I am not complaining about the rules, I am complaining about your assertions.
I can show the rule that says the DM is to determine which creatures are surprised. That is not an issue.
*YOU* have claimed that the rules say for the DM to determine when the creatures are no longer surprised.... so please present that rule. Or at least admit that you are making it up based on what you think 'makes sense'.
But in either case, stop pretending that your assertions are based on the rules.
Heh. It's the same rule!
If you are 'surprised', certain game mechanics are modified. But what if you are 'not surprised'? What special modifiers apply? None, because 'not surprised' is the default state of creatures in combat. The rules don't
need to say, "When you are not surprised, don't use the 'surprised' modifiers"!
The upshot is that, RAW, you are either 'surprised' or not. The 'surprise' switch is either On or Off.
Therefore, the rule that says, "You are surprised if you do not notice a threat" is ALSO saying that if you
do notice a threat then you are
not surprised!
The DM determines if a creature is surprised. This, by definition, means that if he doesn't determine that you are surprised then he has effectively decided that you are
not surprised. The DM determines this, and by default this means that he decides the period for which you are surprised, therefore deciding when that state ends for any creature.
And his determination is based on whether or not a creature notices a threat. The two things exist (or not) at the same time. If you don't notice an existing threat, then you are surprised. As soon as you notice a threat, you are
not surprised.
This is the unavoidable consequence of the RAW statements of 'the DM determines if a character or monster is surprised' and 'a creature that doesn't notice a threat is surprised'.
So now you are saying that Surprise only lasts for the first attack. If the Bad guy is Surprised by 4 PCs, once the first one hits him, then he is does "notice a threat" and is no longer surprised....
The consequence of the RAW is that when you notice a threat you are not surprised. If you rule that being stabbed in the throat makes you aware that there is a threat...I'd agree.
Again, your assertions are not supported by the rules.
My assertions are a consequence of the rules.