Adventuring Gear: Initiative Trackers

Art from Penny Arcade by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins

It's high time I talked about an important issue to every game master: Initiative tracking. While some systems have fairly simple ways to determine the order that the players take their turns, many simply rely on the time-tested method of assigning a numerical value to each character and counting down in descending order. 

When it comes to initiative, it can be a real pain to keep track of things. Sometimes it just slows things down, which is why I only call for an official initiative roll if the players are facing a significant encounter. No initiative roll is needed for a scuffle with a single feral rat or a pair of cleaning robots. When it is time to call for initiative rolls, it's best to have a plan for how to handle it before you begin.

Breaking It Down

When initiative begins, it is always a good idea to have the players all roll together and have their numbers added up as soon as possible. However, it is also preferable that they don't call out these numbers right away. That can get chaotic and confusing. Even a simple method like going clockwise around the table and having each player recite their initiative roll will keep things from descending into a confused mess of shouted numbers and people talking over each other.

Let's be clear, though... initiative is for tracking when the enemies move more than the players. If there are two or more players with subsequent turns, they can choose to go in whatever order they want. Player one can hold his turn and go after player two, and so on. It only matters when the next enemy gets to act in the initiative, and what they can accomplish before the next player character gets a turn.

With this in mind, you can use the enemy initiative slots as a point of reference to move things along more quickly. You can start by rolling the enemy's initiative. I recommend always consolidating these rolls by sometimes allowing bad guys to share initiative slots. You can have a pair of mooks make a single initiative roll, or roll initiative for enemies based on enemy type rather than one roll for each individual. (For instance, a group of goblins might all get one initiative slot, and the bugbears just make a single initiative roll as well.)

Now let's say the enemies have initiative values of 14, 6, and 3. Using these as reference, you can start by asking "Who has an initiative greater than 14?" And then you know that those players will be going first. You can then work out who has the better initiative and record it, but this way you are able to divide initiative into more digestible chunks. You can then proceed with "Who has an initiative between 14 and 6?" and so on.
If you don't like using these methods, you could also try grouping the players by fives, or tens. "Who got an initiative between one and five? Five and ten?" These processes won't make initiative an effortless endeavor, but they may make things a bit easier to manage by breaking the information down into smaller sections that are easier to record. 

I strongly recommend designating a particularly organized player to help you manage initiative in some respect, whether by writing it down or calling out the turn order as the game proceeds. It can make it much easier to have a second set of eyes and hands to help out while you keep track of other things, like movement and hit points. Some groups might have a player that manages the initiative entirely themselves before handing it off to the DM.


Writing Boards and Magnetic Pieces

My own magnetic initiative tracker.

Via The Dungeoneering Dad

The easiest tool for initiative tracking is an erasable writing board. A whiteboard or chalkboard will work, of a convenient size for your game table. Make sure it is placed within clear eyesight of yourself or whoever is tracking the initiative order once the encounter begins. You can make your own initiative tracking tool using magnetic tape, and a wipe away dry erase poster board. By cutting up the poster board and attaching it to the magnets, you can stick them to a surface and have pre-made names ready to arrange in any order. There are also ready made versions of these tools for sale by certain manufacturers. 

Screen Hangers

The standees that I like to use for assigning seats and remembering PC names can also be hung from the top of a DM screen. This means that they can be lined up in order of initiative, for another easy to view way to track the progress of the turn. If you use this method, just remember that their sequence will be reversed if viewed from the other side. So if you make the hangers two sided, either the DM or the players will have to read it from right to left if they want to keep track of the sequence. 

Numbered Cards

This method can also be very convenient... have index cards or sticky notes filled out with numbers: one, two, three, and so forth. You could even use an ordinary deck of playing cards! Pass them out to the players based on what position they have in the initiative. Keep any cards that represent the enemy combatants' initiative slots. Then you can just start counting up from one, with the players taking their turn when their number is called. I like to use sticky notes in conjunction with my name tag standees when I use this method. 

Turn Tokens

For games with less structured turn cycles, or no initiative system, I recommend some kind of tokens that can be flipped over whenever a player makes a move. Bottle caps work well for this, since it is very clear whenever the cap has been flipped. These serve as markers of a spent action, so that you know exactly which players have had a chance to act this turn. You can then have your own set of tokens to represent enemy characters as well. With this technique, you may cut down on the risk of players missing their turns or getting skipped over.

Computer Software

If you use a laptop or tablet for game running, then having a program on hand for initiative tracking might be the way to go. There are a number of useful campaign managing applications for sale online, or you might be interested in free generic program like Initiative Tool. In any case, just be sure not to take up too much space at the game table with computer equipment. I prefer using a tablet or Android phone for my digital needs because I find that a laptop can take up a lot of space that could be otherwise used for notes, maps, minis, and other tools.

Other Methods

There are many other methods for tracking initiative, an each group must find their own style that fits their needs. There is no single comprehensive method for handling initiative, and these techniques presented are intended as suggestions for your own convenience. Feel free to share your own tips and tricks for fast and smooth initiative tracking in the comments or through Twitter or Facebook.