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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rushlight" data-source="post: 1300888" data-attributes="member: 3801">I disagree with the idea that players "can't" do any of these things before init has been rolled.  Are you the DM in this situation?  Here's how I would handle it:First: Was the approaching party planning on attacking the players?  If so, the DM knows this and should act accordingly.  Let's assume the DM says, "You see a party approaching you, they have no weapons drawn and are waving in a friendly nature - what do you do?" and secretly he's planning an ambush.  The players are a suspicious lot, and they say "We're going Full Defense, and we're holding an action incase they attack!"  Well, the jig is up - it's time to roll for initiative.  But the actions the players have declared have already taken place.  It's like they got a suprise round, since they reacted before the DM could tell them the party was attacking.  So roll init, the players have their held actions, and start at the top.Second: If you weren't planning an ambush, you could react as above, but in during the combat rounds don't have the other party attack.  This is good just to keep your players on their toes.  If it's a minor encounter, and they really suprised you, you can just let them hold their readied actions, and not bother wasting time with init rolls (since you aren't attacking them anyway).  That is, unless your players want to attack first, then they would get the suprise round and you'd roll init.  Third: If you wanted the party ambushed, I'd secretly roll a spot check for each player vs the lowest bluff check of the attacking party - if they all fail then you'd describe the approching party and their attack without giving the players a chance to respond.  If someone made their spot check, you can go straight to init and let the fun begin!</blockquote>

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