## Your group is surprised, you aren't ## [Combat][1] works like this: >**COMBAT STEP-BY-STEP** >1. **Determine surprise.** The DM determines whether anyone involved in the combat encounter is surprised. >2. **Establish positions.** The DM decides where all the characters and monsters are located. Given the adventurers' marching order or their stated positions in the room or other location, the DM figures out where the adversaries are--how far away and in what direction. >3. **Roll initiative.** Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls initiative, determining the order of combatants' turns. >4. **Take turns.** Each participant in the battle takes a turn in initiative order. >5. **Begin the next round.** When everyone involved in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 4 until the fighting stops. For your situation: 1. The bandits are not surprised, you are not surprised, your party members are surprised. 2. We'll take this as read. 3. Everyone (surprised or not) rolls initiative in the normal way. This will set up the turn order, some surprised people may roll higher than non-surprised people - this is fine. 4. Take turns. Starting at the top of the initiative, each character takes their turn. "If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends." In effect, a surprised person "loses" a turn. 5. Begin the next round - surprise is no longer relevant. [1]: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/combat#TheOrderofCombat