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Reacting from sleep?
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<blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 4031357" data-attributes="member: 32740"><p>The problem with these kind of scenarios is twofold. First that players try to use readied actions outside of combat when the rules for combat use the <em>surprise round actions</em> for "readied actions outside of combat". Second, DM's compound the problem by <em>letting</em> the PC's attempt this and then having to come up with ad hoc means to deal with the issues that then arise since the rules aren't written to cover it.</p><p></p><p>The DM has two things he needs to do to cover these situations. 1) determine just when combat starts if events are not already moving in combat rounds, and 2) when combat IS determined to have started to first determine if surprise exists.</p><p></p><p>In the OP scenario there are two UNSPOTTED party members in position to attack when the watchman spots the OTHER party members.</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">combat begins at this point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Surprise exists not because the watchman has spotted (heard) the rest of the party, but because combat <em>has</em> begun yet the watchman is NOT aware of the two hidden members of the party.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The two hidden PC's take their surprise actions firing bow and lightning bolt</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">iniative is rolled and the first regular round begins.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">since the two hidden PC's have taken attacks either the watchman opponent is now aware of both of them, or at the least should get a new check</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">There aren't any well-known rules for waking up from sleep and starting to act in the middle of combat (at least not that I'm aware of) but it sure does seem that the DM is being overly generous to his NPCs to allow them to wake up, stand up, become aware of where their opponents are and assess the threat, and attack before everyone else unless there is some SERIOUS juju involved.</li> </ol><p>Now that last delves into the realm of house rules as to what is required to wake up and how fast you can then come to act but the rest of it should NOT be that difficult to adhere to.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Man in the Funny Hat, post: 4031357, member: 32740"] The problem with these kind of scenarios is twofold. First that players try to use readied actions outside of combat when the rules for combat use the [I]surprise round actions[/I] for "readied actions outside of combat". Second, DM's compound the problem by [I]letting[/I] the PC's attempt this and then having to come up with ad hoc means to deal with the issues that then arise since the rules aren't written to cover it. The DM has two things he needs to do to cover these situations. 1) determine just when combat starts if events are not already moving in combat rounds, and 2) when combat IS determined to have started to first determine if surprise exists. In the OP scenario there are two UNSPOTTED party members in position to attack when the watchman spots the OTHER party members. [list=1] [*]combat begins at this point [*]Surprise exists not because the watchman has spotted (heard) the rest of the party, but because combat [I]has[/I] begun yet the watchman is NOT aware of the two hidden members of the party. [*]The two hidden PC's take their surprise actions firing bow and lightning bolt [*]iniative is rolled and the first regular round begins. [*]since the two hidden PC's have taken attacks either the watchman opponent is now aware of both of them, or at the least should get a new check [*]There aren't any well-known rules for waking up from sleep and starting to act in the middle of combat (at least not that I'm aware of) but it sure does seem that the DM is being overly generous to his NPCs to allow them to wake up, stand up, become aware of where their opponents are and assess the threat, and attack before everyone else unless there is some SERIOUS juju involved. [/list] Now that last delves into the realm of house rules as to what is required to wake up and how fast you can then come to act but the rest of it should NOT be that difficult to adhere to. [/QUOTE]
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