Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
ShortQuests -- Pocket Sized Adventures! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed for 1-2 game sessions.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="sfedi" data-source="post: 2243573" data-attributes="member: 15746">Wheeee!!!!Why is it relevant?Not necessarily.If B chose not to act, then combat wouldn't have started.Jus as when A detected X and Y.When someone detects another, the "detector" has the choice of starting combat (with surprise).In other words, the combat does not start until someone able to start it, choose to start it.More on this later.It was stated in the example that when Y came in, both, A and B saw him.Again, not necessarily, because they may want to wait.Look:...A informs B, but B, hasn't detected the presence of foes yet.A and B wait.Y approaches. And is heard only by A.Y appears and now A and B see Y. Although B didn't heard him, now he sees Y.Y doesn;t see A and B....Sure, that sort of options where happening all the time during this example.Note that from the first moment, when A spot X and Y combat could have started.My bad. You are right, speaking is a free action.I considered that C was far away, and in order to make the shout louder, (DC -30) B took a standard action (house rule).Any way, the point is that B, unilaterally acts, "wasting" the surprise round.He could as well have attacked, denying his comrade, A, to take advantage of the surprise round.You are right again, I forgot to mention that B wasn't flat-footed.One more thing.Note that the other side must consider that there's a threat in order to start combat.If Y wouldn't consider B a threat when he yelled, then combat wouldn't have started there.But it would have started when A popped out of his hiding place and shot Y.(in that case, A would have used his surprise round, maybe B could use it too if they have coordinated).</blockquote>

Verification