Last in Line: Initiative Optional rules

 Hello Again!

Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately. Is it sufficient to just say "2020" as a reason? I think that's fair.

We've already discussed different aspects of BX's initiative system, but I wanted to talk a bit about a couple of related optional rules.

The first is the rule about pole arms going last in initiative order. Now, this is originally presented in Moldvay as part of the variable weapon damage rules on B27, which are themselves optional. The default rule is that all PCs' weapons do 1d6 damage (B25). Several items on the chart are marked as two-handed which means A) no shield, and B) automatically losing initiative.

No shield seems reasonable, but always going last? This can seem a bit harsh, but it makes a measure of sense within the abstract nature of BX combat. Weapons like two-handed swords or polearms are unwieldy and take an extra moment or two to bring to bear. Sure, an initiative penalty could work as well, but also remember that the default rule is one initiative roll for each side of the fight (not paired/individual initiative), so simply having the guy with the halberd go last is a simple conceit for smoother play. But keep in mind that he doesn't go at the end of his side's turn, he "loses" the initiative, meaning at the end of the round. Except if fighting zombies, of course! (B44)

The other optional rule is regarding crossbows. In addition to going at the end of the round (2H), Cook (X4) presents the rule that they fire only every other round. That may seem quite slow, but speaking as someone who owns a modern crossbow, every other round is actually pretty generous. I imagine even more so for a medieval tech-level example of the weapon.

So why would anyone ever use these weapons if they carry all these penalties? Well, mechanically, they generally do more damage than other weapons, or in the crossbow's case, have greater range. Spears and pole arms can also be set vs a charge (X27) for x2 damage. There are also a host of potential house-rules that can make such items more appealing. Some example include giving certain weapons "reach" to attack from more than 5' away, or letting a crossbow be carried loaded & nocked so that the first shot gets an initiative bonus.

There can also be in-gameworld reasons for using some items over others. Historically, a sword would have cost a LOT more than a poleaxe. Not to mention whether there are local weaponsmiths capable of forging particular armaments. Certain weapons might be restricted to certain social castes. Maybe the characters' culture simply never developed certain weapons? Maybe certain classes. The list goes on.

I don't expect my observations to result in too many fighter PCs giving up "sword & board" for a glaive, but I do hope it helps make some sense of these rules.