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How to handle when a surprised creature rolls well on initiative in #dnd
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Apr 9, 2025
There isn’t a great explanation for how to handle when a creature is surprised but still rolls well on initiative. #dnd #dnd5e #2024dnd #ttrpg #dungeonsanddragons
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0:00
this raises an interesting question
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around how the surprise mechanics work
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in 2024 D&D so as we discussed
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previously a creature that is surprised
0:10
at the beginning of combat rolls
0:12
initiative with disadvantage however
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disadvantage isn't a guarantee that
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you'll roll poorly sometimes you still
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roll really well even when you're
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rolling with
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disadvantage so a imagine a scenario
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where one creature is surprising another
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creature that throwing them a surprise
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party everything's going to be great
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there will be no stabbing uh the
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surprised creature still rolls really
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well on initiative for whatever reason
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maybe it's just the luck of the dice the
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creature doing the surprising rolls
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poorly so they act after the creature
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that is being surprised what happens
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that first turn of combat cuz there's
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really no clear explanation
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that creature probably doesn't know that
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there's a threat but they are in
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initiative order so at the very least if
1:00
the players are being surprised they
1:02
have been made to roll initiative they
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know that there is a threat they know
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that something is happening but they
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might not be aware of what that threat
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is or where it might be coming from so
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we're left to interpret this kind of on
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our own uh the simplest answer is just
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nothing happens the creature that is
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being surprised goes about whatever they
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were doing before as though nothing was
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a miss but that doesn't feel very
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satisfying if you get lucky and you get
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that high initiative role so what you
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can do instead is you can have the
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creature that is being surprised they
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get a funny feeling they notice
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something out of the corner of their eye
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uh maybe they they just have a moment
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where they feel an impending sense of
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doom or danger eyes on the back of their
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neck
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like something like that so they know
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something is coming they don't know what
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and they have the briefest briefest
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moment to prepare before the threats
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present themselves
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