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General Tabletop Discussion
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How Does Surprise Work in D&D 5E?
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<blockquote data-quote="Xetheral" data-source="post: 8400265" data-attributes="member: 6802765"><p>My questions weren't rhetorical--I was asking how you personally addressed the potential issue. Your answers were informative--thanks!</p><p></p><p></p><p>The DM announced that because it was a joke. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> More practically, I have seen a lot of variation in when DMs have said they call for initiative, so the joke was intended to make the same point you just did: calling for initiative too early can create issues. (Although I expect DMs who prefer to call for initiative early have ways around those issues.)</p><p></p><p>I see my houserule as a horizontal change to Alert, rather than a straight nerf. True, the Alert character loses the possibility of acting before the ambusher, but their actions on that first turn are constrained by their limited available information about the imminent threat. Depending on the circumstances they may end up wasting their first turn (e.g. taking cover from the wrong direction) and effectively going <em>last</em> in the initiative order, after every other foe. Under my houserule, an Alert defender who would otherwise win initiative will go second in the order (after the initiator, but before any other foes) when they have much more information to base their action choices on. So whether my houserule is a boost or a nerf to Alert I think will vary a lot from encounter to encounter.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I've got it prominently flagged in my houserules/rulings document. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Xetheral, post: 8400265, member: 6802765"] My questions weren't rhetorical--I was asking how you personally addressed the potential issue. Your answers were informative--thanks! The DM announced that because it was a joke. ;) More practically, I have seen a lot of variation in when DMs have said they call for initiative, so the joke was intended to make the same point you just did: calling for initiative too early can create issues. (Although I expect DMs who prefer to call for initiative early have ways around those issues.) I see my houserule as a horizontal change to Alert, rather than a straight nerf. True, the Alert character loses the possibility of acting before the ambusher, but their actions on that first turn are constrained by their limited available information about the imminent threat. Depending on the circumstances they may end up wasting their first turn (e.g. taking cover from the wrong direction) and effectively going [i]last[/i] in the initiative order, after every other foe. Under my houserule, an Alert defender who would otherwise win initiative will go second in the order (after the initiator, but before any other foes) when they have much more information to base their action choices on. So whether my houserule is a boost or a nerf to Alert I think will vary a lot from encounter to encounter. I've got it prominently flagged in my houserules/rulings document. :) [/QUOTE]
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How Does Surprise Work in D&D 5E?
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