HOU: Inventory Based Initiative

In a previous post I gave some broad thoughts on generally using a FILO Initiative System.

I also am going to be testing out using (relatively) static Initiative Values, which are determined directly based off a player character's Inventory Slots.

• Every character has ten Inventory Slots by default.
• Three of these are "Fast Slots" characters can freely grab items from, the rest require an action to grab them from their pack and such.
• Generally: most items take up one Slot each.
• Your character can carry up to 5 additional Items, but this makes them Encumbered; making them slower / less acrobatic / etc.
• If your character ever attempts to carry 16+ Inventory Slots of Items, they go at the bottom of Initiative and are immobilised.

• Your character's Initiative Value (IV) is equal to 10 - the number of filled Inventory Slots they currently have.
• (Carrying items in Encumbrance can lower your IV into the negatives).

When Initiative is called for, participants declare actions going from bottom to top. Then they are resolved going from top to bottom, to allow for all those FILO shenanigans.

I feel like overall this is a little game-y and abstracted, but still works well?

- As a player, you have to make the decision: do I carry more armour, equipment, etc. to be ready for any situation? Or do I try to go in with very little and rely on being quick?

- You can adjust your IV on the fly by just dropping shit. Heavily armoured knight needs to even the odds against a speedy boy? Dramatically tear off your armour and close the distance. Or is your party lugging a bunch of loot out of the dungeon? Is the loot worth your life, or is it better to try and figure out a clever way to retrieve it later?

- Having a hireling carry things becomes a really good strategy, but also puts that hireling actively at risk as they are slow and vulnerable.

- Originally I was going to consider having spellcasters be forced to carry a bunch of magical paraphernalia, which would also place them lower in turn order along with heavily armoured knights? But for now I figured as a better catchall, all magic goes at the bottom of Initiative regardless of what you're carrying, just as a general sort of balance.

- Any effects which play with Inventories now also play with Initiative. Besides making it fun to brew ideas, it also reinforces players needing to consider their Inventory. 

- Beware the naked guy speed running around with nothing but a sword.

Strain

This mechanic is pretty much ripped straight from the GLOGosphere (if anybody has a good citation let me know), but along with the above it gets recontextualized to do a lot more lifting.

Whenever players do something physically exhausting- such as using a specific ability, engaging in some physical activity, etc) they must fill one of their Inventory Slots with Strain as well. This Strain can only be cleared out by resting, relaxing, etc.

- So acquiring Strain sort of acts as another risk vs reward sort of mechanic for players to engage in. Do you do the flashy or decisive thing, but take a penalty to your Initiative & Inventory until you can take a rest? Or is it better to hold out and wait for a better time?

- Besides injuries / afflictions, it's also one of the primary motivators for having players take rests or downtimes to heal off their Strain.

- Since I'm going mostly diceless, Strain also acts as a way to settle direct physical contests by just auctioning how much Strain either side is willing to take on so that their desired outcome happens.