Davekay
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Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 12:12

I have not fully understand the initiative system with cards. Could someone help me undertstand it? Must each player have his deck or only one is used? Thanks
 
skorn
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 12:20

Only one Deck of Cards for all Participants.
 
Davekay
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 12:34

And in what order do they draw them? How is it determined?
 
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andarp
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 14:15

So, the basics are these:

- You have ten cards at the table, numbered 1-10
- Each player draws a card
- The GM draws one per creature they control (or one per group of creatures if there are many).
- Go from lowest to highest, that's the initiative order. So if someone drew the 1 they act before someone who drew a 2 etc.

Slightly more advanced nuances:

- I prefer only having the total number of cards that's needed each time. So if there are three players and two enemies in the combat, you just use card 1-5 when drawing. That means you never have to ask "anyone got the one? no? the two?". You know that there will be a 1 and that person will act first. To me it just feels smoother. The downside being you have to make sure you have the correct number of cards each time you draw obviously.
- When someone performs a surprise attack they get to draw two initiative cards and pick the one they want. The same goes for the talent Lightning Fast which works basically the same. These people get to draw first, pick one, then put the other card(s) back before the other players draw. If multiple people have the same type of talent it get's a *bit* more complicated :-)
 
Davekay
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 16:15

That’s clear. But... who decides the order of drawing the cards? For example the first player has 10 cards available, the second nine, the third 8 and so on, so the chances are different.
 
Rasmus
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 16:46

Game master discretion. I let those that have the lightning fast talent draw first, and then we just go around the table. Npc:s get the scraps.
 
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The1TrueFredrix
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 16:55

A couple talents that give players initiative advantages allows them to go first in the draw. But other than that it doesn’t really matter. Though the person last in the draw might feel the randomness of their draw is limited and they have lost the “chance” of a low number - that’s not really true - as the deck is shuffled between combats (and even again after those with initiative talents have drawn and replaced their cards) the last person to draw has no less a chance of getting 1 than the person who draws first (except of course when a character with an initiative talent is playing).
Effekt - A fan podcast celebrating Swedish RPGs including, but not limited to: Alien; Coriolis; Forbidden Lands; Symbaroum; and Tales from the Loop. Featuring discussion magazine episodes and Actual Play recordings. https://effektpodcast.org/
 
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The1TrueFredrix
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 16:57

Got to add that don’t let the players “draw” as such (as in “pick a card, any card”), rather I shuffle then deal off the top of the deck.
Effekt - A fan podcast celebrating Swedish RPGs including, but not limited to: Alien; Coriolis; Forbidden Lands; Symbaroum; and Tales from the Loop. Featuring discussion magazine episodes and Actual Play recordings. https://effektpodcast.org/
 
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9littlebees
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 16:58

Actually, the only Talents that affect Initiative (correct me if I'm wrong) are those that allow a PC to draw more than one Initiative card. None of them have anything to do with who draws first. Path of the Knight and Lightning Fast.

Maybe there's an opportunity for Agility & Wits to come into play. PCs go in order of who has the highest Agility + Wits scores. GM goes last. In fact, I think I'll add that to my hack. Call it "Initiative", and give GMs 3 options - use it as a static initiative value, add it to a D6 roll, or determine the order for who draws cards. ;-)
I make YZE games (https://drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matt%20Kay) and produce predominately Free League content on my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@3skulls)
 
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9littlebees
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Re: Initiative with cards

Sun 03 Feb 2019, 16:58

Got to add that don’t let the players “draw” as such (as in “pick a card, any card”), rather I shuffle then deal off the top of the deck.
Heresy! You should always allow a PC to draw their own card!  :P
I make YZE games (https://drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matt%20Kay) and produce predominately Free League content on my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@3skulls)

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