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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MG.0" data-source="post: 6684970" data-attributes="member: 6799436">I think our methods are more similar than you realize, and the problem I see with yours is that the target is frozen for that first round because of a 'surprise' attack that never happened.  My way, the target isn't frozen for even that brief period. He isn't even in combat and is free to continue doing whatever he was doing before the assassin announced his attack, e.g. walking, reading a book, eating a sandwich, etc. He might even wander away.Think of it this way: I see the surprise and initiative rolls as *potential* things. They are triggered by the announcement of an attack, but they have no reality if the attack never comes.An example:An assassin and a wizard are travelling astrally and somehow manage to sneak up on an Astral Dreadnought. They are currently hidden from it. The assassin decides to attack. The party has surprise, but the wizard rolls a higher initiative than the assassin and decides to end the astral spell rather than let the assassin attack. Silently the party disappears having never given their existence away. Question: Was the Dreadnought ever in combat? My answer: No. He continues about his business the entire time.Yours: Yes, and he was surprised and unable to move for one round, although he never understands why.Another example:The same setup, but this time the wizard delays the assassin, using his action to convince the assassin to wait a turn until he can put away his wand of hold person and get out his wand of fireballs. The assassin waits. The first round passes, but there was no combat (from the creature's perspective), so the creature goes about his business, maybe even leaving the area. If the assassin attacks during the next round, then the creature is still surprised and initiative stays as was originally rolled.A last example:The same setup, but this time the wizard delays the assassin by using the wand of hold person on him. The assassin fails his save and is paralyzed. The first round passes, but there was no combat (from the creature's perspective), so again the  creature goes about his business. If the assassin attacks the next round, then the  creature is still surprised and initiative stays as was originally  rolled, although he may wish to attack the wizard instead, possibly giving away the party's existence to the creature and getting them both killed.  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/erm.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":erm:" title="Erm    :erm:" data-shortname=":erm:" /></blockquote>

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