Initiative

To determine the order in which players take turns, each player, NPC, and opponent will roll Reaction. This is done by performing the following roll (the GM makes the Reaction checks for the opponents and NPCs).

Reaction Check

+

CRG

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Reaction

The higher the resultant number, the more on top of things the character is considered to be. The GM should make note of the result of everyone's Reaction roll.

Before the first round of combat begins, starting with the lowest number, the GM should call on each participant to announce what he or she intends to do for that round. This way, the participants higher up in the order can decide their actions based on the intended actions of combat participants lower in the order. In layman's terms you see what other folks are doing and you act just a fraction of time ahead of them. The GM then calls on each participant in descending order and has them act out their turn.

In subsequent rounds, players take their turns in descending order without announcing their intentions first.

Reaction Order Example

"You burst into the room. The evil sorceror Aelfin sits inside with an expression of shock on his face," Wes, the GM describes. "He picks up his wand from the table and aims in your direction. Roll Reaction." Jon rolls a 16 for Akare, James rolls a 20 for Nox, and Sara rolls a 12 for Celeste. In secret, the GM has rolled a 13 for Aelfin the evil sorcerer. "Celeste had the lowest Reaction," Wes states. "What's she doing?" "I'm going to cast Bless on Nox," she replies. "Sounds good," Wes says. "What is Akare doing?" "I'm going to duck and hide under the table to try and catch him wide-eyed," Jon states. "Okay. Aelfin's wand begins to glow, he's about to cast dark magic. And Nox?" Wes asks. "I'm going to go on the defensive while I wait for Celeste to cast her spell," James says. "Okay, James, you get +6 to Evasion until your next turn," Wes continues. "Now, Aelfin casts his spell." Wes makes a casting roll for Aelfin. Wes groans as he critically fails (rolls a 1). The players cheer aloud. "Aelfin loses his concentration, and the spell fizzles out." Wes grimaces as he marks on a piece of paper that the MP involved was wasted. "You're all so lucky." Afterwards, Akare makes a Stealth check, and Celeste casts her spell.

Some GMs prefer that Reaction is rolled only at the beginning of the combat encounter and intentions are announced only then. Others enjoy a new Reaction roll and announced actions at the beginning of every round. Your results may vary, and we encourage you to explore which you find is more enjoyable.