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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Thordain" data-source="post: 4446814" data-attributes="member: 11292">Don't read if you plan on playing this adventure, I guess, but the spoiler is really small since it's the first encounter. This is the first adventure in the Scars of War adventure path from Dungeon magazine.The first encounter has players talking in a bar, outside of combat. There are hobgoblins lying in wait outside.The text of the encounter says that the hobs bust in, kicking in the door, and possibly slaying one or two npcs near the door, then roll initiative.The way I interpreted this was that the hobs are aware of the other party, and so get a suprise round. In their suprise round, they use the charge action, which lets them move, then do a basic attack (to account for killing an npc)Now here's where the rules question comes in. One of the players has a rogue, and he rolled an initiative of 18, where the hobs got 8. The rogue wants to know if he gets combat advantage when he attacks a hob.My ruling was no, because the hobs have already acted in the encounter. The player is arguing that he got screwed. Here's our chat:him: so I don't have combat advantage because I go before them in initiative?me: no, this isn't a suprise round, this is a normal roundhim: in 3.5E you still get sneak attack damage if you go first in a normal round You sure that's changed? because they are flatfootedme: the hobs were aware of people in the bar, and spent their suprise round (standard action only) running in. they were outside the bar. does that make sense?him: No, because we should still get perception rolls to detect them or it's automatic surpriseme: you mean to detect them when they are outside the bar?him: Or when they are opening the door at that second, perceive it quickly enough to be able to react right as they are coming in. Again, I'm coming from a 3.5E place here, but if it were 3.5E it shouldn't happen that wayme: I'll ask on the wizards forums, but the adventure has it set out that the orcs come in, and then roll initiative for everyonehim: lol, railroad. see that effectively screws me out of my ability to get combat advantage and act when they are flatfooted as they don't perceive meme: I don't want you to feel like you are screweedhim: ok, I'm learning the rules here too but that does screw meI didn't want to paraphrase him and get it wrong, so that's the exchange.Here's my thoughts:I think he has a point that since EVERYONE rolled initiative at the same time, he should get his first strike ability.On the other hand, it seems to me that the hobs had a suprise round -- they spent it charging in. Can someone help? I don't want the player to think he is screwed here, and I want to come to an understanding that will work in future encounters too.Thank you</blockquote>

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