Always acting in surprise round

[claudekennilol]

If I have an ability such as the sohei's Devoted Guardian that lets me always act in the surprise round, if there is no surprise round because we're all equally aware of each other, would I still get to act in it?

Devoted Guardian wrote:

At 1st level, a sohei can always act in a surprise round even if he does not notice his enemies, though he remains flat-footed until he acts.

[chuffster]

Related question: does this mean that if somebody has a readied action--say to fire an arrow at whoever opens the door--there is a surprise round and roll for initiative before he gets to fire?

[Torbyne]

claudekennilol wrote:

If I have an ability such as the sohei's Devoted Guardian that lets me always act in the surprise round, if there is no surprise round because we're all equally aware of each other, would I still get to act in it?

Devoted Guardian wrote:

At 1st level, a sohei can always act in a surprise round even if he does not notice his enemies, though he remains flat-footed until he acts.

There might be some confusion of terminology here... if there is no surprise round than you are all in normal combat rounds, yes? if in normal combat rounds than you have an initiative that you act on as normal... so what is stopping you from acting? Are you asking if the ability gives you a free action in a surprise round just for you before regular combat begins?

[claudekennilol]

chuffster wrote:

Related question: does this mean that if somebody has a readied action--say to fire an arrow at whoever opens the door--there is a surprise round and roll for initiative before he gets to fire?

By the book you can't ready an action unless you're in combat.

[Torbyne]

chuffster wrote:

Related question: does this mean that if somebody has a readied action--say to fire an arrow at whoever opens the door--there is a surprise round and roll for initiative before he gets to fire?

GM's call i would imagine, as claudekennilol pointed out Readied Actions only really work in combat though a player may state their intentions outside of combat. the GM might decide you fire off the arrow but decide what the target of the arrow is themselves. A particularly cruel GM might abuse that to have you strike a non combatant or to start hostilities when negotiation might have been a better option.

[Melkiador]

claudekennilol wrote:

chuffster wrote:

Related question: does this mean that if somebody has a readied action--say to fire an arrow at whoever opens the door--there is a surprise round and roll for initiative before he gets to fire?

By the book you can't ready an action unless you're in combat.

By the book, readying an action would put you in combat.

[bbangerter]

No, the sohei does not get to act in this case.

PRD wrote:

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.

And

Quote:

...a sohei can always act in a surprise round...

If there is no surprise round, there is no surprise round for him to act in.

[claudekennilol]

bbangerter wrote:

No, the sohei does not get to act in this case.

PRD wrote:

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.

And

Quote:

...a sohei can always act in a surprise round...

If there is no surprise round, there is no surprise round for him to act in.

Thanks, that's what I thought.