@mikemearls @JeremyECrawford @matthewmercer Conjure Animals Initiative – If my initiative is 10, and I conjure animals who roll a 15 initiative, do they go on my turn or wait until the next round to start their attacks?
— Tyson Glaser (@TysonGlaser) December 14, 2017
When you cast conjure animals, you roll initiative for the summoned creatures, and they take their turns on their initiative, which has no relation to yours. #DnD https://t.co/AxxPjXIT7n
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 14, 2017
Is it the same with Conjure Minor Elementals?
— The Delivery Guy (@Del_Guy) December 14, 2017
If a spell tells you to roll initiative for a creature you summon with that spell, the creature acts on its initiative, regardless of your initiative. Such spells include conjure animals and conjure elemental. #DnD https://t.co/OHutOImDkS
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 14, 2017
So you'd hope for a roll lower than yours to get the summon to act earlier, or wait for the next round to add them to initiative?
— Jami (@DND_Jami) December 14, 2017
A spell that instructs you to roll initiative abides by the initiative rules, unless the spell's text says otherwise. For example, if it tells you to roll, and you roll a 15 for a creature you summon with the spell, the creature takes its turn on initiative count 15. #DnD https://t.co/pnesjNI6Pf
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 14, 2017
What about this:
You’re init is 15. You summon on your turn and you roll a 14 for the creature’s init. Does it then move after you, or does it get added to init list at the end of the round? If you roll 14, they go at 14.
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 14, 2017
Do you always roll initiative for summoned creatures though, or only if the spell instructs you to do so? For instance, do you roll initiative for the zombies/skeletons created by Danse Macabre or do they act on your initiative?
— DanDanFielding (@DMdandanfieldng) December 14, 2017
There are no general summoning rules. Regarding summoned creatures and initiative, it's actually redundant for a spell to tell you to roll initiative for a summoned creature, since the game's combat rules have you roll initiative for creatures in a combat. #DnD https://t.co/LuUfys0hjg
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 14, 2017
Honestly, we never should have had spells tell you to roll initiative for creatures. The general rules just need a line that says, "If a creature joins a battle that's already in progress, roll initiative for the creature as normal."
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 14, 2017