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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
How Does Surprise Work in D&D 5E?
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<blockquote data-quote="Musing Mage" data-source="post: 8398400" data-attributes="member: 7025552"><p>1e and 2e were a bit different from each other. I'll try and be brief as it's a 5e surprise thread... don't want to get accused of going too far off topic. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f633.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":oops:" title="Oops! :oops:" data-smilie="10"data-shortname=":oops:" /></p><p></p><p>1e was a d6 roll, 1-2 indicated surprise, and the # you rolled indicated how much surprise. ie: you roll a 2, and you are surprised for 2 segments. Elves had a surprise ability that upped it to 1-4 on d6, so you could conceivably surprise for up to 4 segments. Some characters could reduce the chances of surprise, like Rangers, would only be surprised on a 1 on d6, so even if surprised it was a maximum 1 segment. (There are other complications that change surprise around and alter #s, but this is the basic rule)</p><p></p><p>A segment was 6 seconds (of a 1 minute round), and what you could do depended on your chosen action. If melee, you get 1 full round's worth of attacks per segment. If missile, you can triple your RoF if you're prepped and ready, or keep your normal RoF if not. Missile RoF remains the RoF for a normal round, and isn't per segment as with melee... so I run it that if you are using a bow and triple to 6, you get one shot per segment during surprise, and the balance carries into the normal melee round. For spellcasting, you can only do one spell regardless of how many segments, but you subtract the surprise segments from the casting time of the spell. (or more accurately, complete the spell within the surprise segments.)</p><p></p><p>Dexterity mitigates surprise segments, your reaction adjustment allows you to negate an equal amount of segments of surprise.</p><p></p><p>I also fold surprise segments into the normal round, but that's not a standard interpretation. Most people resolve surprise and then roll initiative.</p><p></p><p>2e is simpler - roll d10, and any score of 1-3 indicates surprise. Monsters and characters modifiy the roll, but surprise is always a flat 1 round regardless.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Musing Mage, post: 8398400, member: 7025552"] 1e and 2e were a bit different from each other. I'll try and be brief as it's a 5e surprise thread... don't want to get accused of going too far off topic. :oops: 1e was a d6 roll, 1-2 indicated surprise, and the # you rolled indicated how much surprise. ie: you roll a 2, and you are surprised for 2 segments. Elves had a surprise ability that upped it to 1-4 on d6, so you could conceivably surprise for up to 4 segments. Some characters could reduce the chances of surprise, like Rangers, would only be surprised on a 1 on d6, so even if surprised it was a maximum 1 segment. (There are other complications that change surprise around and alter #s, but this is the basic rule) A segment was 6 seconds (of a 1 minute round), and what you could do depended on your chosen action. If melee, you get 1 full round's worth of attacks per segment. If missile, you can triple your RoF if you're prepped and ready, or keep your normal RoF if not. Missile RoF remains the RoF for a normal round, and isn't per segment as with melee... so I run it that if you are using a bow and triple to 6, you get one shot per segment during surprise, and the balance carries into the normal melee round. For spellcasting, you can only do one spell regardless of how many segments, but you subtract the surprise segments from the casting time of the spell. (or more accurately, complete the spell within the surprise segments.) Dexterity mitigates surprise segments, your reaction adjustment allows you to negate an equal amount of segments of surprise. I also fold surprise segments into the normal round, but that's not a standard interpretation. Most people resolve surprise and then roll initiative. 2e is simpler - roll d10, and any score of 1-3 indicates surprise. Monsters and characters modifiy the roll, but surprise is always a flat 1 round regardless. [/QUOTE]
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