Hey all:

Okay, I have EotE, lovely book (double-printed pages and all), but as I was reading through the Combat Section, I got a little confused reading the section concerning Initiative. I think it was the use of the term "slots" that threw me off.

Could one of you kind and wise souls spend a few moments, talk to me like I am six years old and explain how Initiative works please? The way they do it confuses me.

Thanks.

Basically, you assign PC and NPC "slots" for initiative.

In most games, I roll a 25, so that's when I go, followed by an NPC who rolled a 22, and so on down the line. In Edge, it's a bit different. Instead of me going on my initiative roll, it's a PC slot, so any PC can take their turn, not just me.

Let's have an example. 3 PCs, and 2 NPC. The three PCs roll, and get 3S2A (3 success, 2 adv), 2S2A, and 0S1A. The NPCs rolls end up 2S1A, and 2S0A.

So the initiative order looks like this:

PC

PC

NPC

NPC

PC

Even though PC1 rolled highest, that doesn't mean that PC needs to take their turn at that point. It's a PC slot, so any PC can go. So the melee character (who rolled 0S1A) can go first, and engage the enemy before they go, if the team wishes.

It gives the players more flexibility when choosing their actions and working with their teammates.

Does that make sense?

-EF

Players and GM roll initiative. Players can switch their turns if they like.

Fx.

Lining up initiatives after rolling, makes the order look like this:

Player1

Player2

Player3

GM

Player4

Next round, the players decide to act in a different order. They change slots. So it may be:

Player2

Player1

Player3

GM

Player4

Only the GM's roll is fixed. Players have slots which can be switched around.

There seems to be an echo in this thread...

There seems to be an echo in this thread…

thread…

thread…

-EF

Basically, you assign PC and NPC "slots" for initiative.

In most games, I roll a 25, so that's when I go, followed by an NPC who rolled a 22, and so on down the line. In Edge, it's a bit different. Instead of me going on my initiative roll, it's a PC slot, so any PC can take their turn, not just me.

Let's have an example. 3 PCs, and 2 NPC. The three PCs roll, and get 3S2A (3 success, 2 adv), 2S2A, and 0S1A. The NPCs rolls end up 2S1A, and 2S0A.

So the initiative order looks like this:

PC

PC

NPC

NPC

PC

Even though PC1 rolled highest, that doesn't mean that PC needs to take their turn at that point. It's a PC slot, so any PC can go. So the melee character (who rolled 0S1A) can go first, and engage the enemy before they go, if the team wishes.

It gives the players more flexibility when choosing their actions and working with their teammates.

Does that make sense?

-EF

But, regardless of when any single PC or NPC decides within their go range to go, they can only go once per round, right?

Also, if any member of any faction (PC or NPC) can go anytime within their allotted slots, doesn't that grant a possible unfair advantage to someone who is naturally slower than someone else in their faction? Or is that all taken into account with the Dice they roll in the first place? I mean, doesn't it look weird of the guy with less "Dice to act firstest/roll to act firstest" goes before someone with greater assets in that?

Yes, each player (and NPC, for that matter) can only go once per round.

Regarding the concept of "slots", it's a solution to a non-obvious problem. In other RPGs, with standard initiative methods, you always have to have a way for people to "move around" in the initiative order. This involves things like holding your action while you wait for another player to do something, or readying an action in response to an enemy's action.

In EotE, the solution is to allow players to go in whichever slots they want. There is no ability to interrupt an enemy's action (so far), but you can react to an enemy's action by taking the next available PC slot (assuming you haven't acted already that round). This simplifies the rules *greatly* and solves one of the biggest slowdowns in many other RPGs.

It seemed to work very well in the few Basic Rules play sessions I've GM'd so far.

Yes, each player (and NPC, for that matter) can only go once per round.

Regarding the concept of "slots", it's a solution to a non-obvious problem. In other RPGs, with standard initiative methods, you always have to have a way for people to "move around" in the initiative order. This involves things like holding your action while you wait for another player to do something, or readying an action in response to an enemy's action.

In EotE, the solution is to allow players to go in whichever slots they want. There is no ability to interrupt an enemy's action (so far), but you can react to an enemy's action by taking the next available PC slot (assuming you haven't acted already that round). This simplifies the rules *greatly* and solves one of the biggest slowdowns in many other RPGs.

It seemed to work very well in the few Basic Rules play sessions I've GM'd so far.

What he said!

(assuming a he, since the name is Jon)

-EF

The warhammer system, which uses the same basic framework for dice and inititive, explains a slow character going early in a pretty good way, Quickdraw McGraw sees the combat starting, now in most systems he can just react, shooting or hiding or whatnot, here though he can start yelling things like "duck!" Or RANCOR!" to his pal Slowpoke Rodriequz, thus forcing himself lower on the init but letting his buddy go first.

You guys have all been really helpful. Thanks!