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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Majoru Oakheart" data-source="post: 7354895" data-attributes="member: 5143">No, as soon as any side does something threatening initiative is rolled. There's no double standard.If the PCs say "I pull out a weapon and attack" I say "Ok, roll for initiative"If the NPCs pull out weapons, I'll say "You see the Orcs pull out weapons and start to move towards you, violence in their eyes, roll for initiative."Basically, the first thing a side does that is violent that the other side sees or hears starts initiative, but initiative happens before the violent action."I walk up to beside them, say 'You are all dead', then pull out a sword" - Alright, they can see you pulling out your sword, they don't like that and want to attack you, roll for initiative before you pull out your sword."I reach towards the knife hidden in my boot then I draw it and stab him" - Alright, when you put your hand on the knife, the guy sees your hand reach down and grab the weapon and let's roll for initiative before you pull it out."I walk towards him with my sword in hand, I say 'Hey, want to see my sword, it's pretty neat. (The merchant says 'Sure, I might want to buy it'). When I get close enough, I stab him with the sword." - Alright, when you put the sword into your hand that allows you to wield it effectively, the merchant recognizes the change in your sword grip to a combat one and we roll for initiative before you make your attack.If the enemy can see you when you do something they want to react to or act before then you roll for initiative and whatever action you wanted to do gets paused and they might act before you.Without this stipulation you'd always have to allow the first person who declared something to go first. And I know some DMs do. If someone yells out "I cast fireball" outside of combat, they allow the fireball to complete before initiative is even rolled because they can't fathom the idea that "I cast fireball" means someone could stab them before the fireball spell even completes.I just describe the INTENTION to do something and the first half a second of it to the other side:"The Wizard reaches for his spell component pouch and forms his other hand into a weird arcane gesture! He's about to cast a spell. Roll for initiative!""The Orc reaches for his sword, violence in his eyes. Roll for initiative!"Just because you happen to not be a threat before the first violent action doesn't mean I don't describe the first part of the violent action the same way and roll for initiative normally:"You are having tea nicely when one of the diplomats reaches into their coat pocket, you see a glint of metal and the unmistakable appearance of a dagger. they are assassins! Roll for initiative!"The only time that process changes is if you don't see the violent action at all. If someone is completely hidden.</blockquote>

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