Recent content by Voadam

RQ3 From the Shadows (2e) 2e Strahd Von Zarovich, Vampire, First Lord of Ravenloft: ? King Azalin, Firan Zal'honan, Azal Lan, King of Darkon, Lich 18, Nemesis, Archlich, Ruler, Slave, Dark Lord, Walking Dead, Master, Powerful Wizard, Lord, Evil Archlich: Legend has it that a shadow lord of...

The rest of the party is involved because the whole party is close enough together for the scene :) The leopard beat the best passive perception in the party, he is hidden from them all. Initiative determines the order of combat and the party is surprised by combat starting. They all roll...

I never took statistics but it seems like somebody beating the ambusher's initiative would happen fairly frequently when a solo ambusher attacks somebody in a party of PCs just from each PC rolling individually. Four or so people with disadvantage are going to have one of them beat the single...

And I have been DMing and playing 1e-5e 14 but the 5e 24 surprise rules are new and different and I am trying to wrap my head around how they work RAW and the implications of them. I thought my initial two methods in the OP were both reasonable to read it and run it, I did not think people...

I am guessing the issue was the powerfully impactful nature of getting two full rounds of actions when someone gets surprise and wins initiative in 5e 14. If most fights only last a few rounds (3-5) getting a two round headstart advantage is pretty big. Under 24 rules the biggest advantage to...

But we have the stealth versus perception part to generally handle that narrative element of being noticed and that gets resolved before the initiative roll. It would seem a bit of a weird narrative disconnect for a PC ninja to win a stealth check to successfully not be noticed then get...

So you don't use the 24 surprise rules and continue using the 14 ones. Got it. Under the 14 rules an ambusher will get one or two rounds worth of actions off before the surprised can go. Under the 24 rules they can only get one off before the ambushee.

I don't think it would be worse for a whole party. Consider situation A the party loses initiative and the hidden ooze on the ceiling goes first. It attacks someone with advantage from being hidden then the party goes and can attack the ooze. Situation B the party wins initiative over the...

So in 5e 24 how do you handle someone who is surprised, but unaware of a hidden ambusher? From the SRD: Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant rolls Initiative; they make a Dexterity check that determines their place in the Initiative...

RM1 Roots of Evil (2e) 2e Azalin, The Enemy, Firan Zal'honan, Lich Wizard 18, Slave, Lord of the Shadow Plane, Most Evil of Undead Wizards, Lord of Darkon, Poor Spellcaster, Impudent Lich, Engineer, Lich Lord, Nemesis, Evil Super-Being, Lord of Ravenloft: ? Azalin, Lich Wizard 14: If the PCs...

For publishers I recommend focusing on the point that I bought the bundles and put money in the publishers' accounts. :) I have spent more on A5e through Bundle of Holding than I believe I would have otherwise, and I got more books from it than I would have otherwise so I consider it a win-win...

I buy a lot of Humble Bundle and Bundle of Holding stuff that I wouldn't buy at their normal prices and a bunch that I probably would not buy individually even if they were individually on sale. For a publisher that is money they would not otherwise get from me. I am a little annoyed sometimes...

Shadowrun 4e Complete Collection Humble Bundle.

Reunion (2e) 2e Undead Monster: ? Ghost Mount, Beast, Horse, Mount, Malnourished Battered Scarred Wraithlike Horse With Wild Shining Eyes, Sleek Stranger: ? Skeleton of the Temple, Charred and Blackened Skeleton, Skeleton, Aged Guardian: ? Wraith: ?

I'd say it is more to have things that can involve the PCs rather than to necessarily have the PCs' actions matter to the things. Being a soldier in a big war involves a PC even if the PCs might not be able to be determinative to the course of the war. I agree you generally want to avoid things...