RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Had this come up in a game yesterday. Neither I (the player in question) nor the GM really knew what was appropriate, so he made a table ruling and I thought I'd come here seeking feedback.
I have levels in wizard, with the Divination (Foresight) school. As such, I always get to act in the surprise round, even if I fail a perception check to notice foes.
Our party was ambushed while we slept. Should I wake up?
If it was my game it'd be somewhat like a zombie action. You'd act, but that act would be to wake up and that's it; this of course could cause problems if you didn't get the full 8 hours of rest you need to recharge your spells.
I have levels in wizard, with the Divination (Foresight) school. As such, I always get to act in the surprise round, even if I fail a perception check to notice foes.
Our party was ambushed while we slept. Should I wake up?
If enforcing "keep sleeping" as your action in the surprise round is valid, then so it "look the wrong way during an ambush" or "emit a startled yelp" or anything else that could make the ability completely useless.
You know something is happening, and you get to act. You can't really act when you're helpless, so you must be able to wake up.
I have levels in wizard, with the Divination (Foresight) school. As such, I always get to act in the surprise round, even if I fail a perception check to notice foes.
Our party was ambushed while we slept. Should I wake up?
If enforcing "keep sleeping" as your action in the surprise round is valid, then so it "look the wrong way during an ambush" or "emit a startled yelp" or anything else that could make the ability completely useless.
You know something is happening, and you get to act. You can't really act when you're helpless, so you must be able to wake up.
It's not so much that you must "keep sleeping" as your action, it's that sleeping creatures don't get to take actions.
If the Diviner happened to be Stunned during the surprise round for some reason there certainly wouldn't be any argument whether he could act.
Of course, "asleep" is a pretty poorly defined condition, barely mentioned except for a DC modifier in the Perception skill. Heck, the Perception skill doesn't even specify whether you wake up if you make a perception check to hear a noise!
All things considered, I would would say that, like succeeding on a Perception check, the Forewarned ability would wake you up despite not specifying so.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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If the Diviner happened to be Stunned during the surprise round for some reason there certainly wouldn't be any argument whether he could act.
I had a similar reservation, despite the GM actually ruling in my favor. I mean, if I'd been dropped to -3 HP, stabilized, and no one had any healing ability, so they were dragging my body around until we could get back to town, there'd be no question that I don't get to act during the surprise round of the next encounter, because I'm incapacitated. Is natural sleep different enough?
If the Diviner happened to be Stunned during the surprise round for some reason there certainly wouldn't be any argument whether he could act.I had a similar reservation, despite the GM actually ruling in my favor. I mean, if I'd been dropped to -3 HP, stabilized, and no one had any healing ability, so they were dragging my body around until we could get back to town, there'd be no question that I don't get to act during the surprise round of the next encounter, because I'm incapacitated. Is natural sleep different enough?
IRL, Unconscious and Asleep are decidedly different conditions. Despite Asleep not being clearly defined in-game, it is only logical that they be different conditions in-game as well.
Loud noises or jarring movement generally will not rouse an unconscious person, but will wake a sleeping person (exceptionally heavy sleepers notwithstanding).
Of course, in-game it's not spelled out what will or will not wake a sleeping person, it's up to the GM to administer his own common sense.
Personally, I think that being roused from sleep by the Forewarned ability is, at the very least, not out of line with the flavor and intent of the ability, and I can think of sufficient examples in fiction of heroes awakened by a sixth sense at the crucial moment.
This, of course, makes it extremely difficult to sneak up on a Diviner, but then, that was already the case.
It definitely is a good question.
I'd rule the same way as I rule on blindsense; Yes, it triggers even if you are asleep.
I also agree that a diviner should get to wake up and act in the surprise round - just as a character who made her perception check despite the large penalties would get to.
I think the diviner ought to get the option to wake up, but not be forced one way or another. The Forewarned ability is sort of a spidey sense, which you can't really turn off. However, you can always choose to ignore the spidey sense if you wanted. Not having rested enough to regain spells or something might be a reason to not wake up.
I would then assume that getting up would be the move action you'd take in the surprise round.