inititative modifying actions in surprise round

[Shard O'Glase]

After that way to long monk debate which I eventually got bored of I had a idea about surprise rounds and initiative modifying actions especially the one whoose name I'm drawing a blank on that gives you the effect of a roll of 20 in the next round.

Lets say you're a rogue and you sneak up on group X, you notice them, they don't notice you, you roll initiative, and you don't like your roll. You decide you actions when you init comes up so you decide, the heck with this round I'm going to stay hidden and get a +20 on the next rounds init. Party X still hasn't seen you, what happens in the enxt round. Is it still a surprise round, has the nornal round started, your DM says go to heck you metagaming freak, it's a new combat reroll initiative and God's mighty anvil drops on your head.

Reason I ask is for stealthers this can be brutal. Take your sterotypical rogue, high dex(lets say 20), imporved init. He does this, and then when he finally strikes it is in the surprise round on 29, when normal init comes up he's still on 29 which means basically anyone who doesn't want to be flatfooted has to roll something like a 20. Or have uncanny dodge. This would seem to be quite painful even fatal at most levels until everyone has some anti crit device/sneak attack method.

 

[dcollins]

I can't say as this question makes much sense.

The only reason why initiative would be rolled in a surprise round is if some members of both sides are aware of each other. Rogue wants to refocus? Then he's choosing to remain flat-footed as the aware opponent on the other side attacks him in the surprise round.

If the rogue is undetected, then whenever he attacks, that's the surprise round. (DMG p. 61: "One Side Aware First... the character or party that is aware gets to take a partial action before initiative is rolled...".) One free attack, then roll initiative and move on.

The hidden party certainly does not get to say "this is a surprise round", roll initiative, decide not to attack, and get another subsequent surprise round. It's when they attack that specifies when the surprise round is.

 

[HeavyG]

1) You can't refocus during the surprise round because you only have a partial action and refocusing is a full-round action.

2) You'd be sacrificing a surprise attack and a chance for a flat-footed normal round to get a flat-footed normal round. It's not that brutal.