects of Success, effects of Advantage, effects of Triumph, effects of Threat, effects of Despair. So as I see it, the only things in the description meant to specifically be used for when making an initiative check in Vigilance's blurb is specifically listed in relation to combat. The things for Advantage and Threat are just mixed in with the initiative-related stuff due to formatting.

It's a bit of a headscratcher. It also talks about Threat and Despair, suggesting that perhaps there's situations where init can have difficulties...

Personally I'm happy to make Initiative checks go by as quickly as possible so we can get to the action.

Amen to this. I'd hate to see every initiative check take 10 minutes because everyone wants to give each other a boost die to initiative...

Letting them trade out for a free maneuver/move/positioning isn't going to wreck the game (especially if it doesn't count towards Success tie breaks and they don't know what the NPC's rolled.) You could easily add a difficulty to the roll as well if you want Triumph/Adv to feel more relevant.

I've let PC's get an extra action or turn depending on rolls and the circumstances starting the conflict. The few times I've used difficulty on the roll has worked as well as threat can be a good launchpad for interesting complications as the start of the fight.

Personally I'm happy to make Initiative checks go by as quickly as possible so we can get to the action.

That's fair, if that's the case then I truly do not see a 750+ credit attachment/mods worthwhile investments as a mere tie-breaker.