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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hriston" data-source="post: 6678439" data-attributes="member: 6787503">First of all, awesome image. I always think of this scene whenever the subject of initiative comes up. It's a clear illustration of what initiative's all about. Han just had better reaction time than Greedo.I agree with what you're saying in that no attack rolls against another creature should happen without first rolling initiative. That's clearly the intent behind the order of steps given for combat. What I'm not sure about here is whether you're saying that the only time you should roll initiative is when someone is making a hostile action, or if that's just the last possible moment by which you should have already rolled.I use the latter understanding of initiative because, for example, in the case of PCs surprising a monster, I never know if the PCs are going to attack in the first round. Of course, if they have surprise they in all probability will, so they can attack without being attacked, but the situation arises at times when it is more beneficial for the surprising party to use the first round to better position themselves for the attack. They might opt not to attack at all but rather use the opportunity to avoid fighting if they are somehow outmatched. Because they have surprised the monster, I want to give them that first round to do whatever they want, but since surprise is determined at the beginning of an encounter the concept has no relevance outside of combat. Of course, if they remain hidden into subsequent rounds they still have the benefits of being hidden, but they lose the element of surprise. This makes narrative sense because surprise requires that you act quickly and suddenly. If you wait, you lose the opportunity. So that's why I don't tie the beginning of combat to a hostile action, but rather to the existence of a hostile attitude and a proximity between parties that would make that relevant. It leaves the choices made in the first round, after combat has begun, wide open as far as what individuals will do with their turns.</blockquote>

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