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Learn a simple formula to determine your player character’s initiative score in D&D 5e
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You’re playing an exciting session of Dungeons & Dragons, a fight is brewing—and then your DM says, “Roll for initiative.” What should you do, and how can you calculate your character’s initiative? We’re here to help you figure it out. That way, you can worry less about math and more about taking down that ancient red dragon breathing fire all over the party! Read on for a complete overview of rolling and calculating initiative in D&D 5e, including step-by-step instructions and initiative-tracking tips for DMs.
Things You Should Know
- The formula for calculating initiative is a d20 + your character’s Dexterity modifier. If you have a bonus from feats or magic items, add that too.
- Initiative measures a character’s ability to act fast at the start of a battle, and it’s used to establish the order of turns in a fight.
- Increase your character’s initiative by improving their Dexterity ability score or by taking the Alert feat, which gives a +5 bonus to initiative.
Steps
Section 2 of 5:
Initiative Formula in D&D 5e
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Roll a d20 and add your dexterity modifier to the outcome. Dexterity (DEX) is one of six ability scores in D&D, and it affects a character’s agility, reflexes, balance, fine motor skills, speed, and hand-eye coordination. Because initiative measures a character’s ability to ready themselves when combat starts, their DEX modifier influences the outcome of the d20 initiative roll. The higher the modifier, the higher the initiative. [3] X Research source
- Say your character has a DEX of 18 (+4 modifier), and when you roll a d20, the outcome is an 11. To calculate initiative, add 11 + 4 for a total initiative of 15.
- Your DEX modifier can negatively affect a roll if it’s low. If your DEX is 8, your modifier is a -1. So, if you rolled an 11, you’d have to subtract -1 from that roll, meaning your total initiative would be a 10.
- An ability score modifier in D&D is the number you add to rolls when trying to do something related to that ability. There are boxes for your character’s initiative and ability score modifiers near the top of their character sheet.
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Add any extra bonuses you may have to the initiative roll. Generally, adding a d20 roll + your character’s DEX modifier is how you calculate initiative in 5e. However, depending on the class you play in D&D 5e and the feats, spells, or items you might have, your character might have additional bonuses to their initiative. Keep track of those bonuses, and don’t forget to add them in addition to your DEX modifier! [4] X Research source
- For example, if you’re playing a Swashbuckler Rogue at level 3, you can use your Rakish Audacity class feature to give yourself an initiative bonus equal to your Charisma modifier.
- So, if your Charisma modifier is a +2, your DEX modifier is +4, and you rolled an 11 (using the example above), then your initiative score would be 11 + 4 + 2, for a total of 17.
- Charisma (CHA) is another of the 6 ability scores in D&D 5e. The ability scores include Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom.
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Section 3 of 5:
Rolling & Tracking Initiative as a DM
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Make initiative rolls for all the monsters and NPCs in combat. As a DM, once you decide it’s time to start a fight, you’re in charge of making sure every other combatant besides the PCs has a place in the initiative order. Roll initiative for NPCs and enemies using the same formula as above (a d20 roll + the creature’s DEX modifier) and make a note of each score. [5] X Research source
- To streamline the process, you could alternatively roll initiative while you’re still planning the session. That way, you only need your players’ rolls to complete the initiative order when combat begins.
- When you have large clusters of identical enemies, you could roll initiative for them once as a group (rather than rolling for every enemy).
- For example, if your battle includes an enemy wizard, bandit captain, and 5 bandits, you could roll initiative separately for the wizard and captain but use one initiative roll for all 5 bandits.
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Ask your players for initiative rolls one at a time. It can be confusing to have several players shouting numbers at you simultaneously. At the start of combat, ask your players to roll initiative. Then, once you’ve calculated initiative for all enemies and NPCs, go around the group and ask each player for their characters’ initiative score. [6] X Research source
- Don’t be afraid to tell your players you need them to speak one at a time. It’ll make your life a lot easier!
- If you have a big table, you could ask one player to collect everyone else’s initiative for you, so you only have to hear from that player and can easily note each score.
- Once an initiative order is set, it typically stays the same throughout combat. After everybody in the initiative order acts, a new round begins, and the character at the top of the order takes their next turn.
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Rank each roll to create and track an initiative order during combat. Write down the initiative score of every player, NPC, and enemy participating in the battle, and organize them from the highest initiative roll to the lowest. When combat begins, whoever is at the top of the initiative order goes first, and when the last person takes their turn, a new round of combat begins. [7] X Research source To track initiative during combat, you could:
- Write the complete initiative order on a piece of paper.
- Make your initiative list on a dry-erase board for the whole table to see.
- Use a customizable initiative tracker.
- Use digital initiative trackers on sites like Roll20 or apps like Encounter+
- Designate one player to track initiative for you (so you can focus on running the combat).
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Break any initiative order ties before starting combat. Ultimately, there’s no set way to break initiative ties. The Player’s Handbook for D&D 5e recommends that DMs decide the outcome of ties between NPCs and player characters or enemies and player characters. However, you could also allow your players to decide the outcome if the tie is just between PCs. [8] X Research source Ways to break a tie include:
- Have the tied characters roll d20s. Whoever gets the higher roll goes first in the initiative order.
- Compare the two characters’ DEX scores. Whoever has the higher score (or modifier) goes first.
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References
- ↑ https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/using-ability-scores#AbilityChecks
- ↑ https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/using-ability-scores#AbilityChecks
- ↑ https://5thsrd.org/combat/order_of_combat/
- ↑ https://5thsrd.org/combat/order_of_combat/
- ↑ https://5thsrd.org/combat/order_of_combat/
- ↑ https://tabletopjoab.com/initiative-5e/
- ↑ https://5thsrd.org/combat/order_of_combat/
- ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/SRD-OGL_V5.1.pdf
- ↑ https://restenford.com/initiative-variants/
- ↑ https://restenford.com/initiative-variants/
- ↑ https://restenford.com/initiative-variants/
- ↑ https://tabletopjoab.com/initiative-5e/
- ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/SRD-OGL_V5.1.pdf
- ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/SRD-OGL_V5.1.pdf
- ↑ https://www.aidedd.org/dnd-filters/feats.php
- ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spell_lists/cleric_spells/
- ↑ https://scrollforinitiative.com/2022/12/26/treasure-hoards-and-magic-items-in-5e/
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