Playing SR5, but having trouble keeping straight who acts when? Or how many times? Or whether that parry action costs them their next attack?

As a long time GM, I've recently quit my job and turned my hand to a few fun projects. The first of them is an Initiative Tracker for SR5, called Next Pass.

You can check out the app on iTunes

or my site, Eiger Tech

I am charging for the app (did I mention I'm between jobs); I think it's worth it in time-saving alone! But, I'm also running a Give-away and have 2 free copies left. Hit me up @eigertech or via the support email listed on my site (or here), and I'll hook you up.

I hope you like it.

FYI, the rules I've implemented are such that any character with a positive Initiative can utilize an interrupt action (so, if you have a 1, you can go on full defense. 0 or less, and you cannot). Also, per the rules (and contra discussions on this site), everyone loses their 10 initiative for acting at the same time (the end of the pass), NOT as they go along.

Thoughts?

Sorry to say the give-away is over, but you can read more about the app at Diehard Gamefan. It was called a "freakin' godsend" for handling Initiative in more complex adventures/fight scenes.

I replied on your RPG.NET thread, but its worth restating here. The SR5 initiative system is painful, easily the most complex of any SR edition to date and approaching the kind of headache that you'll find in Exalted.

That guy who reviewed it on the App Store was dead on, the new system is a huge headache that slows down the game. But it adds details that are fun, and that I don't want to lose.

Having an app crunch those numbers is the best of both: it lets us keep the cool features from the new initiative system, but keeps gameplay just as fast and accessible as it was before.

There ARE a few other apps out there, but this one is very well made. The UI is simple and effective, the features are exactly what a GM needs to track initiative.

I don't have an iOS device, so my exposure was limited to looking over my friend's shoulder and poking his screen. So I do hope that this is successful enough for you to justify porting it to Android or HTML5 or something. I'd buy this in a heartbeat if I could use it on another platform.

I'll certainly be watching to see what else you come up with. For example, if you put the same attention to detail and quality of UI into a player app that tracks the various derived stats through the various bonuses and penalties from each device or cyber being wireless enabled/disabled, drug hits, spells, etc... that would be an instant purchase.

If my GM wasn't such a flake, it MIGHT even be worth buying an iPad for.