Surprise (game mechanic)

Surprised

 Surprised is a special Condition that can affect Creatures during the first round of combat. When one side of a combat encounter is unaware of the other side, they may be Surprised. A Surprised creature cannot take any Actions or Reactions for one combat round. Characters with the Alert feat, the Feral Instinct feature or under the effects of certain items (like the Elixir of Vigilance) cannot be Surprised.

Achieving Surprise

Surprise can be achieved when initiating combat by attacking an unaware enemy while Hidden or Invisible.

• Some creatures, even when Surprised themselves, may call out to nearby allies to prevent them from being Surprised.
• Certain combat encounters are rigged to always Surprise either the player's party or the enemy party when the proper conditions are met. For example:
  • The first encounter with the Lesser Imps during the Prologue always grants the player a Surprise round.
  • A Mimic will always Surprise the player's party when interacting with it in its disguised form. Attacking it from range will start the battle without being surprised.
  • In the Underdark Beach, a Duergar might spot you, talk to you and call their leader. If you wait for their leader your party is surprised; if you choose to attack, all of the enemies in the area are surprised instead.