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<blockquote data-quote="NotAYakk" data-source="post: 8473759" data-attributes="member: 72555">The 5e rules never describe when being &quot;surprised&quot; ends.&nbsp; They descrive how you can be &quot;surprised at the start of an encouter&quot;.&nbsp; They then descrive some consequences.&nbsp; They do not describe over what period of time you are considered &quot;surprised&quot;.It states that you cannot act on your first turn, and cannot take reactions until after your first turn ends.&nbsp; It does not state &quot;after your first turn ends, you are no longer considered surprised&quot;.5e leaves that unclear.You are free to decide that the assassin's auto-crit feature ends whenever you want.&nbsp; But don't blame the 5e rules if you decide it only works if you win initiative, because they do not say that.If you take the plain English meaning and as &quot;combat begins, assassin is hidden, they started combat surprised, and they have seen nothing to indicate combat has begun; but they won initiative. If the assassin attacks, are they attacking a surprised target?&quot; then the identified problem evaporates.&nbsp; Of course the creature attacked is surprised.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="NotAYakk, post: 8473759, member: 72555"] The 5e rules never describe when being "surprised" ends. They descrive how you can be "surprised at the start of an encouter". They then descrive some consequences. They do [I]not[/I] describe over what period of time you are considered "surprised". It states that you cannot act on your first turn, and cannot take reactions until after your first turn ends. It does [I][B]not[/B][/I] state "after your first turn ends, you are no longer considered surprised". 5e leaves that unclear. You are free to decide that the assassin's auto-crit feature ends whenever you want. But don't blame the 5e rules if you decide it only works if you win initiative, because they do not say that. If you take the plain English meaning and as "combat begins, assassin is hidden, they started combat surprised, and they have seen nothing to indicate combat has begun; but they won initiative. If the assassin attacks, are they attacking a surprised target?" then the identified problem evaporates. Of course the creature attacked is surprised. [/QUOTE]

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