quote:
Initiative: Initiative is rolled when a character becomes aware of a clear and present danger. Once initiative is rolled, players do not have to pose in order relative to each other's initiative, only relative to the enemy's initiative. For example: Gale rolls a initiative score of 12, the 3 goblins a score of 14, Timothius 15, and Kitau 17. In this case, if on Monday Timothius is online and Kitau hasn't posted, he can post his turn before Kitau even though Kitau got the higher initiative score. However, Gale cannot post her turn because the goblins got a higher score than Gale and have yet to act. The GM will post the goblin's turn before Kitau if she doesn't post within a capriciously decided upon reasonable amount of time, and Kitau's initiative score drops to 13. If Kitau still hasn't posted by the end of the round, the GM will strike her down with great vengeance and furious ang... ahem... the GM will find a way to temporarily remove her from combat until such time as RL allows her to return to RPOL.
PHB 288:
Delay
You can choose to wait to take your turn until later
in the round. You can wait until after your allies take
actions so you can plan out tactics, or you can wait for
enemies to move into range.
DELAY: NO ACTION
✦ Delay Entire Turn: You must delay your entire turn,
so you can’t delay if you’ve already taken an action
on your turn. You also can’t delay if you’re dazed or if
you’re unable to take actions.
✦ Coming Back into the Initiative Order: After any
other combatant has completed a turn, you can step
back into the initiative order. Perform your actions as
desired and adjust your initiative to your new position
in the order.
✦ Losing a Delayed Turn: If you don’t take your
delayed turn before your initiative comes up, you
lose the delayed turn and your initiative remains
where it was.
✦ Start of Your Turn: At the moment you delay, carry
out the start of your turn normally.
✦ End of Your Turn: You don’t have a normal end of
your turn (page 269). Instead, the things you do at
the end of your turn happen at two separate times.
End Beneficial Effects when You Delay: At the
moment you delay, end effects that last until the
end of your turn and that are beneficial to you or
your allies. For example, if on your previous turn you
stunned an enemy until the end of your next turn,
the stunned condition ends. You can’t prolong a beneficial
effect by delaying.
End Sustained Effects when You Delay: You can’t
sustain a power if you delay. At the moment you
delay your action, the “check actions spent” part of
the end of your turn occurs. Because you haven’t
spent an action to sustain any active powers, sustainable
effects end.
End Harmful Effects after You Act: After you
return to the initiative order and take your actions,
end effects that last until the end of your turn and
that are harmful to you. For example, if an enemy
stunned you until the end of your next turn, the
stunned condition ends. You can’t avoid a harmful
effect by delaying.
Make Saving Throws after You Act: After you return
to the initiative order and take your actions, you
make saving throws against effects on you.
Scinario: Huge pile of minions, boss, paladin, pyromancer.
Pyromancer init: 17
Boss init: 13
Minions init: 10
Paladin init: 1
Pyromancer: "I summon my burning sphere next to the boss!" *rolls* "Hits! 12 damage! No move needed. Minor to sustain."
GM: "Boss's turn. Roll auto damage."
Pyromancer: "2 plus 4... 6 damage!"
GM: "Boss winces from the added pain as all the minions who were standing near the burning sphere are incinerated! 'ATTACK!' the boss says, 'KILL THE MAGE FIRST!'" *several rolls* "The three minions who could get at you all hit. Pyromancer takes 12 damage. The other could only reach the paladin and hits. 4 damage to the paladin. Boss steps away from the flaming sphere. Since the minions are in the way of his stunning mace melee attack, he fires a bolt of energy at the pyromancer but misses."
Paladin: "But wouldn't the boss go first?"
GM: "He delayed."
Paladin: "But commanding them to attack is a free action which means he can't delay."
GM: "He also rolled a 20. Do you want me to change the round so that you're stunned and near dead?"
Pyromancer: "OK. Paladin's turn! Hey paladin! Delay till after my burning hands so you can charge the boss!"
Paladin: "I'll lose a turn."
Pyromancer: "No you won't."
Paladin: "It's the bottom of the round. If I delay, I lose a turn."
Pyromancer: "No you won't! Look at the rules! Nothing on page 288 says anything about 'you lose your turn if you delay past the end of a round.' Only if you delay past the
monsters would you have lost a turn."
GM: "You can delay past the pyromancer's attack."
Paladin: "Fine."
We've been playing this way since day 1. So where does this notion that Joey loses a turn for delaying till after Michael come from?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:18, Thu 15 Dec 2011.