How do you run surprise?

[CTSparky]

How do each of your groups run surprise?

For our group we were running a full round before standard combat We rolled for surprise initiative (Which then transferred to regular initiative).

After getting beat down by one particular battle, we switched to using the standard action. This resulted in less actions during surprise.

How do you run surprise? What house rules if any have you made? Do you have any suggestions on what to do to make surprise better, both for a DM as well as a character?

Thanks guys.

CTSparky

 

[Thanee]

Standard or Move Action only.

Depending on the situation, I sometimes allow a little movement prior to the surprise round, so the limited action can be better utilized (i.e. jump out of hiding, then during surprise round (limited) charge).

Bye
Thanee

 

[ValhallaGH]

Surprise round:
1) I have everyone (even the guys that can't act) roll initative. It establishes order in the surprise round. This is merely "getting the roles out of the way" for the people that can't act.

2) Everyone that is aware (and therefore gets to act) goes in initiative order. Max of one standard action.

3) Begin first normal round of combat, continuing the initiative order.


Side note: once you've seen a surprise round pounce followed by a full attack against the same (flat-footed) target in the first round, you gain a true appreciation for just how deadly pounce is.

 

[el-remmen]

Surprise round:
1) I have everyone (even the guys that can't act) roll initative. It establishes order in the surprise round. This is merely "getting the roles out of the way" for the people that can't act.

2) Everyone that is aware (and therefore gets to act) goes in initiative order. Max of one standard action.

3) Begin first normal round of combat, continuing the initiative order.


Side note: once you've seen a surprise round pounce followed by a full attack against the same (flat-footed) target in the first round, you gain a true appreciation for just how deadly pounce is.

Ditto.

And partial charge is one of the most common actions I see taken during surprise rounds - well, that and spells that have a chance of taking out an enemy immediately.

 

[Archade]

I'll ususally have an 'inciting incident' such as opening a door or jumping out of hiding start the surprise round.

I then have everyone not surprised roll initiative and lay out their initiative counters on the chart (http://www.dmtools.org/docs/sheets/InitiativeChart.zip). At the end of the surprise round, I have everyone else roll initiative and insert their tokens on the initiative chart in the appropriate areas.

I have a slightly related question - the old 3.0 DMG has a chart for determining suprise chances (Spot DC 20, penalties for camouflage, bonuses for 12 angry trolls, etc). What do you guys use as a DC for surprise? I'm using the monster's Hide or Move Silently, and assume they are taking 10, but it's because I can't find anything definitive.

 

[frankthedm]

I still use the variant from the 3.0 DMG where all combatants take their first round in combat as a partial action. Otherwise someone with a large full attack routine benefits from being surprised since their first action can be a full round attack.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I don't like the surprise mechanic in that you are limited to a partial action (standard or move). So you end up getting ambushed by a bunch of enemies who can run out and shout "Booga-Booga-Booga!", but they can't attack you. So unless they have missile weapons, the ambushers are pretty much storked on the surprise round.

 

[Thanee]

What you could do is allow a standard action *and* a move action, but not a full-round action.

Bye
Thanee

 

[frankthedm]

I don't like the surprise mechanic in that you are limited to a partial action (standard or move). So you end up getting ambushed by a bunch of enemies who can run out and shout "Booga-Booga-Booga!", but they can't attack you. So unless they have missile weapons, the ambushers are pretty much storked on the surprise round.

Well of course! Unless their hide and move silently is so good they start the surprise so close they can partial charge, they shouldn't have time to close in and melee attack before their victims have a chance to enter the initiative cycle. Then the initiatives are rolled for everyone.

The problem that happen at that point is those who were surprised now roll their initiatives and have a chance to launch a full attack on those who have surprised them. The variant from the 3.0 DMG specifically deals with this problem.

And when neither side is surprised, both sides getting partial well represents that tense moment when everyone begins their combat actions and settles into the initiative cycle. That moment of “Draw!” the winner the initiative gets his one shot off, then the loser gets his one shot off[if he lived], then the initiative cycle continues.

 

[Thanee]

The problem that happen at that point is those who were surprised now roll their initiatives and have a chance to launch a full attack on those who have surprised them. The variant from the 3.0 DMG specifically deals with this problem.

It does create another problem, though.

When you are surprised and your initiative is lower than that of the ambusher, you suffer through one partial and one full action and then you can only perform one partial action after which another full action can be directed against you. Seems pretty harsh.

Bye
Thanee