Level 6 Diviner Wizard with a Greensting Scorpion Familiar, improved imitative, 14 dex, reactionary trait:
Initiative: +15 = 3 Diviner + 2 dex + 2 trait + 4 familiar + 4 Improved initiative
This can get much higher at higher levels but i wanted to keep it close to the level that you listed.
A level 5 NPC Elf Wizard I built had +15 (+3 dex, +4 Improved Initiative, +4 from familiar, +2 Racial, +2 Trait). If I used the Foresight School instead of Teleportation and gave him that cheap initiative boosting Ioun Stone, it would have been +18 instead.
Old character, don't have the sheet on me, but it was a half-orc inquisitor. As I recall, got dex (2), Wis (3), reactionary (2), improved initiative (4), and I swear there was something else. Even so, a +11 init mod from level 3 up is nice.
Wow.
I've never actually played this character yet but I've been considering it:
Dex based Vanguard Slayer, variant Multi classed with Wizard (Divination)
Level 4
+2 (Half level From Vanguard)
+2 (Half level Divination School)
+4 Familiar bonus
+4 Improved Initiative
+2 Reactionary
+2 Elf
+5 Dexterity
+1 Cracked Dusty Rose Prism
=
+22
Increasing by 2 every 2 levels thereafter, and gaining the ability to take 20 at level 20.
Meaning without any other shenanigans You'd have a cool 58 Initiative score (Assuming your Dex never increases)
Our gunslinger in our Iron Gods campaign has quite a nice initiative modifier without really even trying (so this might be a good baseline for a high initiative character - also fitting, going for the "fastest gun" trope.)
Gunslinger Initiative +2
Ifrit Racial +4
Dex (@1) +5
FCB +1/2 initiative
Reactionary +2
So +13 at level 1 without any feat investment, and increasing every even level as well as through Dex increases.
Adding VMC wizard to grab Divination (Foresight) and a greensting scorpion familiar would skyrocket this number even further (as well as providing a handy pool of pre-rolls and mending for busted guns.)
My human level 8 kensai has a +14 initiative.
He did not take a greensting scorpion or improved initiative. His starting dexterity was only 17.
Maximizing initiative past a certain level is pointless. You're already going first. I could hit +30 at this level, but there is no point. It would involve considerable sacrifice on more important aspects of the character.
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Have had some oracles with +15 or so. Probably a lot is wasted
Sometimes spelling mistakes are awesome. Storngest is a great PC name
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So mine's going to be the lowest entry since the original post, but I seem to be just about the only one doing it without a familiar. This is a dex based rogue at level 7, for PFS, so Paizo only sources, just trying to catch enemies flat footed for sneak attacks:
+6 dex
+2 Reactionary
+4 Improved Initiative
+1 ioun stone
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+13 total
It'll go up another point when I can afford to update his +2 dex belt to +4, but that's probably as high as it'll go before he retires, since he probably won't get past level 11.
Thank you for my next character's name.
Storngest the Barbarian!
:)
Is this just for low levels?
I don't know if it counts because it was a uber-gestalt campaign but the highest I ever got was a +22 with rerolls using Gunslinger/Shaman.
Highest I know of:
Init +71 (17 Dex, 4 Untyped (Improved Initiative), 4 Untyped (Familiar), 1 Competence (ioun), 2 Luck (Luckstone and Fate's Favored), 2 Trait, 25 Insight (Moment of Prescience), 4 Enhancement (Dueling Weapon), 1 Alchemical (Zerk), 2 Untyped (Runeforged Longbow), 4 Untyped (Heightened Awareness), 5 Untyped (Nerveskitter)
The above came from a character specifically designed to take on Demigods and the most powerful builds on the forums.
Edit: The lack of Morale bonuses comes from him being in the body of an undead Grim Reaper via the spell Parasitic Soul. Otherwise it could be higher with Moment of Greatness.
That doesn't work with Pathfinder rules. No Nerveskitter, and Moment of Prescience doesn't work on Initiative.
This spell grants you an insight bonus equal to your caster level (maximum +25) on any single attack roll, combat maneuver check, opposed ability or skill check, or saving throw.
At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check.
As for Nerveskitter, I had heard it was from (or in?) Rise of the Runelords, but I could be wrong.
You can change zerk out for a blood boiling pill for a +2 alchemical bonus instead of +1.
Awesome.
I decided not to argue that, as I expected his response to be that everyone opposes everyone for the right to be first or at least ahead of others. Which I don't buy, as I think there is a clear "winner" and "loser" in an opposed check, not just a sorting among all participants. But I didn't care for five pages of back and forth, it's been done.
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Level 6 Diviner
Familiar with the Emissary archetype choosing the Glory domain.
Then get Noble Scion(scion of war) to use Cha instead of Dex.
So: +4 Cha, +6 level (touch of glory), +4 familiar, +4 improved initiative, +4 ifrit, +2 trait, +1 ioun stone, +4 enhancement from crafting a dueling weapon, +3 Diviner, +6 insight(intesified Anticipate peril).
Should be within WBL and such. +38 to initiatve 1/day. Oh and +32 for other combats(Should have at least three anticipate perils per day, more if using pearls of power ect.).
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Level 6 Diviner
Familiar with the Emissary archetype choosing the Glory domain.
Then get Noble Scion(scion of war) to use Cha instead of Dex.So: +4 Cha, +6 level (touch of glory), +4 familiar, +4 improved initiative, +4 ifrit, +2 trait, +1 ioun stone, +4 enhancement from crafting a dueling weapon, +3 Diviner, +6 insight(intesified Anticipate peril).
Should be within WBL and such. +38 to initiatve 1/day. Oh and +32 for other combats(Should have at least three anticipate perils per day, more if using pearls of power ect.).
Intensified Spell doesn't work like that. It only affects damage dice.
The Emissary + Noble Scion of War is a cool idea. It's good that Touch of Glory lasts 1 hour, which is plenty of time for what you're going to use it for.
The Diviner Foresight school power Foretell could let you sneak in another +2 Luck to Initiative (a Dexterity ability check) in some circumstances. Fire it up when you know that there's going to be a fight on the other side of the door, etc. Fortune's Favored trait for a further +1, obviously. Foretell is a fairly decent group buff too.
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Intensified Spell doesn't work like that. It only affects damage dice.
The Emissary + Noble Scion of War is a cool idea. It's good that Touch of Glory lasts 1 hour, which is plenty of time for what you're going to use it for.
The Diviner Foresight school power Foretell could let you sneak in another +2 Luck to Initiative (a Dexterity ability check) in some circumstances. Fire it up when you know that there's going to be a fight on the other side of the door, etc. Fortune's Favored trait for a further +1, obviously. Foretell is a fairly decent group buff too.
Missed the Intensified damage dice part :( That drops the initiative by 5.
The Foretell ability through is only gained at level 8 so not applicable for this thread, but definitely something to keep in mind if one were to create a downgraded version of this character.