Linked Questions
16 questions linked to/from How to resolve surprise and "instant actioning" initiating combat
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Can I ready an action before combat, and then use it immediately after, or just before combat starts? [duplicate]
I'm aware that you can use an action in combat in order to ready a specific response to be performed as a reaction when a certain event triggers it.
But what if I'm in a situation where combat hasn'...
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Engaging combat from dialogue [duplicate]
This was one of my shower thoughts: what if someone from the party engages in combat out of a whim?
Example:
There is a 4 player party (classes does't matter right now) against a wizard and his ...
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5
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Punishing a player for instant-actioning
I GM a home-made D&D-style game which my friends and I play, and we had a scenario go as follows:
After a player-character threw something at the wall, the players rolled a one and I was ...
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11
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If I start combat by making an attack, does a high-initiative enemy see it coming?
This is a follow-up question I had after reading the accepted answer in this related question.
A player is talking to an NPC and then decides to stab the NPC. Let's assume the tension is high enough ...
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What's the correct way to determine turn order in this situation?
The situation:
Four orcs, sitting around a campfire, are spotted by the party. Two more orcs are in a tent a couple meters away. The orcs do not notice the party.
A Wizard casts invisibility on ...
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29
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5
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How does combat start when one PC is not seen as a threat?
Imagine a party of four - three honest characters standing face to face against three evil bandits, one sly, backstabbing type some 30 ft behind the bandits' backs; the bandits may know he's there, ...
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When and how does combat start in a standoff?
I run Adventurers league at a local game cafe with a veteran group that has lots of experience playing prior editions. However these players knowledge of the rules is an amalgamation of 5e rules and ...
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5
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What is the proper use of initiative for a cautious encounter?
I DMed a specific situation last night, and I'm not totally sure that I handled it in the right way.
For the last two sessions, the team has been facing off against a clever homebrew wraith (less ...
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10
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If I move out of range of an attack/spell using a Readied Action, does that original attack/spell occur?
Related to this question and this question.
In the case of a readied action where the trigger is specific enough to occur before the attack completes, does the attack complete?
The timeline:
...
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4
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When exactly does combat start and surprise take effect?
Say I'm going to ambush an orc. I successfully sneak up on him and I attack. The DM determines that the orc is surprised. The orc happens to get an initiative roll of 19, while I get a 10. How would ...
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If an attack alerts someone to your presence, can their initiative save them from being surprised in time?
In D&D 5e "Surprise" is a condition that can affect a creature during the first round of combat, only until the end of their turn:
[... T]he GM compares the Dexterity (Stealth) checks ...
- 3,659
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3
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Is there a surprise round?
Our party disguised ourselves as merchants, but when the enemy appeared and we attacked them, the DM just said, "Roll for initiative."
Is there a surprise round in D&D 5e like there was in ...
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3
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If a hidden creature fails to surprise a character, is the creature still hidden?
If a hidden creature fails to surprise a character, is the creature still hidden?
For example, a goblin is hiding in some bushes, and a PC walks by. To determine surprise, the DM rolls for the goblin'...
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Can I use Assassination twice if I use it before combat initiative? [closed]
In my game I'm playing as a assassin rogue and I have just reached level three. My question is if I attack something in my understanding I get my assassination feature. If we then roll initiative and ...
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Can a creature be surprised if it is aware of possible danger, but does not perceive an immediate threat?
From the section on Surprise in the PHB:
The GM determines who might be surprised. If neither side tries to be stealthy, they automatically notice each other. Otherwise, the GM compares the ...
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