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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ChampionoftheTriad" data-source="post: 3538630" data-attributes="member: 17710">Look, the real breakdown here is the simplicity of the basic combat system...Everyone is flat-footed until they act in the surprise or first round of combat. Once 'engaged' and aware, however, the stupid 360 degree constant observation kicks in...the rules seemingly do not allow for "re-surprising" your foes. But they do...i.e. the invisiblity and blindness rules...a common sense ruling would be that if a defender completely loses track of an attacker, then, for all intents and purposes, that defender and that attacker have 'didengaged'...then if the attacker again attacks the defender while still unaware....oila...surprise=flat-footed.also, to address the sniping issue directly: the PH states under the Hide skill that "it's practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running or charging"....and further under the sniping section "you may make one ranged attack then immediately hide again. You take a -20 penalty on your hide check to conceal yourself after the shot."this all occurs on your action, you are effectively hiding while attacking (thus the -20) and therefore, if successful, you remain unnoticed by the defender (or anyone else that fails to beat your hide check)</blockquote>