An idea: The Initiative Thief

[tzor]

There have been a number of attempts to create things based on various incarnations of haste that play with the flow of time in combat. I have always been thinking if there is a simpler way to fine tune the system to provide interesting but effective ways to sneak in a couple of extra actions in a turn without really messing up game play. I’m neither trying to look for something not too powerful, nor just plain useless, but just right. The following could be feats or they could be abilities of a PrC. If the later, replace “Dex bonus” with “Dex Bonus + PrC level.”

Advance Initiative

A character with Advance Initiative is allowed to add his dex bonus to his current initiative to determine his initiative for the next round. If his current initiative is greater than 20 he may take a second turn in the round at an initiative of his current initiative minus 20 which becomes the new initiative for the next round (he does not get to add his dex bonus in this case).

Flexible Initiative

A character with Flexible Initiative may delay his action or ready an action up to an initiative count equal to his dex bonus without paying a penalty to initiative for the next round.

Steal Initiative

As an attack of opportunity if the difference between initiatives is less than or equal to the dex bonus of the initiative stealer he may attempt to swap initiatives with the person drawing the AOO. He must make a bluff check opposed by a sense motive and if successful, he gets to make his regular actions at that point and the other person must wait until his new initiative count to continue his turn.

Examples of use

Let’s suppose we have Joe with a dex bonus of +3. At the start of combat Joe determines his initiative to be 15. His initiative will increase during the course of battle.

Round 1) [15]
Round 2) [18]
Round 3) [21] taking a second turn at [1]
Round 4) [1] because he can’t increase his initiative if he takes the second turn
Round 5) [4]
Round 6) [7]

Now let’s suppose Joe wants to ready an action at round 6. If the action takes place on or before the count of four his initiative would not be impacted meaning that his initiative at round 7 would be [10]. If the action takes place after the initiative count of 4 then his new initiative would be based off of the count where his delayed action took place (as per the rules) plus his dex bonus. Let’s suppose that the delay was less than his dex bonus (at [5]) and so his round 7 initiative would be [10]

Round 7) [10]

Now let’s suppose Tim the enchanter casts a spell in his face at initiative [12] on round 7. Joe can attempt to “steal the initiative” because of the AOO for the casting of the spell by making a bluff check opposed by a sense motive. If successful he gets a regular turn at initiative [12] while Tim has to wait until initiative [10] to complete the spell making concentration checks as every Tom, Dick, and Harry with an initiative between [12] and [10] attacks him with renewed vigor.

So is this a workable idea? Would it be better as a feat tree or as a PrC progression? Is it too powerful or horribly useless?

[Fwib]

Seems a bit powerful when you seriously concentrate on Dex?

[RandomCasualty]

I try to avoid any kind of round structure manipulations. They're pretty bad practice and lead to stupidity in general.

There are a number of problems, first they lead to extra universal actions, which never has worked and is just a bad idea, period. Anything that grants you extra turns probably shouldn't exist at all.

Second, initiative altering effects either tend to be really powerful (you get two turns) or don't do anything at all, you act slightly faster, but not before anyone else, so nobody cares.