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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ridley's Cohort" data-source="post: 2222500" data-attributes="member: 545">The RAW is very ambiguous as to what constitutes awareness.  The RAW gives no guidance on whether seeing someone in a room 5 weeks ago and correctly surmising they are still there counts as awareness.  You greatly exagerate the strength of your position if you are leaning on the RAW in this manner.(I would further add that I do not believe your own position is consistent with the RAW on the larger issue, given that you have suggested that unidentified noises do not count as awareness.  That appears to contradict the PHB.)You are correct insofar as my position is not RAW.  If we take the RAW at face value, we are stuck with scenarios where an "aware" creature that understands nothing about the danger it is soon to face will unfailingly gain a free attack (Surprise) against an "unaware" creature who has otherwise perfect knowledge (the layout of the battlefield, resources of both sides in the coming battle, total control over the moment combat will ensue, etc.)As I see it, the problem cannot be solved by restricting the definition of awareness (as you yourself have suggested).  What is needed is to extend the concept of awareness.  I prefer to do this by splitting the issue into two rough categories so that we can have two workable definitions (Awareness and Expectation) to replace one hopelessly vague definition.  I further add who initiates the combat as a relevant factor both because it makes sense and it clears up some timing issues when there are concealed combatants.My guidelines are not RAW, but they do appear to be consistent will all the examples included in the RAW.  Your interpretation of the RAW does not appear to be consistent with the RAW with respect to the larger issue and a specific example in the PHB (although it is consistent with respect to the specific scenario involving the spectre).</blockquote>

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