This is a massive necro from an eight year old post. There's since been a substantial update to the surprise rules as well as stealth. While your homebrew mechanics are creative, you might as well be playing a different game (which is fine). How executing an assassination would work in 2024 5e:
Take the Hide action and make a successful DC15 Dexterity (Stealth) check. You now have the Invisible condition.
Approach the target and remain unseen (Stealth check result vs. target’s Perception)
Attack. To do this, first roll initiative, the player having the Invisible condition would have advantage on initiative while the target would have disadvantage if it is surprised.
If you win initiative, roll to hit and damage. The player is now visible, so if there are other hostile creatures in the area that have line of sight on the player, roll initiative for them. If not, and the target dies, go back to step #1. If the target survives the initial attack, it is now their turn and can respond in anyway they see fit (call out for help, attack back, flee).
If you lose initiative (should not happen often under these circumstances), the target acts first. You could roleplay this as a last second sixth sense, the noise of a dagger being unsheathed, or a creak of a bowstring tips them off to the incoming attack.
I think what you’re missing is that the act of attacking IS combat, even if it only lasts for one attack, and thus initiative should be rolled. If enemies are sparse and conditions are right, as you said, a player could still execute multiple assassinations without being seen. They would simply have to go through the above steps for each attempt.
How executing an assassination would work in 2024 5e:
FINALY!!! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much effort I put in to finding this exact information, for one whole week. Really thank you, even today I told this COMBO to my DM and he just told me straight NO. He's a new DM tho, so I understand. This topic, as well as many other minute details is so hard to pinpoint in DnD, and almost all the time it is, spread out in multiple posts where you don't know what's wrong or right.
1. How about Surprise? In my understanding in this scenario(your example) the enemy I'm attacking should be surprised yes?? What is the MAJOR factors determining Surprised state?
2. This is a sketchy question. Scenario: 2 Ogres stand together and are looking away from me, its late dusk or night time. I succeed perfect Stealth, I sneak up on Ogres in such angle that Ogres are in one line. I then do Attack action with all rolls perfectly and One shot kill first Ogre(it falls?) I bonus action Hide and succeed perfect rolls. What happens to the second ogre? Does it see me? Is it Surprised(is it ever possible)? And would having Invisibility cast on me for the first attack, change any results for my second hiding?
In 2024 the Surprise rule simply states, “If a creature is caught unawares by the start of combat, that creature is surprised, which causes it to have Disadvantage on its Initiative roll.”
This situation is a bit more nuanced. My best interpretation of how this should play out would be fairly similar to my prior post except for a couple things. When you decide to attack, the first step would still be to roll initiative (you would have advantage on your initiative roll due to the Invisible condition, the Ogre’s would have disadvantage due to being Surprised).
The DM could choose to roll initiative for both Ogres due to their proximity, which is what I would most likely do. Alternatively, the DM could just roll for the Ogre you’re attacking. If you win initiative, then it’s your turn, you attack and kill the Ogre. You are no longer under the Invisible condition (so if the DM chose to only roll initiative for the Ogre you were attacking, they would now roll in the second Ogre). It’s still your turn though, so you would then have to find cover and be out of the Ogre’sline of sight. You could then use your Bonus Action (assuming you’re a Rogue) to attempt to hide again.
If, like you said, you are successful in this Hide action, you again have the Invisible condition. It would now be the second Ogre’s turn and it would know that it’s buddy was just slaughtered beside him and act accordingly (alert any allies it has, begin searching for you). This would now play out in turn order, with the Ogre acting on his turn (searching for you using its action to make a Perception check or running to alert more allies).
I’m glad to be of help! I’ll check back soon if you have any additional questions. Take care!
Hmm so it seams that cool combinations are really possible, but are often very depended on DM(becouse not like OGRE he knows exactly what's happening) or just that it would require more complicated calculations and ppl tend to avoid complexity. I think that is all, I got the gist of it and it is enough for me to know what's possible but never actually use it :D
Thank you, again.
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This is a massive necro from an eight year old post. There's since been a substantial update to the surprise rules as well as stealth. While your homebrew mechanics are creative, you might as well be playing a different game (which is fine). How executing an assassination would work in 2024 5e:
I think what you’re missing is that the act of attacking IS combat, even if it only lasts for one attack, and thus initiative should be rolled. If enemies are sparse and conditions are right, as you said, a player could still execute multiple assassinations without being seen. They would simply have to go through the above steps for each attempt.
FINALY!!! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much effort I put in to finding this exact information, for one whole week. Really thank you, even today I told this COMBO to my DM and he just told me straight NO. He's a new DM tho, so I understand. This topic, as well as many other minute details is so hard to pinpoint in DnD, and almost all the time it is, spread out in multiple posts where you don't know what's wrong or right.
1. How about Surprise? In my understanding in this scenario(your example) the enemy I'm attacking should be surprised yes?? What is the MAJOR factors determining Surprised state?
2. This is a sketchy question. Scenario: 2 Ogres stand together and are looking away from me, its late dusk or night time. I succeed perfect Stealth, I sneak up on Ogres in such angle that Ogres are in one line. I then do Attack action with all rolls perfectly and One shot kill first Ogre(it falls?) I bonus action Hide and succeed perfect rolls. What happens to the second ogre? Does it see me? Is it Surprised(is it ever possible)? And would having Invisibility cast on me for the first attack, change any results for my second hiding?
You really helped me so much thank you again :]
The DM could choose to roll initiative for both Ogres due to their proximity, which is what I would most likely do. Alternatively, the DM could just roll for the Ogre you’re attacking. If you win initiative, then it’s your turn, you attack and kill the Ogre. You are no longer under the Invisible condition (so if the DM chose to only roll initiative for the Ogre you were attacking, they would now roll in the second Ogre). It’s still your turn though, so you would then have to find cover and be out of the Ogre’s line of sight. You could then use your Bonus Action (assuming you’re a Rogue) to attempt to hide again.
If, like you said, you are successful in this Hide action, you again have the Invisible condition. It would now be the second Ogre’s turn and it would know that it’s buddy was just slaughtered beside him and act accordingly (alert any allies it has, begin searching for you). This would now play out in turn order, with the Ogre acting on his turn (searching for you using its action to make a Perception check or running to alert more allies).
I’m glad to be of help! I’ll check back soon if you have any additional questions. Take care!
Hmm so it seams that cool combinations are really possible, but are often very depended on DM(becouse not like OGRE he knows exactly what's happening) or just that it would require more complicated calculations and ppl tend to avoid complexity. I think that is all, I got the gist of it and it is enough for me to know what's possible but never actually use it :D
Thank you, again.