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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Flamestrike" data-source="post: 7687887" data-attributes="member: 6788736">Yes dude, it does. The entire combat chapter tells you how to resolve attacks. You do so by:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Determining surprise</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rolling intiative</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Taking turns in that order</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rolling to hit</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rolling damage</li> </ul>Thats how you resolve attacks.When an attack is declared (when combat starts) the game switches from narrative time to the more tightly structured turn by turn/ round by round combat sequence.If you declare a hostile act against someone you are initiating combat. There is a chapter devoted to what happens next. Determine surprise, roll initiative etc.Mate, a DM can do whatever he wants to. He can rule a natural 20 auto kills a monster if he wants to. The rules for rolling a natural 20 dont expressly say that natural 20's dont auto kill. For mine, the rules do tell me what happens when you roll a 20 on an attack roll, just like the rules also tell me what to do when hostilities break out and someone (PC or monster) declares they are attacking. They tell me to get everyone to roll initiative. Then determine surprise. Then take turns in order. Again, you can do it however you want to. You can run it that the first person at your table to scream 'I ATTACK! gets a free attack in before rolling initiative if you want to. Youre the DM. According to the rules though, all that happens here is hostilities start, initiative is rolled, surprise determined, and actions taken in order.Whats tripping you up is you're missing the narrative abstraction side of combat. When someone declares they are attacking (triggering an initiative test) all that happens is they start to attack (drawing a weapon, charging the PC's, starting to swing an axe, taking aim with a crossbow, starting to chant a spell or whatever). Everyone then gets an initiative/ dexterity test to determine if they get to react in time to that trigger. Even hidden creatures can give away their presence (the twang of the bow etc).Example:Four PCs (Cleric, Monk, Wizard and Ranger) are walking down a forest trail. Hidden in the bushes ahead are 4 Bandits armed with bows. The DM secretly rolls a Stealth check for the bandits, opposed by the PC's passive perception and beats all the scores barring the Clerics. The DM determines that the Cleric (who is at the rear of the party) would probably not have enough time to warn the other PC's and the party stumble into the ambush. The DM decides the Bandits will fire bows from hiding at the PC's. He states: 'As you walk along the forest trail, you suddenly hear the twang of bows being released from off the sides of the trail, and a hail of arrows scream towards you. You are all surprised aside from the Cleric. Everyone roll initiative.' (DM also pulls the Cleric player aside and tells him: 'You just managed to notice about four humaniods off in the bushes about 30' away on the left side of the trail'). The initiative results are:Ranger 20Wizard 15Bandits 10Monk 5Cleric 4Turn 1:The Ranger goes first but is surprised and cannot act. Same deal with the Wizard. They stand there like grinning idiots as the arrows fly towards them in mid air.Now its the bandits turn, and they resolve their attacks (with advantage against all PC's barring the Cleric thanks to being hidden). The Ranger gets hit and takes damage. The Wizard also gets hit, but he uses his reaction to cast Shield at the last second (shield does not require you to see the attack, and the Wizard is no longer surprised). The Monk gets hit also; in fact its a critical hit!. He declares he wants to use his deflect missiles ability, however the DM tells him he cannot becuase he unlike the wizard and the ranger, he is still surprised and has yet to act (so he still can not take reactions). He rolled so poorly on his dexterity (initiative) check that he cant react in time to the hail of arrows headed his way. Fianlly, the arrow directed at the cleric missed.Now its the Monks turn; he cant act, but can now take reactions normally.Finally on turn 1 goes the Cleric. He shouts out 'Contact left, four bandits 30 feet out!' and moves to the Monk casting cure lwounds on him.End of turn 1.See how its supposed to work? All that attacking from hiding does is start the combat sequence (roll initiative, determine surprise, take turns in order). The DM in this instance narrated the abstration of combat as 'You hear the twang of bows and arrows take flight' before telling the Players to roll initiative. The players know why they are rolling initiative. They know why combat has started. The cleric even knows (as he saw the hidden bandits at the last second) how many enemies there are, where they are, and what they are doing.</blockquote>

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