Go order for players and monsters

[aldarron]

Okay the questions seemed to long to fit on the poll chart so I keyed them:

1) Attackers go first.

2) The side who has creatures/characters with longer or faster weapons determine which side goes first.

3) Individual order so that creatures/characters with longer or faster weapons take their turn in speed/length order regardless of what side they are on.

4) Group initiative for both sides, winning side goes first. Players go in a clockwise or counterclockwise order around the table, DM chooses for monsters.

5) Group initiative for both sides, winning side goes first. Who “goes” is determined by position and actions, using minis, drawings, or detailed descriptions.

6) Group initiative, winning side goes first. Players and/or monster go in order of dexterity.

7) Individual initiative for players, group for monsters, winning side goes first. Players go in order of initiative. Monsters go as DM chooses.

8) Individual initiative for both players and monsters. Initiative order is followed, mixing player “turns” with monster “turns”, regardless of what side they are on.

9) Side with highest dexterity goes first. Players go in a clockwise or counterclockwise order around the table, DM chooses for monsters.

10) Side with highest dexterity goes first. Players go in order of dexterity. Monsters go as DM chooses or also in order of dexterity.

11) Individual dexterity order is followed, mixing player “turns” with monster “turns”, regardless of what side they are on.

12) Other (please explain)

I realize weapon speed or length or high ground or other factors may be modifiers to any of these but it make to many if I add them to the choices.)

[jacar]

Mostly "5". I let players decide the order of the action within the group. If there is a "conflict" then the character with the highest dex goes first.

[makofan]

#5 for sure

[tombowings]

I have a feeling #5 is going to be popular.

[apeloverage]

I voted 'other':

Group initiative for monsters, individual initiative for players (players who tie with the monsters have to reroll).

Players who beat the monsters go.

After that the monsters go, then the players, and so on until the combat is over.

Players can announce their actions in any order, and they then take effect simultanously.

[Morandir]

I use the initiative rules from Holmes, so #11. Everyone goes in Dex order (which, by coincidence, is clockwise around the table ATM); monsters go as a group generally, and I roll their Dex at the start of combat. I don't have fixed Dex scores for monster types, so one group of Kobolds may be quicker than a group encountered a few turns later.

[howandwhy99]

None of the above, for me. PCs and NPCs go by group or individual factions. Rolled initiative. With the same initiative going simultaneously.

Players can choose to work together or go it alone. The monsters / NPCs always go by the group design they are following.

[verhaden]

Everybody (including me) rolls a d6. Highest roll goes first. Play continues around the table clockwise. All monsters go when I go.

[Deleted]

#10 for me.

[waysoftheearth]

I voted 12 (other). I use something like a hybrid of 3, 5 and 8.

Logic dictates who goes first.

If that is not obvious, or it's a close call, then individual initiative is rolled (by those for whom it matters), modified by +1/-1 for high/low dexterity.

Highest result goes first, with ties resulting in simultaneous action.

[Random]

If I'm playing OD&D (or a similar game), I'm generally doing it to avoid complicated rules, so here's my lazy system:

The DM has a good idea of what monsters will do, and players go around the table clockwise announcing actions and rolling dice.
Even-rolling players go first, then monsters simultaneously, then odd-rolling players.

This assumes average movement/reaction speeds. Really fast monsters (or players) would have their separate "round" before the normal speeders, and really slow monsters (or players) would do the same after the normal speeders.

(This is basically simplified individual initiative without adding too many extra rolls, as many players will be rolling for attacks anyways. I guess this puts me in the #7 crowd.)