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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 7758905" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>I would say this depends on how the scene was framed and when the drow tries to ambush the PCs. If the drow is, say, within short range with a hand crossbow when the PCs enter the area, the DM might describe the attack from the lurking drow and ask &quot;What do you do?&quot; Then we're probably determining surprise using the passive Perception scores of the PCs who opted to remain alert for danger and then rolling initiative. If instead the drow is outside of hand crossbow range when the PCs enter the area, then the DM might have the drow wait in the darkness as they draw near. A player who at some point in the ensuing exploration challenge describes the character as looking closely at the columns for lurking threats might make a Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the hiding drow if there's an uncertain outcome and a meaningful consequence of failure. In this specific context, I think this would not be unlike a Search action in combat. The characters that are engaging in other tasks while the other PC is searching may not be alert to danger and, of course, the drow may do his or her thing while the PCs do theirs which might complicate matters.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="iserith, post: 7758905, member: 97077"] I would say this depends on how the scene was framed and when the drow tries to ambush the PCs. If the drow is, say, within short range with a hand crossbow when the PCs enter the area, the DM might describe the attack from the lurking drow and ask "What do you do?" Then we're probably determining surprise using the passive Perception scores of the PCs who opted to remain alert for danger and then rolling initiative. If instead the drow is outside of hand crossbow range when the PCs enter the area, then the DM might have the drow wait in the darkness as they draw near. A player who at some point in the ensuing exploration challenge describes the character as looking closely at the columns for lurking threats might make a Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the hiding drow if there's an uncertain outcome and a meaningful consequence of failure. In this specific context, I think this would not be unlike a Search action in combat. The characters that are engaging in other tasks while the other PC is searching may not be alert to danger and, of course, the drow may do his or her thing while the PCs do theirs which might complicate matters. [/QUOTE]

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