Most Extensive and Crazy Houserules

[Telarus_KSC]

I playtested a similar rule for a while, which was rolling initiative in sets of 3-rounds. It was different, but clunky when bonuses and penalties started changing round-to-round.

I've gone to the idea of pre-rolling initiative for Named opponents, say 6 rounds at a time, and taking the Step for mook/unNamed opponents. Applying modifiers like wounds/etc are easy round-to-round. My players are running Units of hirelings, so this works on both sides to seed up combat.

Then I want to possibly including a "side-based initiative" component where the highest Initiative rolled can grant everyone-else on that character's side an Initiative bonus. I call it "Take the Initiative", and should be simple to calculate the bonus because we are rolling much less at the table due to the previous rules. Still playtesting the Side-based stuff, but it includes rules for "calling for movement" (by taking a penalty to your own Initiative) to allow allies to move on your initiative.... the idea being that if the enemy Lieutenant wins Initiative, he grants a slight bump to their footmen's static Initiative and he can move them out into position, but they don't get an attack until their own Initiative. As one side or the other wins initiative, it changes when their troops go in relation to the others (if the Archers fire before the Cavalry charges, etc).

With the new +2 bonus per extra success level rule, this should be easy to work out as well....