Same thing with Fast Healing, is the creature only healed on it's round, or on each creature's round?
"Each creature" doesn't get a round. It gets "a turn" and after every creature has taken a turn a new round starts.
"A round" is "how long it takes to go around the table."
What Dracon18s said. A round is however long it takes for everybody present to take their turn.
Timing is an interesting thing. It's best to consider each initiative number as a 'tick' in the round. The wizard casts vanish on his initiative number, if it last 5 rounds, it will end just before that same initiative number x rounds later. (this is important, for if the caster delays on a subsequent turn, and slides to a different initiative slot, the effect still ends at the appropriate time, not his new initiative 'tick'.
Yeah, it sounds like your confusion is the difference between a round and a turn. A turn is what each player gets. A round is when everyone's turn in initiative has gone and you're ready to start over.
Read this while viewing: Initiative_Example.png
The encounter:
Casty the wizard, Stabtastic the Rogue, and 'The Rev' the cleric are jaunting down a dungeon corridor when Casty spies 3 stinky goblins chatting it up. Stabtastic wasn't paying attention, casually flipping his dagger in the air (he is surprised). The goblins have been drinking and a little slow to react to anything (they are all surprised). Initiative is rolled - Casty gets a 23, Stabtastic gets a 17, and The Rev gets a 9. The Goblins get 16, 20, and 12.
Surprise Round 0:
- Casty (at surprise round 0 init 23), a 3rd level wizard, casts Vanish, and touches the as yet unaware Stabtastic. This has a duration of 1 rd/lvl, so it is 3 rounds (it will end in Round 3 at the end if Iniative 24).
- The Rev (at surprise round 0 init 9), a 3rd level Cleric, casts 'Cause Fear' on Goblin 1. It fails it's save and is frightened for 3 rounds (1 rd/lvl). It will come to it's senses in Round 3 at the end of Initiative 10.
Top of Round 1:
- Casty (Rd 1 Init 23) casts a ray of frost at Goblin 2, hitting for 2 damage.
- Goblin 2 (Rd 1 Init 20) moves to Casty and swings at him doing 5hp damage.
Stabtastic (Rd 1 Init 17) decides to protect The Rev, standing between Casty and The Rev, takes a 5 ft step to in front of The Rev, and readies to 'Attack with my dagger the first goblin that comes towards me'.
- Goblin 1 (Rd 1 Init 16), frightened, turns tail and runs away.
- Goblin 3 (rd 1 Init 12), seeing that Goblin 2 is attacking the wizard, moves in on the cleric (the only other yucky human he is aware of). As he is near him, he feels a terrible pain, and falls to the floor. He had moved adjacent to the invisible rogue, who, with his readied action, took his turn to stab the goblin, successfully landing a sneak attack on him, and dispatching him. With this action, he has 'delayed' his turn until the trigger he described took place. He is now at Initiative 12 for subsequent rounds.
- The Rev (Rd 1 Init 9) casts Cure Light Wounds on Casty (healing 6 hp)
Top of Round 2:
- Casty (Rd 2 Init 23) swings again defensively casts ray of frost on Goblin 2, but misses.
- Goblin 2 (Rd 2 Init 20) stabs at Casty, missing.
- Goblin 1 (Rd 2 Init 16) cowers at the dead end of the hallway.
- Stabtastic (Rd 2 Init 12) moves to goblin 2 and stabs at him, missing.
- The Rev (Rd 2 Init 9) starts moving down the tunnel, and equips his warhammer.
Top of Round 3:
- vanish would have ended, had it not been broken (Rd 3 Init 24)
- Casty (rd 3 Init 23) swings his staff at Goblin 2, hitting for 3 damage.
- Goblin 2 (Rd 3 Init 20) swings at Casty, hitting for 8 damage.
- Goblin 1 (Rd 3 Init 16) continues to cower.
- Stabtastic (Rd 3 Init 12), now flanking Goblin 2 with Casty, hits with a sneak attack, dispatching the stinky thing.
- Goblin 1's overcomes his fright (Rd 3 End of Init 10) just in time for:
- The Rev (Rd 3 Init 9) swings his hammer at Goblin 1, critical hitting for 24 damage - turning Goblin 1 into a sInity puddle.
End of Rounds.