How to Top the Initiative Order (Almost) Every Time

[Neal Litherland]

Who goes first is often a game changer when it comes to taking out the bad guys. Improved Initiative has you covered this week with a list about how to, well, improve your initiative.

Check it out!

[ChainsawSam]

Battle Oracles get War Sight which allows them to roll initiative twice and take the highest. The ability continues to improve as you level up.

It's a pretty big deal.

[Neal Litherland]

Thanks Chainsaw!

I've added that suggestion to the article, along with a dozen or so other editorial suggestions I've received from other players. I think that now the class abilities list is as complete as I can get it.

[Zigniber]

Inspired Initiative is a third-party spell, and thus potentially subject to veto by many GMs. However, Anticipate Peril from Ultimate Magic does the job better anyway, by granting up to +5 initiative by fifth level. And if your GM is the permissive type, by RAW, the two spells should stack. It's also notable for being one of the few ways Alchemists can boost their initiative, beyond the effects of Cat's Grace and a Dex mutagen.

[redliska]

Missed that rogues can get familiars so a possible +4 there.

[Renegadeshepherd]

Inquisitor with improved initiative, reactionary trait, tactics inquisition, and cunning initiative is the highest u can realistically have for more than a time or two. Ur limited to 3 plus wisdom mod for the whole day.

[ArmouredMonk13]

Warrior Priest feat gives a bonus to initiative.

Not sure if its relevant, but if you take the Improved Initiative feat, a Greensting Scorpion familiar, a 20Dex, Reactionary trait, and are an ifrit with the racial trait that gives an initiative bonus, you can have a +19 Initiative at first level as a wizard/sorcerer.

[Neal Litherland]

Thanks again everyone, suggestions have been added to the article. Hopefully I'll eventually have a comprehensive list of every option a player can take here.

I hope folks will be as understanding when I attempt to do a similar, monolithic list for boosting one's A.C.

[TarkXT]

I think this list while certainly useful fails to point out the overall deeper tactics that are involved in making use of a high initiative. There's more to it than being able to shoot a flatfooted opponent.

[Neal Litherland]

Tark, this is true. That particular subject will be the subject of a follow up article to be published on Kobold Quarterly "Fight Smarter, Not Harder".

[Krodjin]

I like acting before the bad guy, but after the Wizard has buffed me up or debuffed the BBEG... That's why I love my parties Elven Wizard with the Scorpion familiar and the absurd initiative mod.

[Damon Griffin]

Neal Litherland wrote:

Ranger Not to be outdone, the ranger has an initiative bonus as well. Provided, of course, that the ranger is within one of his or her favored terrains. A +2 bonus always applies due to the ranger's sheer familiarity with what the sights, sounds, and smells in an area should be, providing a nearly supernatural quickness when trouble breaks out.

This bonus can be higher for the Ranger, since every time they get a new favored terrain, one of the terrains (can be the one just chosen) goes up by +2.

Also, the Guide variant of Rangers in the APG grants a +2 Init bonus to any of his allies (within a favored terrain) that can see and hear him, via Terrain Bond.

[Rerednaw]

Elf with 16 dex
Wizard.
Diviner.
+1/2 level (min +1) to init and always gets to act in surprise round. At level 20, init rolls are considered natural 20's.
Familiar: greensting scorpion or compsagnathus. +4
feat: improved init. +4
trait: reactionary +2
dex: +3

+1+4+4+2+3=+14 at level 1.

Not terrible. Could be better.

[Krodjin]

^That must be pretty close to what our Parties Wizard has... I believe his INIT at level 1 was +12... Pretty darn good.

[Unruly]

An Ifrit with the Wildfire Heart alternate racial trait gets a +4 racial bonus to initiative. Add in the Reactionary trait and you get a +2 trait bonus. Improved Initiative gets +4.

Without even adding in bonuses for class abilities or your dex mod, you've got a +10 initiative right out of the gate.

Make him a Diviner Wizard with the greensting scorpion familiar and you get a minimum of +15 init without accounting for Dex.

Put your Dex at 16 via points(18 after racials) and you get +19 init at level 1. (4+2+4+1+4+4=19)

Not the most optimal race choice for a wizard, but not entirely terrible. And then you're near the top of the initiative order even if you roll a 1. And you can act during the surprise round no matter what.

[Sarrah]

Elf Wizard.
Improved Initiative (+4)
18 dex (+4)
trait (+2)
alternate elf racial: Fleet-Footed (+2)
familiar: greensting scorpion (+4)
wizard school: Divination (+1/2 wizard level, minimum 1, always act in surprise round)
Ancitipate Peril (+CL (max +5))
Gifted Adept +1 CL
AEther (20g) +1 CL

At Level 1, a maximum of +20 initiative
*the ifrit thing mentioned above would raise this to a +22*

Sandals of quick reaction allow both move and attack during the surprise round. This is the only item I know of that does this.

[strayshift]

Not as jaw dropping as the wizard but the Dreamspun Sorcerer Bloodline grants an initiative bonus (Combat Precognition) which can go up to +5!

[Rerednaw]

I didn't go with some of the combinations because while going first is great...going first and being able to be effective is better. :)

Ifrits do not get a racial bump to int, so that dings a wizard concept. Which is why I went with an elf. Elves don't get the option for a +4 init racial modifier, but they don't sacrifice intelligence either.

Also I went with a 16 dex because I figure you want your best score in Int as a wizard.

But yeah if you want to max out init, you could go with a class-race combos that don't sync in other respects (bonus spells, casting DCs, other silly things) and focus on going first.

+22 at level 1 does sound quite impressive. :)

[Aelryinth]

I'm throwing this out there as a non-PF thing, but in 3.5 Oriental Adventures, the Crane Family series of feats were based off of initiative (and iajitsu).

Pure PF, however, won't include them.

==Aelryinth