I wish my group was as cool as this...

[Klaus]

Although, to be fair to your player, the complete inability for the game to handle this situation effectively is a major shortcoming, IMO.

The easiest solution is to allow a Sense Motive or Spot check to allow the satyr to notice that he's about to get hit by beer. If the satyr fails the check, he's unaware that combat is about to erupt and Mialee gets a surprise round. If he makes the check, he's aware of what Mialee is about to do and an initiative check is used to determine whether he can react before Mialee actually throws the beer in his face.

Seems to me it is clear that she gets a free "beer in face" action before everything begins. It's, essentially, the greenlight for the race cars.

 

[Aeson]

Seems to me it is clear that she gets a free "beer in face" action before everything begins. It's, essentially, the greenlight for the race cars.

Beer in face is always a free action for a woman.

 

[Oryan77]

Although, to be fair to your player, the complete inability for the game to handle this situation effectively is a major shortcoming, IMO.

The easiest solution is to allow a Sense Motive or Spot check to allow the satyr to notice that he's about to get hit by beer. If the satyr fails the check, he's unaware that combat is about to erupt and Mialee gets a surprise round. If he makes the check, he's aware of what Mialee is about to do and an initiative check is used to determine whether he can react before Mialee actually throws the beer in his face.

Only a gamer is going to pick out a small aspect of an attempt at humor and disect it into a rules lawyering debate. You're supposed to laugh, not get all serious on me

None of my story was taken from an actual session except for the Rheen joke. Therefore, I wasn't paying much attention to detail when my imaginary DM made a ruling on an event that never actually occured. I wrote it on the fly using bits & pieces of past experience to form the elaborate scenario I presented to you.

Besides, personally, I'm with you on the ruling. I would allow for a surprise round. But true rules lawyers would argue that "the book says if you are "aware" of the enemy, there's no roll for surprise. It doesn't say you can roll spot checks to notice an action; you just have to notice the person". I've been in that arguement several times at my table.

 

[Justin Bacon]

Besides, personally, I'm with you on the ruling. I would allow for a surprise round. But true rules lawyers would argue that "the book says if you are "aware" of the enemy, there's no roll for surprise. It doesn't say you can roll spot checks to notice an action; you just have to notice the person". I've been in that arguement several times at my table.

Yeah. So have I, which is why it struck a chord.

 

[Dr Simon]

Keep in mind that Gary's original players were the ones who tried to ride a brass sleigh and a team of geese to the moon, and had PCs named after themselves, backwards. So no matter how straight-laced one keeps it in character, a little bit of silliness inevitably creeps out in a game somewhere.

Oh, I don't expect for a second that a game at EGG's table ever went remotely like the DMG example adventure! For one thing, as I understand it, there are far too few players...