Rolling Initiative Order at the Table
Order changes every round, ties happen constantly, and the fix has to be fast.
Initiative is the only ordering problem here that gets re-drawn while people are waiting, so the deciding factor is not fairness but how many seconds the tie-break costs when six players are watching.
Initiative is the only ordering problem on this site that gets re-drawn while six people are waiting. That constraint dominates every other consideration.
The deciding factor is not fairness — every method here is fair — but how many seconds a tie costs when the table is watching.
The tie problem, and deciding it in advance
With eight combatants rolling a d20 each, the chance of at least one tie is high — around 80%. Ties are not an edge case, they are the normal outcome, and a table without a tie rule will spend real time on them every single combat.
The three workable rules are: highest modifier wins, players before non-players, and re-roll between the tied parties only. Each takes seconds and each is defensible; what costs time is not having decided.
Whichever you choose, announce it once at the start of a campaign rather than at the first tie. A rule proposed mid-combat is a rule proposed by someone who is affected by it.
Eight combatants on a d20
- Chance of at least one tie: roughly 80%.
- Chance of at least one tie with 12 combatants: over 95%.
- A tie is the normal case, not an exception — decide the rule before the campaign.
Re-rolling every round versus rolling once
Some systems re-roll initiative each round and some roll once per combat, and the difference in feel is substantial. Rolling once produces a stable order everyone learns and can plan around; re-rolling each round produces uncertainty and considerably more table time.
Rolling once favours whoever rolled well for the whole combat, which is a large advantage concentrated in one player. Re-rolling distributes it and costs perhaps thirty seconds per round, which over a long combat is several minutes.
The middle option some tables use is side-based initiative: roll once per side, and within a side the players choose their own order. It is fast, it removes the ties almost entirely, and it changes the tactical texture of the game, which is either the appeal or the objection.
- Roll once per combat: stable, fast, concentrates a good roll's advantage.
- Re-roll each round: distributes the advantage, costs about 30 seconds a round.
- Side-based: fastest, almost no ties, changes the tactics considerably.
Rolling for a group of monsters
The most common time sink is rolling initiative individually for twelve identical creatures. Almost every system permits rolling once for a group, and doing so removes a third of the bookkeeping from a large combat.
The cost is tactical: a group acting together is more dangerous than the same creatures spread through the order, because they can concentrate their actions. That is a real difference and worth knowing you are making rather than discovering.
The compromise that works is grouping by type rather than rolling once for everything — all the archers act together, all the soldiers act together — which keeps most of the speed and most of the spread.
What to use at the table
The dice roller is the direct answer if you want the actual d20 mechanic, and rolling several dice at once handles a group of combatants in one press.
If your table has drifted to a system where initiative is just an order rather than a rolled statistic, the order randomizer produces a full ordering in one action, which is faster than any dice-based method and removes the tie problem entirely.
That second option is worth considering for a table where combat is already long. It gives up the modifier — a character built for initiative no longer benefits — which is a genuine loss and the reason most tables do not do it.
Frequently asked questions
How likely is a tie?
With eight combatants on a d20, around 80%. With twelve, over 95%. Ties are the normal case rather than an exception.
What tie rule should I use?
Highest modifier, players before non-players, or re-roll between the tied parties. All are defensible; deciding in advance is what matters.
Should I re-roll initiative each round?
Re-rolling distributes the advantage of a good roll and costs about thirty seconds a round. Rolling once is faster and concentrates the advantage.
What is side-based initiative?
One roll per side, with players choosing their own order within it. Fastest of the three, almost no ties, and it changes the tactics considerably.
Should I roll for each monster individually?
Usually not. Rolling once per group removes a third of the bookkeeping, at the cost of making the group more dangerous by letting them concentrate actions.
Is grouping by type a good compromise?
Yes — all archers together, all soldiers together. Keeps most of the speed and most of the spread through the order.
Can I skip the dice entirely?
The order randomizer produces a full ordering in one action and removes ties completely. It gives up the initiative modifier, which is why most tables do not.
When should the tie rule be announced?
At the start of a campaign, not at the first tie. A rule proposed mid-combat is proposed by someone affected by it.
Tools for this job
Background reading
Dice Probability Reference: d4 to d20
Single dice, sums, advantage, and dice pools — the numbers you actually look up.
Expected Value, Explained With Dice
The average of a thing that never happens, and why it is still the right number.
The Gambler's Fallacy
The coin does not owe you a tails. Why the intuition is so strong anyway.