[RPG] What are the best alternatives to cards for initiative in Savage Worlds

Good question; upon reviewing my Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition, I note it doesn't explicitly say that cards are re-dealt at the beginning of each round. That's how we've always played it, though, because of the implications of the Joker section no doubt. In the Revised Rules, it notes you should reshuffle the deck any round in which a Joker is dealt too.

As a result, I think it's their clear intent that cards be drawn every round, though like many parts of Savage Worlds, they don't bother to state it explicitly.

If you wanted to go to a "one time draw" initiative system, you could just give that person all the Joker benefits for the whole combat, and treat it as a big spotlight time for them. Alternately, if someone gets a Joker, they get it for one round and then they and only they get a new initiative card after. Why? Because Jokers are WILD!

On page 6 of the Savage Worlds: Explorer's Edition, it says

Attributes and skills are ranked by die types, from a d4 to a d12, with d6 being the average for adult humans.