Initiative Cards

     The Star Wars D20 Roleplaying Game experience gets even better with the use of Star Wars Miniatures. They are not only indispensable for strategic battles, but they also help GMs and players to get a better feel for adventuring in the Star Wars universe.

     So if you enjoy enhancing your SW RPG campaigns with the use of Star Wars Miniatures, don't just let those Stat Cards sit there. Use them as Initiative Cards for smoother combat encounters.

      In a nutshell, the GM can use the Stat Cards from Star Wars Miniatures to help keep track of Initiative during combat encounters by having a stack of them handy to represent the Initiative Order. Each character on the board has a corresponding card. When Initiative is rolled, the cards are placed in a line from highest initiative roll to the lowest. Then the GM simply looks at the line and calls out whose turn it is. After that character has acted, the GM simply calls out the next character in the order, perhaps turning the card or something similar to mark that the character has acted.

     This is especially handy when a character wants to hold his or her action. The GM simply pulls their card out and puts it aside. When the player decides to use the held action, or when a triggering event occurs, the GM simply replaces the card in the initiative line.

     As characters are defeated, their card is simply removed. I don't know about other GMs, but in my time I've wasted an awful lot of paper by having long lists of the Initiative Order that get confusing as more things get crossed off.

     Using these cards gets even better if you have plastic sleeves for the cards. Armed with a dry-erase marker, it's easy for the GM to scribble a quick note on a card to remind him what effects are taking place and on whom. For example: when a character charges, they suffer a -2 to Reflex Defense until the start of their next turn, the GM simply notes this on the card and references it whenever an enemy attacks that character. Because the miniature stats will probably differ from those in your RPG, it's probably best to use the side of the card with just the artwork. This also gives you more room for your own dry-erase notes.

May your combats not be confusing,

Mike