Surprise!

[Terquem]

One of the elements of the game I’ve struggled with is how to represent the element of Surprise. Other RPGs have various ways of giving advantages to one side of a combat encounter when a situation arises in which one group (or individual) has Surprised another group or individual.

With Melee, we see how Initiative determines who moves first, and when attacks are resolved in order of AdjDex we see how individuals involved in the combat may or may not be able to act in the round, but how would you handle a situation where a Player wants their Figure to get a benefit from Surprise?

Would you allow the Figure with Surprise to select any option (disregarding the Engaged or Disengaged State, but obviously not the InHTH state) and complete that Option’s actions before determining Initiative for the first round of combat? Or, would you apply a modifier to MA, or AdjDEX/STR for the Figures depending upon the Surprised condition?

My most often struggle with this was in the use of Invisibility Spells, and Conditions, when one Figure who is Disengaged wants to sneak up on another Figure and make an attack. By the rules the Figure that is Invisible is revealed once it is adjacent to an enemy figure, but it is not clear if Initiative must be established before this situation arises

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by Terquem

One of the elements of the game I’ve struggled with is how to represent the element of Surprise. Other RPGs have various ways of giving advantages to one side of a combat encounter when a situation arises in which one group (or individual) has Surprised another group or individual.

With Melee, we see how Initiative determines who moves first, and when attacks are resolved in order of AdjDex we see how individuals involved in the combat may or may not be able to act in the round, but how would you handle a situation where a Player wants their Figure to get a benefit from Surprise?

Would you allow the Figure with Surprise to select any option (disregarding the Engaged or Disengaged State, but obviously not the InHTH state) and complete that Option’s actions before determining Initiative for the first round of combat? Or, would you apply a modifier to MA, or AdjDEX/STR for the Figures depending upon the Surprised condition?

My most often struggle with this was in the use of Invisibility Spells, and Conditions, when one Figure who is Disengaged wants to sneak up on another Figure and make an attack. By the rules the Figure that is Invisible is revealed once it is adjacent to an enemy figure, but it is not clear if Initiative must be established before this situation arises

Surprise can be handled by the GM in various ways, from just winning the initiative roll, to limited movement on the surprised side, to X number of free actions. Sometimes we don't allow a character to act until their IQ is passed if facing a shocking or stunning situation. It's all up to the GM, really.

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Surprise can be handled by the GM in various ways, from just winning the initiative roll, to limited movement on the surprised side, to X number of free actions. Sometimes we don't allow a character to act until their IQ is passed if facing a shocking or stunning situation. It's all up to the GM, really.

Hi all, Kirk, Terquem.
In my campaign I have different levels of surprise and have used all the ideas Kirk suggests above. (Altho a maximum of one free action.) If the PC's are so shocked as to be mentally stunned, I give a maximum length of surprise (normally 1 or 2 turns). So low IQ figures, if they can't make an IQ roll for a couple of turns, automatically get over the shock fairly quickly.

Warm regards, Rick