Surprise:A character is surprised when he fails to notice a monster in hiding, another party of creatures he comes upon, or when he is ambushed. A character is not surprised when he is perceptive enough to notice these things beforehand. To determine if a character is surprised roll 1d20 + perception modifier + situational modifiers versus a target number for the encounter. Elves have a +4 modifier to surprise checks. Those characters who are not surprised will get one action and the surprising monster or party will get one action in this surprise round. Combat actions between the two will be considered to begin simultaneously. If a character is surprised, then he may take no action in the surprise round. After the surprise round, if the characters and monsters are aware of what is taking place, normal initiative is rolled, and combat proceeds normally. A character who is surprised but not taken totally unaware, still may apply any dexterity modifiers to his armor rating.
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