Running a fight tonight? The free initiative tracker keeps the order, hit points, conditions and death saves in your browser, and there's a printable initiative tracker for paper tables.
Rolling initiative
When a fight starts, every combatant makes a Dexterity check: a d20 plus their Dexterity modifier, plus anything else that adds to initiative, like a feat or a class feature. Highest goes first, and the order runs down from there.
The DM doesn't have to roll for every goblin. The rules let the DM roll once for a group of identical creatures, so the whole pack acts on one count. That saves time, and it also means the pack hits all at once, which can be brutal for a low-level party. Splitting a big group in two is a reasonable middle ground.
Initiative is rolled once. The same order repeats every round until the fight ends, and a round is about six seconds of game time.
Breaking ties
The SRD doesn't break ties with a number. The DM orders tied monsters, the players decide among their tied characters, and the DM settles a monster against a character. It also offers an optional d20 roll-off.
In practice a lot of tables use a quicker habit: the higher initiative bonus goes first, and if that's tied too, the player goes before the monster. That is what our tracker does. It's a house habit, not the rule, so say so at session zero if your group cares.
Surprise
Surprise depends on which version of the rules you play.
- SRD 5.1: the DM compares the hiding side's Dexterity (Stealth) checks against the other side's passive Wisdom (Perception). Anyone who didn't notice a threat is surprised. On their first turn they can't move or take an action, and they can't take a reaction until that turn is over. Everyone still rolls initiative.
- SRD 5.2: a surprised creature rolls initiative with disadvantage instead, and then takes its turns as normal.
Either way, surprise is decided once, at the start. It isn't a round of its own.
Conditions and "until the end of its turn"
The fifteen conditions, from blinded to unconscious, have no timers of their own. The duration comes from whatever caused them, and two phrasings come up all the time:
- A save at the end of each of its turns. The creature tries to shake the effect off when its turn ends. Ask for the save before you move on to the next name.
- Until the end of your next turn. The effect lasts through everyone else's turns and drops off when the creature that caused it finishes its next turn. Note whose turn ends it, not just how many rounds.
Both are easy to lose track of in a long round. Our tracker counts a condition down when its owner ends a turn, and the conditions cheat sheet has all fifteen on one page.
Dropping to 0 and death saves
A monster at 0 hit points usually just dies. A character falls unconscious and starts making death saving throws at the start of each of their turns.
- Roll a d20. 10 or higher is a success, 9 or lower a failure.
- Three successes and the character is stable. Three failures and they die. The count resets once they regain any hit points or become stable.
- A 1 counts as two failures. A 20 means they regain 1 hit point and wake up.
- Taking damage while at 0 is a failure, and a critical hit is two.
- If a single hit drops them to 0 with damage left over equal to their hit point maximum, they die outright. No saves.
The character keeps their place in the order while dying, so don't skip their turn. That's when they roll.
Keeping the table moving
- Call the next two names. "Mira, you're up, Tomas, you're on deck." The player on deck plans while the other one acts.
- Roll monster initiative before the session. If you know the fight is coming, have the numbers ready.
- Mark conditions where everyone can see. A clip on a mini or a line on the tracker saves the "wait, am I still prone?" question.
- Keep hit points out of sight. Players can see the order without seeing the monster's exact hit points. Describe how hurt it looks instead.
With a whole bestiary
Initiative Tracker: DM Tools, our app, runs all of this with every creature in the SRD 5.1 and 5.2 and its stat block, attacks that roll against the target, saved parties, and a player view that hides monster hit points. It is free on the App Store and Google Play.
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Rules summarized from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the SRD's publisher.
Frequently asked questions
How do you roll initiative in 5e?
Each combatant makes a Dexterity check at the start of combat: a d20 plus their Dexterity modifier, plus anything that adds to initiative. The DM usually rolls once for a group of identical monsters, so all the goblins act together.
What happens on an initiative tie in 5e?
The SRD leaves it to the table. The DM orders tied monsters, the players order tied characters, and the DM settles a tie between a monster and a character. Plenty of tables break ties by the higher Dexterity or initiative bonus instead, so nobody has to decide.
Do you reroll initiative every round?
No. Initiative is rolled once, at the start of combat, and the same order repeats every round until the fight ends.
How does surprise work in 5e?
In the 5.1 rules, a surprised creature can't move or take an action on its first turn, and can't take a reaction until that turn ends. The 5.2 rules change it: a surprised creature rolls initiative with disadvantage instead.
When do you make death saving throws?
At the start of each of your turns while you are at 0 hit points: a d20, with 10 or higher a success. Three successes and you are stable; three failures and you die. A 1 counts as two failures, and a 20 brings you back with 1 hit point.