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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hriston" data-source="post: 8685267" data-attributes="member: 6787503">You can see its false appearance which, because it has succeeded at remaining motionless, is indistinguishable from an ordinary chest. There is disagreement in this thread about whether this counts as noticing a threat for the purpose of determining surprise once combat begins. For me, this action declaration invokes the combat rules so the spellcasting can be resolved in initiative order, which necessitates the determination of surprise. Clearly the mimic has noticed the party because they aren't trying to be stealthy, but has the party noticed the mimic? Many in this thread would say they have, but I would disagree because the DM did not describe to the players that a mimic or a creature was in the room but only what they perceived as a chest. That the "chest" is actually a mimic is still hidden information. The party has been lured close enough to the mimic that it can reach them in one move, and they're about to blunder into combat with it, so it would appear that while it still has the element of surprise is the time for the mimic to spring its trap.To be clear and at the risk of repeating what I said upthread, if I were the DM in this scenario, I would let the dice determine whether the mimic remained motionless or not as long as at least one party member was watching for hidden threats. It seems some other posters would rule with certainty that the mimic does not give itself away with motion which may correlate to those who don't want the consequences of the mimic's success in maintaining its false appearance to include surprise. On the other hand, I haven't heard anyone say they would rule with certainty that the mimic fails to remain motionless.If the orcs are trying to be stealthy, they should have a chance to surprise you. If you're being careless and not keeping watch for hidden threats, their attack would surprise you automatically as long as they're trying to be stealthy. If you're being careful, but all their Stealth rolls win a contest with your passive Perception, which is not easy for three creatures, then you're surprised when they attack. The rules assume adventurers are pretty much always being careful, but sometimes there are other tasks that are worth the risk.</blockquote>

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