Higher initiative

Another thing that puzzles me. I have Initiative of 6 currently and can only fail a climbing check by rolling a 6 (which is always a fail I believe). I managed to get two advance rolls which raise my initiative (cap is 9 for Elves).

Whats the point in having Init 6,7,8 or 9?

Sorry if I am being dense and forgetting another check. Ah is it just to help with combat order? That would help I guess, when I eventually fight something a bit quicker than goblins!

I think so, it only helps winning combat order when in HtH

That would be the only benefit.

Since I like to complicate things to no end, how about adopting a principle from the current version of Warhammer 40,000?

Since there are no shooting modifiers in 40k there was no point in having BS higher than 5, so the designers made having BS above 5 offer a chance to change a failure to a success. So, if a warrior with BS 6 rolled a 1 to hit, they could roll again, this time requiring a 6 to hit. Each point above 6 gives an additional +1 on this roll (so BS 7 lets you ignore a failed roll on a 5+, 8 on a 4+, etc.)

You could ask your group if they think this is appropriate for characteristic tests in your Mordheim games - though I don't really think Elves need the help!

Believe me, T3 (max) elves may need it, they don't work as good as people think elves work.

alveiz wrote:

Believe me, T3 (max) elves may need it, they don't work as good as people think elves work.

What warband of elves is limited to T3?

Higher initiative benefits warbands in campaign settings that include weather effects that reduce characteristics or against spells with similar effects.

Von Kurst wrote:

alveiz wrote:

Believe me, T3 (max) elves may need it, they don't work as good as people think elves work.

What warband of elves is limited to T3?

Higher initiative benefits warbands in campaign settings that include weather effects that reduce characteristics or against spells with similar effects.

Any Elven WB in our group. We use the max. characteristic increase of Coreheim.

Coreheim... oh.

We also use the max T3 for Elves - though nobody has played them since I did when the rules were first released. All of my elves had longbows, swords, and spears so they could climb up high, shoot as the enemy closed, then strike first, parry, then strike again (and it was legal at the time).

I think I may have ruined it for everyone else.

CygnusMaximus wrote:

Since there are no shooting modifiers in 40k there was no point in having BS higher than 5, so the designers made having BS above 5 offer a chance to change a failure to a success. So, if a warrior with BS 6 rolled a 1 to hit, they could roll again, this time requiring a 6 to hit. Each point above 6 gives an additional +1 on this roll (so BS 7 lets you ignore a failed roll on a 5+, 8 on a 4+, etc.)

I just had to point out that 40k had that rule way back in second edition when I first started gaming so many years ago. It was a rule in Necromunda too. Just sayin' I guess....

Joker2and53 wrote:

I just had to point out that 40k had that rule way back in second edition when I first started gaming so many years ago. It was a rule in Necromunda too. Just sayin' I guess....

Sure enough - I only ever played two games of 2nd ed. 40k and haven't played Necromunda in ages. I just dusted off my books and there it was.

Still - it was a good addition to 5th ed. 40k and probably wouldn't hurt to use in Mordheim.

Isn't initative used when spotting hidden enemies as well?

Jonke wrote:

Isn't initative used when spotting hidden enemies as well?

It is indeed - and Elves double theirs when spotting hidden enemies.

We have a house rule concerning initiative checks along the lines of what CygnusMaximus suggested: If you have six initiative, make an Init test and roll a 6, you roll a second time and succeed if you roll a 1. If you have a 7 initiative and rolled a 6, you would roll again, succeeding on a 1 or 2. Etc.

A fun moment in our big Christmas holiday dust up in Tennessee - I was running a huge number of orcs against some allied warbands, and one of my brother-in-law's skink heroes jumped out of a building and rolled a 6, kersplat. He noted the skink had a (I think) a 7 initiative, so I told him about the house rule we play with my games here in Texas and told he he could roll again. Huzzah! Of course, he rolled another 6...