NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MG.0" data-source="post: 6681509" data-attributes="member: 6799436">I think a lone charcter declaring an attack to initiate combat and then taking it back as a way of avoiding an initiative roll he doesn't like is an abuse. I would simply not allow it. You declared it, you did it. That devalues nothing except bad game behavior.I like your asassin example. It stetches the concept of who is in combat. I would probably do this:<CUE INITIATIVE>    Andrew: 12    Biff: 19    Cory: 16    Guard: 6<ROUND 1>Biff acts first but simply watches Andrew in anticipation. He, too, had a run in with the law here, so he has no qualms with a little revenge....but Cory, who acts next, decides that he isn't comfortable with this cold blooded assault! Cory casts Hold Person on Andrew, and Andrew fails his save.Andrew stands as still as a statue, incapacitated by the spell. He rolls a saving throw, but fails again.The guard who would've been surprised if Andrew's attack had gone unchallenged may or may not be in combat. Each non-stealthy action the party takes not attacking the guard probably requires them to make a new stealth roll at disadvantage to not be noticed by him. If they fail, the guard notices them. If he notices them he is in combat and he remains surprised at the spectacle until the end of his turn, giving Andrew a fair chance to get a shot off if he had only made his saving throw. If the party makes their stealth checks despite the in-fighting, the guard continues to be oblivious and Andrew can indeed try to assassinate him again later.<ROUND 2>Biff is having none of Cory's sudden moment of good conscience. He punches Cory dead in the face. While it doesn't do much damage, the blow does break Cory's concentration on the spell.Cory madly lunges at Biff, forgetting about the guard, and grapples him.Andrew snorts derisively as he realizes he's free of the spell, and then takes his shot at the guard...a hit! If the guard failed to notice the party fighting, the assassinate ability kicks in as this is the first round of combat FROM THE GUARD'S PERSPECTIVE. If the guard had seen the party fighting, he is no longer surprised and takes normal attack damge.</blockquote>

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