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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cap'n Kobold" data-source="post: 7798067" data-attributes="member: 6802951">5e spells do take time to cast, just as moving 30ft carefully, or attacking someone 1-5 times takes time. These actions are resolved instantaneously, during the character's turn, but it is assumed that they still take time to perform.So initiative begins when the spell starts to be cast, the sword-swing begins, or the opponent starts turning away to run. An opposed ability check (Wis(Notice) vs Dex(Stealth) or Wis(Insight) vs Cha(Deception) are common examples) determines surprise.The whole "first character to begin doing something gets their action off first situation" is determined by the surprise system. Although I do understand it can be tricky to get the head around the concept that the first to declare "I draw my sword, move up and attack" might not be at the top of initiative - they are probably going first because everyone else is surprised and so can't act even if they did get higher initiative.For an opposite example, imagine a scene where Bruce Lee is facing off against an opponent. The opponent starts to swing - and Bruce darts in and punches him before it connects. Bruce was not surprised, and even though his opponent declared their attack first, Bruce won initiative.(There are always going to be edge 'what if' cases however. - an invisible flying opponent casts a subtle spell at a PC in magical darkness and a silence field - or similar. That is why the DM gets final say as to what happens when, and how  it is resolved.) Initiative begins OOC when you declare the attack, and IC when your Assassin begins the strike. The target (having determined to be unsuspecting, probably by an opposed roll) is Surprised, and so even if they realise something is up at the last moment, cannot act during the first round in which you are stabbing them.</blockquote>

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