My group is experimenting with the Initiative tracking system in Maptools, and we realized we haven't been consistent in handling Initiative for units with Wound Modifiers. The mechanic for an unwounded player is Initiative + (Initiative)d6 = Initiative Score. The rules are very clear about wounds taken in combat adjusting the initiative immediately, which we have been taking as a flat deduction (e.g. a Goon at Initiative Score 10 takes enough wounds to be at -2; we move him to Initiative Score 8. ) However, there is some question about how that factors in to the next roll of Initiative (more so if we decide to use our handy macro to roll at the top of each round as per the BB).

When wounds are applied to an Initiative Score in combat, the Wound Modifiers have a 1:1 ratio to the deduction - every -1 Wound Mod is -1 to the final Initiative Score. However, if the new initiative is calculated with those Wound Modifiers on the roll only, they have a 0.33:1 ratio - every three dice will on average reduce the enemy's position by one. This seems to be RAW, although it's slightly unclear. Adjusting the final Initiative Score by the WoundMod would make for a consistent 1:1 ratio. It's also conceivable that you might apply the WoundMod to the Initiative on both sides of the equasion, although that makes for a brutal 1.33:1 ratio and may quickly eliminate slower characters.

I added a poll to get a quick feel for how everybody handles this; I'm sure somebody out there can explain how this is supposed to work. Thanks in advance, either way.

Initiative Score = Initiative attribute + Initiative Test.
Wounds then always affect the Initiative Score, not your Initiative attribute, nor your Initiative Test.
Wound modifiers are consistent with initiative.

So, the vote option that you left out for Tsuul (and me, though I voted for the first one to get something) is: Initiative + (initiative)d6 - Wound mods

Always include an "other" option in any poll. There's always something.

Sorry, I've been spending so much time programming that I forgot other people don't read code like I do. In MapTools, [Initiative + (initiative)d6 - Wound mods] is functionally identical to [Initiative - Wound mods + (initiative)d6]. I think I like your wording better, however, since it implies that someone with Initiative 4 and Wound Mods at -5 will be zeroed out of initiative if they get zero or one hit - that the penalty comes from the total and not just the first part. My phrasing reads that way to me, but I think that's only because I'm used to thinking with negative numbers.

Darn, you're right. Guess I voted too soon. I just wasn't looking at it closely enough. I think my brain just kinda filtered out the second option for some reason. That or it automatically adjusted initiative by the wound mods and then reapplied it for the second instance of initiative (I do that alot in my programs, non variable variables are for wusses )

Edit: The problem is that there is a fair bit of precedent for all three answers (Though I think the second is the intended one). The first could easily be right because a wound modifier is basically a penalty to every roll you ever make, and thus it makes sense that it would apply to the init roll as well. The second has president because of the instant adjustment of a person's init during a pass due to new wound modifiers. And since the first two each have president, the third one does as well, though it seems to penalize you for a wound modifier overly much.

Go ahead and add one to #2 then for my vote (was null).

There are two things going on here.

If the wounds happen before initiative is rolled, then Init stat- wound mod + Init - Wound mods (d6).

If the wounds happen after Init has been rolled, then Init Score (-wound penalty).