Is there a way, other than having a Diviner friend, for a player to avoid rolling Initiative at the start of a combat?Ll Aa Eep HlCc նհs Q
I've been starting to theorize the following concept: a player who would... never... roll dice... ever. Not in combat, not elsewhere. No dice. Literally. But I have come across a major obstacle: Initiative.
Now, I've been thinking: perhaps that roll-averse player could get himself a Diviner friend to give him Portents as Initiative rolls? But I'd rather not rely on that, since a Diviner has so few Portents per day, and probably will want to use them for other purposes.
So... Is there a way, other than having a Diviner friend, for a player to avoid rolling Initiative at the start of a combat?
If, somehow, there was a way to become proficient in Initiative rolls, then the Rogue's Reliable Talent could be used to avoid rolling for Initiative, but I don't know if there is one.
If, somehow, there was a magic item to replace an ability check roll by a certain number (like the Clockwork Amulet does for attack rolls), that could solve the problem as well, but again, I don't know if there is one.
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2\\$\\begingroup\\$ You are asking about not rolling dice in a system called d20. What problem are you trying to solve here? This is an intriguing idea (most of your questions are) but I am not sure if this isn't more of a discussion prompt than a question. \\$\\endgroup\\$ – KorvinStarmast 8 hours ago
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\\$\\begingroup\\$ "never... roll dice... ever" — so what do you do when a DM asks you "make a X check"? \\$\\endgroup\\$ – enkryptor 8 hours ago
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1\\$\\begingroup\\$ @GaeL FWIW, I think we have a Q&A somewhere on this site about how Initiative is a dex check, and there being an optional rule in the DMG about having an initiative order that is based solely on dex mods. If I find that Q&A, this may be a dupe of that. I'll let you know. \\$\\endgroup\\$ – KorvinStarmast 8 hours ago
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3\\$\\begingroup\\$ Here's the passive initiative Q&A I was thinking of. If not a dupe, heavily related. Does that answer your question? No magic item needed ... \\$\\endgroup\\$ – KorvinStarmast 8 hours ago
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3\\$\\begingroup\\$ @KorvinStarmast You know, I now feel like a major imbecile, since the question you linked has been asked by... me. \\$\\endgroup\\$ – Gael L 8 hours ago
2 Answers
With the "Initiative Score" initiative variant you don't need to roll dice:
With this optional rule, creature don't roll initiative at the start of combat. Instead, each creature has an initiative score, which is a passive Dexterity check: 10 + Dexterity modifier.
However, it's a Variant rule, so your DM has to explicitly allow this.
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\\$\\begingroup\\$ This may likely be the only way to achieve this, and I will probably accept your answer soon. However, if you manage to find a non-Variant way to achieve this as well, I will give you a significant Bounty as a reward ! \\$\\endgroup\\$ – Gael L 8 hours ago
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\\$\\begingroup\\$ @GaelL could you please elaborate, how do you manage attack rolls with this character? \\$\\endgroup\\$ – enkryptor 8 hours ago
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1\\$\\begingroup\\$ Don't know why you're asking here, but either the character would use saving throw spells instead of attack rolls, or would rely on several Clockwork Amulets. It's difficult, but not impossible. \\$\\endgroup\\$ – Gael L 8 hours ago
Potentially, becoming a mount would work
The rules on "Controlling a Mount" state:
The initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it...
However this section also states:
Intelligent creatures, such as dragons, act independently.
You can control a mount only if it has been trained to accept a rider. Domesticated horses, donkeys, and similar creatures are assumed to have such training.
This would require that we first not be an intelligent creature. This can be achieved through a spell such as feeblemind which states:
On a failed save, the creature's Intelligence and Charisma scores become 1...
Unfortunately that would require you to make a save, but that is not part of the scope of this answer.
It would also require that we (the PC) have been trained to accept a rider. Perhaps this is doable by your DM through training or downtime.
If not one other potential option is to have shapechange or true polymorph cast on us, both of which have the following text:
You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them, provided that your new form is physically capable of doing so. ..
If we were transformed into a donkey or horse or similar creature this may qualify us as having the training to be a mount.
And now for the entire reason we want to be a mount in the first place:
The rules on "Mounted Combat" state:
A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, using the following rules...
Unfortunately it says that the mount's initiative changes to match the rider's, which implies the mount must already have an initiative, but whether this is truly the case may be up to your GM.
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1\\$\\begingroup\\$ I don't think it would work. Intelligent mounts aren't controllable (dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/combat#MountedCombat). Still a fun idea. \\$\\endgroup\\$ – Nicolas Budig 8 hours ago
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\\$\\begingroup\\$ This is for mounts controlled by the character, not for any creature that happens to sit on top of another creature \\$\\endgroup\\$ – Cubic 8 hours ago
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\\$\\begingroup\\$ @Cubic I've edited in potential fixes \\$\\endgroup\\$ – Medix2 7 hours ago
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2\\$\\begingroup\\$ @Medix2 I have just asked this question about the "changes" part -- whether an already controlled mount still requires to roll initiative or not : rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/153645/… \\$\\endgroup\\$ – Gael L 7 hours ago