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Initiative Command

Manage initiative order and combat turns.

Usage

!initiative [subcommand] [args...]

Subcommands

  • begin [--global] [mode] [name] - Start a new initiative order
  • add <character name> - Add a character by name to initiative
  • madd <name> [stats...] - Add a monster or ad hoc combatant to initiative (DM only)
  • join - Players can join with their selected character
  • remove <name> - Remove a combatant from initiative
  • next - Move to the next turn
  • list - Show the initiative tracker list
  • light <value> - Set light timer (DM only, use negative values to decrement)
  • options - Manage initiative options including global/channel scope
  • end - End the current initiative and delete all associated data

Description

The initiative command allows you to: - Create and manage initiative order - Add and remove combatants - Track turns in combat - View the current initiative order

The light timer is displayed in the initiative tracker as a row of candle emoji (🕯️). When the timer reaches 0, it shows a single new moon emoji (🌑) to indicate darkness. If no light timer has been set, no light row is shown. Only the default candle and new moon emoji are supported.

Examples

Start a new initiative order: 

!i begin

You can also specify a turn order mode: 

!i begin rolled
!i begin fixed

  • rolled (default): Combatants act in order of their initiative rolls
  • fixed: Combatants act in the order they join initiative. This simulates the Shadowdark rule of initiative going around the table.

The initiative will start at round 0. The player that used the begin command will be the DM.

Initiative Scope

By default, initiatives are channel-specific - they only work in the channel where they were created. However, you can create server-wide initiatives that work in any channel:

!i begin --global          # Server-wide initiative
!i begin                   # Channel-specific (default)

Priority: If both exist, channel-specific initiatives take precedence over server-wide ones in that specific channel.

The response to the begin command is a "sticky" message that gets updated with each turn advance. It's helpful to pin this message to the channel.

Add combatants by name: 

!initiative add "Mysterious Wizard"
!i add gandalf
!i add fire elemental

Players can add their own characters with add. The command uses fuzzy matching on character names, making it easy to quickly add characters to initiative without needing to select them first. This is useful for adding any of your characters to initiative.

Add monsters or ad hoc combatants (DM only): 

# Add existing monsters from database
!initiative madd Goblin
!i madd gob boss
!i madd fire dragon

# Add ad hoc combatants with custom stats
!i madd "Spirit of Jordan" ac:14 hp:25
!i madd Ancient Tree Guardian ac:16 hp:45 dex:+2
!i madd Shadow ac:12

Only the DM can add monsters with madd. When adding existing monsters, fuzzy matching is used on monster names. To keep monsters unique, a random adjective is given to each monster: "Hungry Goblin", "Clever Hobgoblin", etc.

Ad Hoc Combatants: You can create custom combatants on the fly by providing stats in key:value format. Any argument containing a colon (:) is treated as a stat. Common stats include: - ac:15 - Armor Class - hp:30 - Hit Points (also sets hp_max) - str:+2, dex:+3, etc. - Ability modifiers (used for initiative if dex is provided)

This is perfect for narrative encounters where you want custom names like "The Spirit of Jorge" without creating a full monster entry.

Players join:

!i join

The DM can join with a character as well. Players can join with multiple characters by selecting a character, joining, then selecting the next character. The character's names are used in the initiative tracker.

When all combatants (or at least all of them for round 1), the DM can advance the turn 

!initiative next

This will send an @mention to the user of the first combatant (either DM or Player) notifying them of their turn.

Each player can then advance the turn when they are done:

!i next

The DM can always advance the turn.

The DM can remove combatants from the initiative:

!i remove goblin

The DM can manage the light timer for the party:

!i light 10        # Set timer to 10 (uses 🕯️ emoji)
!i light -1        # Decrement light timer by 1
!i light 0         # Clear timer (shows 🌑 for darkness)

The DM can manage initiative options:

!i options                      # Show current options
!i options set global true      # Convert to server-wide
!i options set global false     # Convert to channel-specific
!i options print_tracker true   # Auto-print tracker on turn advance
!i options show_ac false        # Hide AC in the initiative tracker
!i options show_ac true         # Show AC in the initiative tracker (default)

Notes

  • Initiative is rolled automatically when adding combatants (in rolled mode)
  • The command supports both players and NPCs/monsters
  • Initiative order is maintained until cleared
  • Combatants can be added or removed at any time
  • Turn order can be either rolled (default) or fixed based on join order
  • Stat modifications while in initiative automatically affect attack rolls, spell casting, and ability checks
  • AC (Armor Class) is displayed by default but can be hidden using !i options show_ac false
  • The initiative tracker uses Discord embeds for improved mobile display