I recently started playing Adventure League and ran across a DM that was using different initiative rules than I am used to. They would have all players roll initiative in order to interact with a room or location without monsters being on the map. Everyone would have to take actions to search, roll ability checks, speak/role play, etc. in that turn order. They are also asked if they would like to use the ready, dodge, or dash actions on their turn. Often this initiative order is used throughout the whole module. When combat starts, the DM then places the non PC's on the map and uses the turn order in whatever place in the rotation it currently is (i.e a person with a lower initiative may be going first and the highest initiative last).
When I asked why the DM did not re roll initiate at the start of combat they gave me the response "This is a lair action and everything in the lair knows you are there." I pointed out that this conflicted with what PHB page 189 and Monster Manual page 11 states for initiative and Lair Actions they responded with the following:
They have been a DM for over 5 years and I am new so I am wrong
I do not know how Lair Actions work
Maybe Adventure League was not the right vehicle for me to play D&D
The question I am asking is are they correct? Am I misinterpreting the rules and is the 5 step rule for initiation not used in AL? Is the standard rules for Lair Action (initiative of 20 for a specific action) not applied? Are you not supposed to re roll initiative for every combat encounter in AL?
Thank you
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Hey everyone I have a question for you.
I recently started playing Adventure League and ran across a DM that was using different initiative rules than I am used to. They would have all players roll initiative in order to interact with a room or location without monsters being on the map. Everyone would have to take actions to search, roll ability checks, speak/role play, etc. in that turn order. They are also asked if they would like to use the ready, dodge, or dash actions on their turn. Often this initiative order is used throughout the whole module. When combat starts, the DM then places the non PC's on the map and uses the turn order in whatever place in the rotation it currently is (i.e a person with a lower initiative may be going first and the highest initiative last).
When I asked why the DM did not re roll initiate at the start of combat they gave me the response "This is a lair action and everything in the lair knows you are there." I pointed out that this conflicted with what PHB page 189 and Monster Manual page 11 states for initiative and Lair Actions they responded with the following:
The question I am asking is are they correct? Am I misinterpreting the rules and is the 5 step rule for initiation not used in AL? Is the standard rules for Lair Action (initiative of 20 for a specific action) not applied? Are you not supposed to re roll initiative for every combat encounter in AL?
Thank you