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<blockquote data-quote="Maxperson" data-source="post: 8690910" data-attributes="member: 23751">Correct.&nbsp; You only determine if you noticed the threat before combat.&nbsp; The first step is to figure out surprise and you can only do that if you have ALREADY noticed the threat.If you are expecting the ground to open up, you are correct.He is on guard against the chest specifically, which by RAW makes him impossible to surprise by the chest.&nbsp; Similar to the example above where if the cleric was on guard for the ground to open up under him, such an opening would not surprise him. You are also confusing what you said which was, &quot;There's nothing in the rules that says expecting danger from something makes you impossible to surprise.&quot; with what I said which was, &quot;If you are on guard against danger from a specific thing, that thing cannot surprise you.&quot;&nbsp; What I said is different from what you said.&nbsp; You have repeatedly tried to Strawman my position into some general &quot;Always alert to danger&quot; thing and been rebuffed by me every time.And my statement holds true regardless of the game they designed.&nbsp; If you trivialize the mimic's ability the way you want it to be trivialized,&nbsp; you are making it an easier encounter.&nbsp; A significant part of the mimic's challenge comes from that ability.&nbsp; That's a fact regardless of what the CR guidelines say.&nbsp; The challenge difference is reality and reality doesn't change because of words on paper saying that it ain't so.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Maxperson, post: 8690910, member: 23751"] Correct. You only determine if you noticed the threat before combat. The first step is to figure out surprise and you can only do that if you have ALREADY noticed the threat. If you are expecting the ground to open up, you are correct. He is on guard against the chest specifically, which by RAW makes him impossible to surprise by the chest. Similar to the example above where if the cleric was on guard for the ground to open up under him, such an opening would not surprise him. You are also confusing what you said which was, "There's nothing in the rules that says expecting danger from something makes you impossible to surprise." with what I said which was, "If you are on guard against danger from a specific thing, that thing cannot surprise you." What I said is different from what you said. You have repeatedly tried to Strawman my position into some general "Always alert to danger" thing and been rebuffed by me every time. And my statement holds true regardless of the game they designed. If you trivialize the mimic's ability the way you want it to be trivialized, you are making it an easier encounter. A significant part of the mimic's challenge comes from that ability. That's a fact regardless of what the CR guidelines say. The challenge difference is reality and reality doesn't change because of words on paper saying that it ain't so. [/QUOTE]

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