Hi all

I'm certain I've read something on this before, but I searched through the forums and couldn't find what I was after. So sorry if this is a post on something already discussed.

I was wondering what the benefit is of the Initiatve RAW, with regards to having generic PC and NPC slots rather than the more usual model of forcing players to play in the specific order they rolled.

Context: I currently play in a small game - just 3 PCs - and I am the only combat-focused PC. So, in every encounter, my fellow PCs expect me to go first, since I have a much higher chance of taking out NPCs before they can do any damage. To me, the RAW feels like it cheapens Cool and Vigilance, and it makes life too easy for PCs. Surely it would be much more interesting to force players to stay in their order? Then, if you have a PC who has pumped loads of XP into combat skills but none into cool, you are forced to deal with the consequences of that.

Obviously this is very easy to houserule, and I'm going to discuss it with my GM, but I just wondered what people think the benefits of the RAW are? What would we be losing if we did houserule this?

Thanks in advance.

Ed

For the first round you're correct. Naratively you could explain it that the person with the better cool is just calling the combat characters attention to the danger, they're getting in there but the person with the cool takes the "penalty" of going later now.

The advantages could be a synergy of skills. Having that late iniative slot for the PCs combined with the same character being able to take the first slot right after can have certain advantages. Can't think of a skill/talent combo off hand but I'm sure they exist.

It's a team game. You could narrate it by saying the guy who rolled high pointed at a threat and told you to take it out. You guys just work so well together that you instinctively comply.

Like the Colonel said, it's a team game... you can choose the order you want to help you achieve your goal.

- Maybe it's a bomb about to explode : technician goes first.

- Maybe it's a wounded diplomat : medic goes first.

- Maybe you need to climb a wall before the ravenous beasts eat you up : the best climber goes first.

- Maybe you need to punch those guys in the face : the heavy hitter goes first.

Also, having the one with the highest skill set go first also increases the odds of passing on boost die to their fellow teammates, thus increasing their odds of success.

Having the choice of who goes first each round allows each round to be different, allows each player to play his strengths and react to the encounter.

And one last thing, I noticed that players cared more about what everybody else was doing since it could affect his dice pool and maybe change the order of play.

In my opinion, it's superior to good old static initiative slots because each player is more invested in the fights, each rolls can influence other players dice pool.

If you want to talk to your master, maybe ask him to tailor some encounters were you won't have to go first because the focus will be something else, even if there are baddies to shoot down.

Personally I don't believe you would lose anything if you had people rolling their own initiative. For the group I run we default to that, they have the option to swap around before the fight starts as per RAW but mostly leave it as rolled.

If you want to talk to your master, maybe ask him to tailor some encounters were you won't have to go first because the focus will be something else, even if there are baddies to shoot down.

This is where its at.

The Raw is trying to make initiative more realistic to fit with the intention that a single round could be more than a minute long. Your GM should be encouraged to begin encounters with more than the simple "who shoots first?" Things in the environment that can be interacted with to change the balance of power are a good one, why try to kill 30 Minions when just shutting the blast doors between you would be simpler? Sometimes fleeing is the only option when time constraints are on the party, and if the tough guy runs first then the weaker PC's are taking all the damage.

Then there is splitting the party. GM's need to do it, period. Everyone can do everything in this system, its just the degree of success that changes. If there are guards to distract, a terminal to slice, and some Security droids to dispatch of all at the same time then the party can only split up. But in that scenario your GM can then drop little obstacles in for each character that would normally be dealt with by another party member.

So say you have a Gadgeteer with a moderate intelligence and decent mechanics, but there is also a Scholar in the party who is better. The Gadgeteer feels compelled to invest in Mechanics as it fits so well with the concept, but when the party always sticks together they never actually use the skill. But if the GM brings a threat into an encounter and the Gadgeteer heads off on their own to deal with them. Then the Scholar stays put and tries to quickly finish deciphering a code on a terminal. The Gadgeteer may then have to disable a door lock to close it, or retract a bridge, thus utilising their Mechanics and giving the player a greater sense of satisfaction.