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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Flamestrike" data-source="post: 6868688" data-attributes="member: 6788736">He already has used stealth. To get close to the target and to gain the surprise round in the first place. Thats a massive advantage to anyone, and to an assasin, it sets up a guarantee of a kill (At least one attack at advantage that is an auto crit - maybe more, plus possibly going first in round 2 and getting even more attacks in).When he declares the shot, the Guard gets a dex check to react to the 'twang' of the crossbow. Or his sixth sense kicks in at the last split second. Or he luckily moves a fraction, ruining the assasinate attempt.I was in an AL game the other day, and was talking to an NPC creature (warily, and with weapon in hand) when the DM declared it attacked me.He then rolled to hit.I suggested that initiative preceeds attack rolls, he came back with 'you cant roll initiative unless an attack has been declared and resolved'. I really wanted to say something, but being group play, let it slide.If that wasnt bad enough, he then told me were were 'surprised' on round  one, and I had to sit there and cop a second rounds worth of attacks. Luckily I rolled OK  on initaitive so didnt have to sit through a third round of attacks before I got  my first action. No complaints, but I resolved then and there to not come back to any more sessions with this guy.Its a pet peeve of mine. The rules for combat are clear. The DM decides when 'combat sequence' is triggered. Within that sequence attacks are resolved and narrated accordingly. First comes initiative. After this comes determining who is or is not aware and thus surprised and cannot act on turn one. Then finally, come actions in turn order.If you react to an ambush rolling higher than the surprising foes on initiative, something tips you off (you notice the arrows in flight, or simply have a sixth sense that warns you of danger). You still cant act mind you, but you can take reactions after your turn of inaction. That might be something like casting the shield spell at the last second against those arrows, or a monk deflecting the arrows from the ambushers.There is no compelling need to disregard the combat sequence as written. Certainly no gamist reason (the abilities as written are balanced around the combat sequence as described) and clearly no narrativist reason. I guess some DMs cant wrap their simulationist heads around the 'simultaneous action' the combat reound represents.In the OP's example, the guards reation to the crossbow attack (even if he fails to notice the assasin) could be narrated in one of a dozen ways.If you ignore this, then initiative simply becomes a case of whoever declares 'I attack' first, and making that declaration grants a whole rounds worth of free action. In 5E, thats a death sentence.</blockquote>

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