Base Initiative

A creature’s base initiative is the time it begins to move or makes an attack if it attacks without weapons. Monsters that normally fight with natural weaponry are simply assigned a base initiative determined by their size and speed.

Monster Size	Base Initiative
Tiny or Small	Very Fast
Man-Sized	Fast
Large	Average
Huge	Slow
Gargantuan	Very Slow

Improve base initiative one grade for a movement rate of 18 or better, and reduce base initiative one grade for a movement rate of 6 or less. Also, moderately encumbered characters and monsters suffer a one-phase initiative penalty, heavily encumbered creatures are slowed by two phases, and severely encumbered creatures suffer a three-phase initiative penalty.

Note that most player characters have a base initiative of fast. Remember, this doesn’t take into account weapon speeds or combat actions. Record the character’s base initiative on the character sheet—it’s used in each and every round of combat.

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