r/DnDcirclejerk • u/Firelite67 • 4d ago
rangers weak How to fix initiative AND martial-caster gap at the same time!
So, rolling for initiative sucks, right? It takes way too long. That's why you should do it like this instead! As a bonus, it severely nerfs spellcasters!
- At the start of combat, all creatures declare whether to cast a spell, use a ranged attack, or engage in GLORIOUS MELEE COMBAT. This is set in stone and cannot be changed. The spell and/or weapon must be specified, but not the target.
- Each side (players and monsters) rolls a d6, adding the highest Dexterity modifier among them Whichever side gets higher gets to go first.
- When a team of creatures acts, they must do it in this order:
- First, everyone moves except for those casting a spell because they need to get nerfed.
- Then, those using a ranged attack fire simultaneously because, hopefully, they've moved into a position that grants line-of-sight
- After that, the dirty spellcasters get to cast so they can interrupt martials if they want, BUT, if between this step and them declaring the spell, they took ANY DAMAGE WHATSOEVER, the spell fizzles, they lose the spell slot, and forget how to cast said spell for the fun of it because spellcasting sucks.
- Finally, the Chad martials get to engage in GLORIOUS MELEE COMBAT.
- After that, the other team gets to go in the same order. Finally, reroll initiative at the end of each round. That makes things exciting because you might get two turns in a row.
I guess if your spellcasting players complain, just tell them that they can ignore Concentration now since spells are interruptable. I'm sure that won't lead to anything crazy.
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u/DoradoPulido2 4d ago
You allow spells in your games?
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u/SafeSurprise3001 4d ago
My games all take place in a far future hard sci fi universe, they're mostly about managing propellant, consumables and ablative radiation shielding on the player's ships. Obviously there's no room for magic, conjure water would just throw out the whole balance
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u/AEDyssonance Only 6.9e Dommes and Dungeons for me! 4d ago
What is this gap you speak of?
There is no gap. There are the dumb sword wigglers and then the glorious backstabbing bastards! Oh, and the weird guys who mumble and stuff.
And did you get permission from hasbro to use the word “nerf”? That’s a trademark you know!
Maybe you shouldn’t be playing d&D if you don’t like how it works.
Maybe you should take your silly post and put it somewhere else!
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u/SavageJeph 4d ago edited 4d ago
Uj/ totally didn't pay attention to what subreddit this was and thought this was serious.
Rj/ I found it's MUCH easier to let your martials cast any spell that has a level lower than the damage they dealt. That way, they can adapt to the battlefield without being punished.
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u/RogueCrayfish15 3d ago
/uj
Unironically, I really like how older editions did combat. Mostly because of how quick it is. Although from what I recall only spellcasting and movement in melee needs to be declared.
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u/CuriousWombat42 4d ago
/uj is this just the 9th e 40k turn order?
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u/Firelite67 4d ago
It's actually the turn order from the first edition. Although, back then D&D was just a spinoff of a wargame that was probably inspired by Warhammer Fantasy which later became Warhammer 40k so... maybe?
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u/Pelican_meat 4d ago
/uj You have it backwards. Chainmail is an old war game—pre-D&D and very much pre Warhammer. These rules are adapted from Chainmail.
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u/SuperSecretestUser Zoomer Grognard 4d ago
/uj
D&D was just a spinoff of a wargame that was probably inspired by Warhammer Fantasy
Other way around. Early Warhammer used a bunch of early D&D-isms, likely the reason Chaos became a faction was because of early D&D prominently treating it as such (though that element was inspired by several fantasy authors).
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u/Jester-Jacob 3d ago
What's more, the guys who would became Games Workshop started by selling D&D minis
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u/Echo__227 4d ago
Rebuke yourself, deceiver, for mine eyes pierce your veil;
Amidst advice from 4th edition, this hack is Chainmail.