Showing Combat Initiative and Conditions Using a Magnet Board
To keep track of PC initiative order and conditions during RPG combat, I like to use a magnetic board. After each player rolls their initiative score, we go around the table and each player announces their score. One player has the task of rearranging the magnets on the board in order.
If a PC suffers some condition during combat, the assigned player adds the appropriate condition to the board for all to see. I find that this works better than trying to mark the miniatures with a colored base or ring.
The conditions are simply printed on magnet paper and cut out. You can make your own or download this file with a list of 5e conditions.
For the magnets with the PC names, I used paper inserted into cut card sleeves that had magnets glued to the back. This lets you update the magnets for different character names. Just follow the simple steps below.
Materials
- Clear vinyl card sleeves
- Round disc magnets
- Hot glue
- Cardstock or heavy paper
Directions
2. Cut out the bottom of a vinyl card sleeve to make a little pocket.
Now you have a bunch of reusable magnets you can use to track combat order! I don’t reveal where the initiative location of the opponent until it is their turn, and then we slide their magnet into place.
See this post for more information on initiative tracking in general.
If you have any questions, ask them in the comment field below.
