Ruling on this question plz

[Sir cryosin]

If I fighter am in melee combat with monster X. Are rogue assassin with right befor me we are the first 2 in initiative. So I use commanding strike and tell the rogue to attack. Does the rogue get sneak attack and does it still crit because the monster still haven't gone yet.

[Segev]

I don't see why not.

The Assassin's rules don't care HOW he gets his attacks, only if his target has acted yet or not.

[coredump]

If I fighter am in melee combat with monster X. Are rogue assassin with right befor me we are the first 2 in initiative. So I use commanding strike and tell the rogue to attack. Does the rogue get sneak attack and does it still crit because the monster still haven't gone yet.


Auto Crit only happens if the target is Surprised. Which is determined by the DM, not by initiative order.

Assuming the monster has not had a turn yet, then the rogue (assassin) would still have advantage, so would get sneak attack. This is on *your* turn, and the rogue can SA once per turn (not once per round). If the monster was surprised, and has not had a turn yet, then advantage and auto crit (if hit)

If the creature has had a turn (even if it can't do anything thanks to Surprise), then the rogue will not get advantage nor auto-crit, but would still get SA since you are within 5' of the bad guy.

[Sir cryosin]

So it yes right...........

[BiPolar]

So it yes right...........

NO. You will only autocrit if your DM gives you a surprise round. Which, given that you've rolled initiative, you don't have.

[CantigThimble]

NO. You will only autocrit if your DM gives you a surprise round. Which, given that you've rolled initiative, you don't have.

This. As soon as a creature has rolled initiative they are aware that they are in a dangerous situation and are no longer completely surprised.

[Socratov]

NO. You will only autocrit if your DM gives you a surprise round. Which, given that you've rolled initiative, you don't have.

not quite: you get the autocrit if your target is surprised. the writers just neglected on making clear what they meant with a target being surprised. In this case, if you got the autocrit effect before, then you'd better get it after as well (in the sense of the mosnter not having act yet), if you didn't before then you don't after.

[JackPhoenix]

NO. You will only autocrit if your DM gives you a surprise round. Which, given that you've rolled initiative, you don't have.

That depends...you still roll initiative for your group if you're not the surprised party. However, if the monster wasn't surprised and just rolled the lowest initiative, no Assassination.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

If I fighter am in melee combat with monster X. Are rogue assassin with right befor me we are the first 2 in initiative. So I use commanding strike and tell the rogue to attack. Does the rogue get sneak attack and does it still crit because the monster still haven't gone yet.

Yes on sneak attack (that's pretty much the best use for Commanding Strike, giving rogues more sneak attack) but only maybe on the auto-crit, depending on whether or not the monster is surprised, which has to do with more than just whether or not it's gone yet.

[bid]

This. As soon as a creature has rolled initiative they are aware that they are in a dangerous situation and are no longer completely surprised.
Not exactly. I'll refer you to the box on p189.

As far as I understand, your first turn ends your surprised "condition". If you rolled higher initiative than your attackers, your surprise will end before they can act. Because nowhere is it spelt when surprise ends, I assume it does when you gain your reaction.


To return to the point, commanding strike will allow the assassin to act before the creature has taken a turn, meaning advantage on attack. If the DM deemed the creature surprised and the assassin hits, it becomes a critical hit.

[pwykersotz]

As I understand it, being surprised is the condition of there being a surprise round and you being forbidden to act in it. The surprise round IS the first round though, initiative has been rolled.

So if, in this surprise round, the enemy has not acted but they still get to act, they are not surprised. If not, fair game.

[Syll]

As I understand it, being surprised is the condition of there being a surprise round and you being forbidden to act in it. The surprise round IS the first round though, initiative has been rolled.

So if, in this surprise round, the enemy has not acted but they still get to act, they are not surprised. If not, fair game.

This is my understanding as well.

[Malifice]

NO. You will only autocrit if your DM gives you a surprise round. Which, given that you've rolled initiative, you don't have.

Surprise rounds dont exist in 5E.

You determine surprise, roll initiative and on round one of the battle, any foes that were unaware of ALL creatures on the opposiing side are surprised (and cannot take a turn).

You cant attack before round 1 of a combat, and there is no more surprise rounds in 5E.


This. As soon as a creature has rolled initiative they are aware that they are in a dangerous situation and are no longer completely surprised.

Thats not true.

All combatants roll initaitive at the same time. Creatures that are surprised (have failed to notice even a single enemy) do not get to act on turn 1 when their initiative result comes around. They also cant take reactions till after their turn ends on round 1.

To defeat surprise, all you need to do is notice one of your enemies before combat is initiated. To defeat assasinate (assuming you are surprised on round 1) all you need to do is roll a higher initiative than any assasins you face (they cant assasinate you after your turn 1 has ended).