The Player is ambushed by a Ranger. The Ranger rolled a 9 on his initiative check while the Player rolled a 20.
So the Ranger shoots at the player during the surprise round, before the regular turn starts and it's the Player's turn.
Now I look at the rules and I'm unsure of what the mean. My question is, is the Ranger flat-footed in this scenario, because he wasn't acted in the "regular" round, or is that rule (as written) simply meant for scenarios where the character was able to perform an Attack of Opportunity before his turn was able to start?
Flat-Footed
At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed.
TL;DR: Are you still considered flat-footed after acting in the surprise round?
The Player is ambushed by a Ranger. The Ranger rolled a 9 on his initiative check while the Player rolled a 20.
So the Ranger shoots at the player during the surprise round, before the regular turn starts and it's the Player's turn.
Now I look at the rules and I'm unsure of what the mean. My question is, is the Ranger flat-footed in this scenario, because he wasn't acted in the "regular" round, or is that rule (as written) simply meant for scenarios where the character was able to perform an Attack of Opportunity before his turn was able to start?
TL;DR: Are you still considered flat-footed after acting in the surprise round?Flat-Footed
At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed.
Naw
Thanks for the swift replies! ;)
The Surprise Round
If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs.Unaware Combatants
Combatants who are unaware at the start of battle don't get to act in the surprise round. Unaware combatants are flat-footed because they have not acted yet, so they lose any Dexterity bonus to AC.Flat-Footed
At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed.If you have uncanny dodge you get to act in the surprise round, if not you don't
So if your ambushed and not aware a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin, then normal combat begins.
No Uncanny Dodge
In the surprise round your flat-footed.
If you lose initiative on the normal combat round, you're still flat-footed, until your initiative.With Uncanny Dodge
You are not flat-footed in the surprise round, nor any subsequent round.The Enemy
The enemy acted in surprise so has already acted before regular combat has begun. He is not flat-footed.
That is mostly incorrect. Uncanny Dodge does not prevent you from becoming Flat Footed or allow you to act in the surprise round. All Uncanny Dodge does is allow you to keep your Dex bonus to AC while Flat Footed. Other restrictions like being unable to make AOOs still apply (barring other abilities).
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Uncanny Dodge does not prevent you from becoming Flat Footed or allow you to act in the surprise round. All Uncanny Dodge does is allow you to keep your Dex bonus to AC while Flat Footed. Other restrictions like being unable to make AOOs still apply (barring other abilities).
Uncanny Dodge states "Starting at 4th level, a rogue can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible."
So while you are correct about the surprised, you are not correct about the flat-footed part. The definition of flat-footed includes the AoO restriction: "A flat-footed character loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and cannot make attacks of opportunity."
A character with Uncanny Dodge can't be caught flat-footed, so I think that character should be able to make AoOs before their first turn in combat. (A character with Combat Reflexes "may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed", but a character with Uncanny Dodge is never flat-footed.)
Uncanny Dodge does not prevent you from becoming Flat Footed or allow you to act in the surprise round. All Uncanny Dodge does is allow you to keep your Dex bonus to AC while Flat Footed. Other restrictions like being unable to make AOOs still apply (barring other abilities).Uncanny Dodge states "Starting at 4th level, a rogue can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible."
So while you are correct about the surprised, you are not correct about the flat-footed part. The definition of flat-footed includes the AoO restriction: "A flat-footed character loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and cannot make attacks of opportunity."
A character with Uncanny Dodge can't be caught flat-footed, so I think that character should be able to make AoOs before their first turn in combat. (A character with Combat Reflexes "may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed", but a character with Uncanny Dodge is never flat-footed.)
Good catch.
Still getting some things mixed up with 3.5. :(
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The Player is ambushed by a Ranger. The Ranger rolled a 9 on his initiative check while the Player rolled a 20.
So the Ranger shoots at the player during the surprise round, before the regular turn starts and it's the Player's turn.
Now I look at the rules and I'm unsure of what the mean. My question is, is the Ranger flat-footed in this scenario, because he wasn't acted in the "regular" round, or is that rule (as written) simply meant for scenarios where the character was able to perform an Attack of Opportunity before his turn was able to start?
TL;DR: Are you still considered flat-footed after acting in the surprise round?Flat-Footed
At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed.
Negative compadre. Once you have actually acted(standard, move, swift, or free actions), you become officially on your toes and ready for whatever comes your way!
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Uncanny Dodge does not prevent you from becoming Flat Footed or allow you to act in the surprise round. All Uncanny Dodge does is allow you to keep your Dex bonus to AC while Flat Footed. Other restrictions like being unable to make AOOs still apply (barring other abilities).Uncanny Dodge states "Starting at 4th level, a rogue can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible."
So while you are correct about the surprised, you are not correct about the flat-footed part. The definition of flat-footed includes the AoO restriction: "A flat-footed character loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and cannot make attacks of opportunity."
A character with Uncanny Dodge can't be caught flat-footed, so I think that character should be able to make AoOs before their first turn in combat. (A character with Combat Reflexes "may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed", but a character with Uncanny Dodge is never flat-footed.)
Good catch.
Still getting some things mixed up with 3.5. :(
Specifically, in the Combat section when describing being flat-footed:
Characters with uncanny dodge retain their Dexterity bonus to their AC and can make attacks of opportunity before they have acted in the first round of combat.