Free Generator
DnD Initiative Tracker
Roll or enter initiative for every player and monster, get an auto-sorted turn order, and track rounds, HP, and conditions through the whole fight — it saves itself between sessions.
Add players and monsters on the right, then hit Start Combat. Your encounter saves automatically.
Ties sort by DEX modifier automatically, and the arrows on each row let you rearrange the order however your table rules it. Everything saves in your browser — close the tab mid-fight and pick it back up.
Pairs with this
Combat Tracker Initiative Notepad
Prefer paper at the table? The Initiative Notepad is this tracker in physical form — tear-off sheets with columns for initiative, HP, AC, and conditions, no screen between you and your players.
Pre-roll monster initiative while your players roll theirs — one Roll d20 + DEX click per monster group keeps setup under a minute.
Group identical monsters on one shared initiative (add a single "Goblins ×4" entry) to cut turns dramatically.
Track only monster HP here — players manage their own sheets, and the list stays clean.
Use the Prone / Grappled / Frightened chips the moment a condition lands; the ones you forget are the ones that swing fights.
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Join PatreonAn initiative tracker built for real D&D combat
Combat slows down when the DM is juggling turn order, hit points, and conditions across scratch paper. This initiative tracker keeps all three in one list: add your players and monsters, roll d20 + DEX for anyone who needs it, and the turn order sorts itself — Dexterity breaks ties automatically, and the arrows on each row let you rearrange things when your table rules differently. The duplicate button turns one goblin into a numbered goblin pack, typed HP entry handles real damage rolls (−7, +5, or set an exact value), and the whole encounter saves in your browser so a fight can span sessions. Pair it with the encounter calculator to build the fight and the dice roller for everything else you need to roll.
Every way to track initiative — and when each works best
DMs track initiative four main ways. A digital tracker (this page) sorts, counts rounds, and remembers conditions for you — strongest for online games and DMs who want zero bookkeeping. Index cards or tents folded over the DM screen show the order to the whole table but track nothing else. A whiteboard or scratch paper is flexible and fully visible, at the cost of rewriting every fight. And a purpose-built paper tracker — like our Initiative Notepad — gives you tear-off sheets with columns for initiative, HP, AC, and conditions, which many in-person DMs prefer because nothing beats scribbling at the table. If you searched for a printable initiative tracker, that's the notepad's job: same structure as this page, no screen between you and your players.
Works for Pathfinder, Daggerheart, and any turn-order system
Nothing here is hard-coded to 5e except the condition names. Pathfinder's d20 initiative works identically; for Daggerheart's spotlight flow or any narrative system, skip the rolls, add combatants in the order you want, and use the arrows. The DEX field is optional everywhere — leave it blank and ties simply keep the order you added them in.
Initiative Tracker FAQ
How does initiative work in D&D 5e?▼
When combat starts, everyone rolls a d20 and adds their Dexterity modifier; the highest total acts first and turns proceed in descending order, repeating each round. This tracker sorts the order automatically as you add combatants and steps through turns and rounds with one click.
How do you break initiative ties in 5e?▼
The official rule: ties between a player and a monster go to whichever the DM decides (many tables let the higher Dexterity act first), and tied players decide between themselves. This tracker breaks ties by Dexterity modifier automatically, and you can nudge the order by re-adding a combatant if your table rules differently.
Does this initiative tracker save my encounter?▼
Yes — your combatants, turn order, round, HP, and conditions save to your browser automatically, so you can close the tab mid-session and pick the fight back up where you left it. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.
Can I track HP and conditions in this combat tracker?▼
Yes — give any combatant hit points to get quick damage and healing buttons with automatic clamping at 0 and max HP, and toggle any of the 15 SRD conditions (Prone, Grappled, Frightened, and so on) as chips that stay visible in the turn order.
Should I use a digital or paper initiative tracker?▼
Digital trackers excel online and for DMs who want automatic sorting, round counting, and condition tracking in one place. At an in-person table, many DMs prefer a paper tracker they can scribble on without a screen — a purpose-built initiative notepad with columns for HP, AC, and conditions keeps the same structure without the laptop.
How do you keep track of initiative and HP at the same time?▼
Use one list that holds both: this tracker shows every combatant’s initiative position with their current HP on the same row, so damage never lives on separate scratch paper. Click any HP number to type exact damage (-7), healing (+5), or a new value, and the turn order never loses your place while you edit.
Does this initiative tracker work for Pathfinder and other TTRPGs?▼
Yes — any system with d20 initiative (Pathfinder, OSR games) works identically, and for narrative systems like Daggerheart you can skip the rolls and arrange turns manually with the arrows. Only the optional condition names are 5e-specific.
Is there a printable initiative tracker?▼
For a printable/physical option, our Combat Tracker Initiative Notepad is a purpose-built paper version — tear-off sheets with columns for initiative, HP, AC, and conditions, made for DMs who prefer tracking combat behind the screen without a device. This online tracker covers the same structure digitally.
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