D&D 5E Monstrous manual

[mips42]

I just got my first real look at the 5e monster manual and realized that none of the monsters has a listed initiative bonus / penalty. I am presuming this is to support the 'talk first, fight second' idea, but there is a part of me that misses it.
Oh well. if needed, I guess I'll just use the Dex bonus and go from there.

Game on!

 

[the Jester]

Initiative is a Dex check. Why would they list it again, since it's right there under Dexterity? There's nothing else to it.

 

[Rune]

Similarly, since the DMG optional morale check is just a Wisdom check, a morale score also is not called out, but is, in fact, listed in each entry.

 

[HEEGZ]

Yep, just add the Dex modifier to the d20 roll.

My biggest conundrum is whether to roll initiative for mixed groups as a whole, or to roll them separately and split them up. I end up doing several things. I might roll a d20 for each monster type and take the lowest, highest, or middle roll and they all act on the same turn. Sometimes I split up all monster types into separate turns based on their rolls. Finally, I have started dumping groups into one turn, and named boss creatures into separate turns based on their initiative.