D&D 5E Assassinate

J

Jaracove

First Post

• Aug 3, 2015

• #1

Assassinate (pg 97)
Starting at 3rd level, you are at your deadliest when you get the drop on your enemies. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

Had a debate yesterday on whether or not Assassinate (pg 97) can be used every round or only in the first round of combat 'Surprise'. We decided or the latter. Is this correct?

 

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S

Scorpio616

First Post

• Aug 3, 2015

• #2

Pretty much the later.

 

C

Celtavian

Dragon Lord

• Aug 3, 2015

• #3

That is how we play it. One round of combat surprise. He gets advantage and sneak attack on his next attack if his initiative beats his target, but not an automatic critical. Once combat is underway, surprise can no longer occur.

 

Hriston

Dungeon Master of Middle-earth

• Aug 3, 2015

• #4

First round only, but target doesn't need to be surprised to get advantage on the attack. You just need to attack before the target's initiative comes up, whether they are surprised or not. If they are surprised, however, you also get the critical damage.

 

Last edited: Aug 3, 2015

G

garnuk

First Post

• Aug 3, 2015

• #5

In dungeons, with monsters in various rooms, sometimes future creatures can be surprised.
So its not that it only works on the first round of combat, its that it only works on the first round of combat from the victim's point of view.

 

Warmaster Horus

Explorer

• Aug 3, 2015

• #6

Celtavian said:

That is how we play it. One round of combat surprise. He gets advantage and sneak attack on his next attack if his initiative beats his target, but not an automatic critical. Once combat is underway, surprise can no longer occur.

Click to expand...

This. It's one reason having boosts to your Init are a good thing for an assassin. You want your surprise round for crits and go early in the first normal round of combat so you can get advantage regardless of other circumstances. Usually I'll take an attack with advantage, move and use my Cunning Action to hide (for an advantaged attack next turn).

 

C

Coredump

Explorer

• Aug 3, 2015

• #7

The real question is if people treat "Surprised" as lasting the full round or not.

Assassin surprises Mook. Assassin init=15 Mook=18 Mook is surprised.

So there is no advantage from Assassinate, but will he get the Auto crit when he hits at 15?



Secondary, as a DM I will give advantage on initiative rolls if the assassin has earned it.

 

P

Paraxis

Explorer

• Aug 3, 2015

• #8

Coredump said:

The real question is if people treat "Surprised" as lasting the full round or not.

Assassin surprises Mook. Assassin init=15 Mook=18 Mook is surprised.

So there is no advantage from Assassinate, but will he get the Auto crit when he hits at 15?



Secondary, as a DM I will give advantage on initiative rolls if the assassin has earned it.

Click to expand...

Once the mooks turn is over on 18 and it can take reactions it is no longer surprised.

Also there is no surprise round, everyone rolls for initiative at the same time.

So an invisible stealthed rogue perched on top of a building wants to shoot a wizard in the back of the head as he walks past.

Before he pulls the trigger on the crossbow initiative is rolled.

Wizard wins with an 18, rogue goes on 15.

On 18 the wizard takes his turn, can not move or take any actions. After his turn he can now take reactions.

On 15 the rogue takes his turn, he shoots only because he is stealthed does he get advantage, the assassinate feature doesn't apply since the wizard has had a turn. If the attack does hit, it doesn't do an automatic crit because the wizard is no longer surprised. The wizard can take reactions and if they wanted could cast the Shield spell as a reaction to try and stop the attack from hitting.

 

Last edited: Aug 5, 2015

C

Celtavian

Dragon Lord

• Aug 3, 2015

• #9

Not how I run it. Surprise is the entire first round. NPC hasn't acted yet because he can't on the surprise round.

 

D

Dausuul

Legend

• Aug 3, 2015

• #10

Jaracove said:

Assassinate (pg 97)
Starting at 3rd level, you are at your deadliest when you get the drop on your enemies. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

Had a debate yesterday on whether or not Assassinate (pg 97) can be used every round or only in the first round of combat 'Surprise'. We decided or the latter. Is this correct?

Click to expand...

The latter is the intent. By a very literal reading of the surprise rules, I suppose you could argue the former, but that would be grossly overpowered and it's obviously not what the designers had in mind.