If I successfully Hide and gain the Invisible Condition, I have advantage on my Initiative roll when I attack:
"While you have the Invisible condition, you experience the following effects.
Surprise. If you’re Invisible when you roll Initiative, you have Advantage on the roll."
It seems to me there might be an unintended double dip on Initiative for an invisible attacker that has surprised a defender:
" Surprise. If a combatant is surprised by combat starting, that combatant has Disadvantage on their Initiative roll. For example, if an ambusher starts combat while hidden from a foe who is unaware that combat is starting, that foe is surprised."
Am I reading this wrong, or is this RAI, or have they admitted to a boo boo?
The stacking is intended. You get advantage on Initiative for being invisible. The other side gets disadvantage on Initiative because they're surprised.
Some examples to explain why they're separate.
1) If there's a confrontation between Group A and Group B and hostilities seem imminent, and person X is hidden and unseen, if combat is starts by a visible combatant, only person X gets advantage on Initiative, because they're unseen.
2) If Group A is walking down the street and Group B unexpectedly bursts from an alleyway or house brandishing weapons, Group A is surprised and rolls with disadvantage on Initiative, and Group B rolls Initiative normally because they're visible.
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2024 PHB
If I successfully Hide and gain the Invisible Condition, I have advantage on my Initiative roll when I attack:
"While you have the Invisible condition, you experience the following effects.
Surprise. If you’re Invisible when you roll Initiative, you have Advantage on the roll."
It seems to me there might be an unintended double dip on Initiative for an invisible attacker that has surprised a defender:
" Surprise. If a combatant is surprised by combat starting, that combatant has Disadvantage on their Initiative roll. For example, if an ambusher starts combat while hidden from a foe who is unaware that combat is starting, that foe is surprised."
Am I reading this wrong, or is this RAI, or have they admitted to a boo boo?
The stacking is intended. You get advantage on Initiative for being invisible. The other side gets disadvantage on Initiative because they're surprised.
Some examples to explain why they're separate.
1) If there's a confrontation between Group A and Group B and hostilities seem imminent, and person X is hidden and unseen, if combat is starts by a visible combatant, only person X gets advantage on Initiative, because they're unseen.
2) If Group A is walking down the street and Group B unexpectedly bursts from an alleyway or house brandishing weapons, Group A is surprised and rolls with disadvantage on Initiative, and Group B rolls Initiative normally because they're visible.