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Message: <blockquote data-quote="italianranma" data-source="post: 1299765" data-attributes="member: 15788">I had two similar situations that happened in a previous game.1st:  The PCs were on there way to a (supposedly) abandoned temple and met a NPC on his way back from the temple.  The talk started getting ugly and one of the PCs thought he'd threaten the NPC by drawing his sword.  I ruled combat started as soon as he did that.  Here's my reasoning; Seeing the sword about to come out my NPC wants to take a combat action (casting a spell).  You could do it outside of combat, but then my PC might've argued "don't I get an attack of opportunity?" so we rolled for init.  My NPC won and cast his spell while my PC was reaching for his sword.Another situation was the PCs realised they were being followed, so they duck into an alley, round a corner, and the same trigger-happy PC wants to ready an action to chop off his pursuer's head.  Readying an action is a combat action, so I had them roll initiative (despite the fact that the NPCs were at least a double-move behind them, and had no idea that combat was about to start.  In fact they were friendly NPCs shouting "Wait, wait. Don't run.") When the NPCs rounded the corner I had them roll initiative just like new combatants that are unaware.  Even if the NPCs had won init, the first action was my PC's readied action, which in fact did chop off the NPCs head.Really its all about when do you call for the roll.I agree with Zad except in examples 3 and 4In example 3 if the NPC with the drawn weapon suddenly attacks.  I'd give him a bluff opposed by the defender's sense motive to see if he gets a surprise round.And finally with Flat-footedness until the PC's take their first combat action, they're flat-footed.  You know, now that I've thought about it for awhile I'm pretty confused about the whole thing.  nevermind what I said.</blockquote>

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