Revised, but simple and action-friendly initiative rules
Revised Initiative for Unknown Armies
Being an otherwise sort of person, I have long since changed the UA initiative rules for my UA game (when UA was still a brand new first edition game).
The rolling initiative as a skill and waiting for successes and failures to go at different times created a painful double round for the GM and players to play through. It was way too much homework and stress for me. I decided to run with an on-the-fly new initiative system.
After some consideration I changed it for something closer to the standard initiative, but without that horrible successes first, failures last double round, and keeping it simple enough with no new mechanics.
Basic Initiative
Roll your initiative as per normal.
If you rolled your initiative successfully, take the lower of the two dice as your initiative count number.
If you failed your initiative roll, take the higher of the two dice as your initiative count number.
If you rolled cherries you both win and lose at the same time, so you go on one of the cherry numbers.
If you are using the none-rolling, Static Initiative, use the sum of your Initiative skill as your initiative count number.
The Round and the Count
The GM counts the round from zero upwards, and the characters go on their initiative count and again on their initiative count plus five.
Bob the Gunner with an initiative score of 3 goes every 8 counts. He goes on 3 then again of 11, then again on 19, etc.
Players using Static Initiative add 1d10 to each count.
Every “round” consists of ten counts; one to ten, eleven to twenty, twenty-one to thirty, etc. are all considered new rounds.
Every initiative modifying skill roll reduces the character’s Count by one for every “ten” on the roll. Only one initiative-modifying skill can be against one Count.
Some fast characters may go twice, sometimes three times in one round, while others may go once every two rounds.
New Initiative Count
If a character wishes, he can opt to re-roll his initiative after he rolls his new initiative as his next action.
ehmm… is this supposed to be simpler than the basic rules?
Yeah if you fail your initiative roll use the higher number of the two dice, if you passed use the lower number of the two dice.
This is your count number.
On your count, act. Add five to your count and act again.
The round starts at zero and goes up. It can continue or restart whenever you need it to.
Try it out and then respond.
Cheers,
Chris.
Well this sounds alot like a variant of Shadowrun 2nd ed.
I don’t really like this system, it involves math! =)
Personally I use the storyteller system with the “Ticks” counting method. It’s quite easy and very fast and entertaining!
I don’t want to get into details too much, just look up the rules in “Exalted” for example. Of course the game needs some small modifications, but all in all its slender and fast!
Math? What math? Explain.
C.
well you know. Counting and adding the values: “Bob the Gunner with an initiative score of 3 goes every 8 counts. He goes on 3 then again of 11, then again on 19, etc.” so you have to do this for every GMC and PC! man I mean if you’re confortable with this, go ahead, but I like to keep track of GMC, Combat and PC’s on one sheet! and endless collumns of numbers like 3, 11, 19, 27 etc. is too much for me! hehe I’m simple-spirited and way too much speed-and-action orientated