What did the hand say to the face?

[AbeTheGnome]

I hope you all know the joke that I'm referring to. But how would the situation be handled in D&D?

Say your PC is having a conversation with an NPC in a tavern. You're both a little drunk, and the NPC says, "What did the hand say to the face?" to which your PC responds, "What?"

Is this a "surprise round" for the NPC? Your PC is aware that the NPC is present, but not that he's about to smack him upside the head. Are you flat-footed for the attack? If the NPC is a 12th level rogue, could he lay you out with nonlethal SA damage? I've never seen this situation come up in game, but I'm sure it will someday. What's the answer?

 

[James McMurray]

Any time you're attacked by surprise there's a surprise round. In some situations (like this one) a Sense Motive check instead of Spot or Listen could be used to mitigate the surprise, if you feel it's warranted.

When a combat starts, if you are not aware of your opponents and they are aware of you, you’re surprised.

I read that to mean that even if you're aware someone exists but aren't aware they're an opponent, a surprise round occurs.

 

[3d6]

There is no surprise round.

If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin.

You are aware of your opponent, thus, you are not surprised. There's a big difference between being aware of your opponent and being aware that a creature is you opponent. Only the first matters for surprise.

In a situation like the one described, where someone suddenly starts combat, I would give the instigator a +2 circumstance bonus on the initiative check, because he has a better idea of what's coming than anyone else.

 

[Darklone]

It's up to initiative. Perhaps the rogue would get a bonus to the roll due to a Bluff check or something similar.

If the rogue gets the drop on the PC initiative wise, then he could lay the sneak attack smackdown on the PC.

 

[James McMurray]

So if I have a gun in my pocket and pull the trigger, you're not surprised? We have to roll initiative? That doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Seriously, what did the hand say to the face? Probably something like: "Could you start listening to people, you bastard? People keep trying to strike up conversations with me because you told them to!"

So if I have a gun in my pocket and pull the trigger, you're not surprised? We have to roll initiative? That doesn't make sense to me.

You're right. People will just assume that you were happy to see them

 

[Corsair]

I would say it's a surprise round, simply because saying that you have to roll initiative and catch the would-be attacker flat footed is stupid. Equally stupid is that the would-be attacker could now claim you assaulted him since he didn't actually DO anything to you.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I would say it's a surprise round, simply because saying that you have to roll initiative and catch the would-be attacker flat footed is stupid.

Just making it a surprise round is equally stupid. What you do is, you give the guy a chance to get behind it. Some roll is called for. Sense motive probably.

Equally stupid is that the would-be attacker could now claim you assaulted him since he didn't actually DO anything to you.

Yes, I have to agree: It's stupid. You started to do something. The fact that he was faster doesn't change that.

 

[werk]

Just making it a surprise round is equally stupid.

I disagree.

Surprise, to me, and by RAW, is when one is unaware of an an opponent and the opponent decides to enter initiative. Something has to happen to make the 'surprisee' aware that they need to be on guard...whether that be a spot/listen check, a sense motive check (in this case), or a surprise standard action after a failed check.

 

[Musrum]

Determining awareness may call for Listen checks, Spot checks, or other checks.

(emphasis mine)

An opposed Bluff check to get a surprise round is supported.