Determining Surprise

Because the Awareness score is individual to each character, it is possible to Surprise some members of the party and not others. Likewise, since Stealth checks are made individually, it is possible for one opponent to lose the surprise for all opponents (the worst Stealth result is used for the group). There are several factors to an encounter to consider when determining Surprise.

  • At the first point when one party could first become aware of hidden opponents (usually at a distance, gaining bonuses as such), a Stealth check(s) is made against each party member's Awareness.
  • If the Stealth fails against any of the party members, that member may alert the others to the hidden opponents and no one is surprised.
  • If the first Stealth check succeeds, then the Stealth result should be compared again at the time that combat initiates.
  • At this second point, any party members whose Awareness is still overcome are Surprised.
  • If you are On Guard when you become surprised, you are Partially Surprised.
  • If you are unprepared for combat, you become Totally Surprised.
  • If you are not On Guard and your opponent fails the Stealth check, you are still considered to be Partially Surprised, since your opponent is ready for combat and you are not.
Example
A group of Orcs waits in hiding to ambush a party on the road. From a distance, the Orcs Stealth checks overcome each of the party's Awareness scores, so the party is unaware of them. At the point of Ambush, when the Orcs are about to make the attack, the Stealth checks are compared to party's awareness again. Two of the party members catch a movement in the trees (a failed stealth check) just before the attack, and they are not surprised. Two of the other members were On Guard, but since their Awareness was overcome, they are Partially Surprised. The last member, who was busy looking at the map, is Totally Surprised.