Initiative in 4E

[Ursus Maior]

Originally Posted by Raellus

About 4e's system, as-written, has anyone had a bad experience with the optional rule by which a group of enemy draw one initiative card as a collective, and all act on the same initiative turn? It strikes me that using that streamlining feature could potentially give an enemy force a huge tactical advantage.

Am I missing something?

From experience in other systems that use NPC group initiatives, my opinion is that this rule on NPC Initiative (p. 55) works best, if you also you the optional rule on grouping actions, especially attacks.

Rules corresponding with this idea are Managing NPCs (p. 54), NPC Group Actions (p. 57), NPC Movement (p. 58), NPC Melee Attacks (p. 63), NPC Ranged Attacks (p. 66) and NPC Ammo Dice and Suppression and NPCs (p. 67) plus Explosions & NPCs (p. 68). This allows for combined movement, but also bundles attacks and ammo consumption. Also, remember that per p. 47 NPCs and Skills, NPCs should not push rolls regularly, unless they're key NPCs in important situations.

Combined attacks ease the administrative burden on the referee, allowing for only one roll to be made, but with a +1 per per additional NPC involved (up to a maximum +3), as they use the "helping" rule. Ammunition is not tracked, but one or more 1s rolled on an ammo dice results in empty magazines after the attack, making a reload action necessary; reloading always counts as a slow action for NPCs under this rule.

Key NPCs are advised to be handled separately, however, giving them a special status. I would also recommend to follow this idea.

In essence, this makes it possible for groups of up to four NPCs in one hex to be grouped together, while each NPC still adds something to the whole. An infantry squad (nine soldiers) could e. g. then be grouped into two rifle teams of up to four NPCs and a single special weapons user, such as a light machine gun operator, an anti-tank specialist or a grenade launcher operator. Only three roles would be made for those three "groups".

Other options include special weapons to be employed with more support, e. g. two light machine-gun teams of two persons, one anti-tank team of two persons and three riflemen for only four rolls needed.