If a character with the Alert feat rolls a crit fail on their Perception check, are they surprised?
$begingroup$
A Druid in my campaign has the Alert feat, which stops her from being surprised.
If she rolls a critical failure on her Perception check, would:
She get surprised because she crit-failed?
The Alert feat negate that?
I'm leaning more toward it's "up to the DM," but I wanted to get a second perspective on this.
dnd-5e feats skills critical-fail
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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$endgroup$
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
A Druid in my campaign has the Alert feat, which stops her from being surprised.
If she rolls a critical failure on her Perception check, would:
She get surprised because she crit-failed?
The Alert feat negate that?
I'm leaning more toward it's "up to the DM," but I wanted to get a second perspective on this.
dnd-5e feats skills critical-fail
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already, and check out the help center for more guidance.
$endgroup$
– V2Blast
yesterday
$begingroup$
Possible duplicate of Is a critical failure on a natural 1 a rule or house rule?
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
see also rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/93831 , rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/135860
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
@enkryptor Don't think it's a dupe, this one has the feat as an added consideration.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
yesterday
$begingroup$
@KorvinStarmast the feat is irrelevant. The question basically asks "does the feat beat crit fail", but there is no such thing as "crit fail" in 5e. This would be valid for any "does X beat crit fail" question.
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
18 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
A Druid in my campaign has the Alert feat, which stops her from being surprised.
If she rolls a critical failure on her Perception check, would:
She get surprised because she crit-failed?
The Alert feat negate that?
I'm leaning more toward it's "up to the DM," but I wanted to get a second perspective on this.
dnd-5e feats skills critical-fail
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
A Druid in my campaign has the Alert feat, which stops her from being surprised.
If she rolls a critical failure on her Perception check, would:
She get surprised because she crit-failed?
The Alert feat negate that?
I'm leaning more toward it's "up to the DM," but I wanted to get a second perspective on this.
dnd-5e feats skills critical-fail
dnd-5e feats skills critical-fail
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
edited yesterday
V2Blast
25.6k488158
25.6k488158
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
asked yesterday
tbrotbro
613
613
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
tbro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$begingroup$
Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already, and check out the help center for more guidance.
$endgroup$
– V2Blast
yesterday
$begingroup$
Possible duplicate of Is a critical failure on a natural 1 a rule or house rule?
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
see also rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/93831 , rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/135860
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
@enkryptor Don't think it's a dupe, this one has the feat as an added consideration.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
yesterday
$begingroup$
@KorvinStarmast the feat is irrelevant. The question basically asks "does the feat beat crit fail", but there is no such thing as "crit fail" in 5e. This would be valid for any "does X beat crit fail" question.
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
18 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already, and check out the help center for more guidance.
$endgroup$
– V2Blast
yesterday
$begingroup$
Possible duplicate of Is a critical failure on a natural 1 a rule or house rule?
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
see also rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/93831 , rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/135860
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
@enkryptor Don't think it's a dupe, this one has the feat as an added consideration.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
yesterday
$begingroup$
@KorvinStarmast the feat is irrelevant. The question basically asks "does the feat beat crit fail", but there is no such thing as "crit fail" in 5e. This would be valid for any "does X beat crit fail" question.
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
18 hours ago
$begingroup$
Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already, and check out the help center for more guidance.
$endgroup$
– V2Blast
yesterday
$begingroup$
Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already, and check out the help center for more guidance.
$endgroup$
– V2Blast
yesterday
$begingroup$
Possible duplicate of Is a critical failure on a natural 1 a rule or house rule?
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
Possible duplicate of Is a critical failure on a natural 1 a rule or house rule?
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
see also rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/93831 , rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/135860
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
see also rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/93831 , rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/135860
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
@enkryptor Don't think it's a dupe, this one has the feat as an added consideration.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
yesterday
$begingroup$
@enkryptor Don't think it's a dupe, this one has the feat as an added consideration.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
yesterday
$begingroup$
@KorvinStarmast the feat is irrelevant. The question basically asks "does the feat beat crit fail", but there is no such thing as "crit fail" in 5e. This would be valid for any "does X beat crit fail" question.
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
18 hours ago
$begingroup$
@KorvinStarmast the feat is irrelevant. The question basically asks "does the feat beat crit fail", but there is no such thing as "crit fail" in 5e. This would be valid for any "does X beat crit fail" question.
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
18 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
2. The Alert feat negates surprise
Because the Alert feat (PHB, p. 165) states:
You can't be surprised while you are conscious
A character with the Alert feat cannot be surprised while they are conscious.
"Surprised" has a clear mechanical meaning.
If a character is surprised, they cannot act on their first turn of combat, and after their first turn, they are no longer surprised.
A character with the Alert feat who rolls a low perception check can be unprepared, but never surprised. Perhaps they don't have enough time to wake all their allies before combat starts or they don't have time to get into position or take the action required to don a shield (before combat). But they can never be "surprised".
Rules as Written, critical failures are only for attack rolls.
It is a common house rule that rolling a 1 on a d20 results in a critical fail, whatever the context - but there is no rule in D&D 5e that states that is the case for anything but attack rolls, where the result is simply "you miss".
Notes:
- The optional rule on page 242 of the DMG ("Critical Success or
Failure") doesn't explicitly state that a 1 rolled on an ability
check overrides a feat's features. - While it is not called "critical fail" or "critical success" the
death saving throw is a unique case in the rules where the
mechanics of a benefit, or harm, accrues to a saving throw coming up
20 or 1. (On a 20 you have 1 HP and are no longer unconscious, on a
1 you get two fails).
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
$endgroup$
4
$begingroup$
Crit fails (and successes) are also for death saves.
$endgroup$
– Nacht
yesterday
1
$begingroup$
@Nacht I added your point in as a note. Blake, I hope you approve. If not, by all means revert.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Personally, I feel that " critical failures are only for attack rolls." should be the main point here, as it resolves any other confusion.
$endgroup$
– goodguy5
13 hours ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
2. The Alert feat negates surprise
Because the Alert feat (PHB, p. 165) states:
You can't be surprised while you are conscious
A character with the Alert feat cannot be surprised while they are conscious.
"Surprised" has a clear mechanical meaning.
If a character is surprised, they cannot act on their first turn of combat, and after their first turn, they are no longer surprised.
A character with the Alert feat who rolls a low perception check can be unprepared, but never surprised. Perhaps they don't have enough time to wake all their allies before combat starts or they don't have time to get into position or take the action required to don a shield (before combat). But they can never be "surprised".
Rules as Written, critical failures are only for attack rolls.
It is a common house rule that rolling a 1 on a d20 results in a critical fail, whatever the context - but there is no rule in D&D 5e that states that is the case for anything but attack rolls, where the result is simply "you miss".
Notes:
- The optional rule on page 242 of the DMG ("Critical Success or
Failure") doesn't explicitly state that a 1 rolled on an ability
check overrides a feat's features. - While it is not called "critical fail" or "critical success" the
death saving throw is a unique case in the rules where the
mechanics of a benefit, or harm, accrues to a saving throw coming up
20 or 1. (On a 20 you have 1 HP and are no longer unconscious, on a
1 you get two fails).
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
$endgroup$
4
$begingroup$
Crit fails (and successes) are also for death saves.
$endgroup$
– Nacht
yesterday
1
$begingroup$
@Nacht I added your point in as a note. Blake, I hope you approve. If not, by all means revert.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Personally, I feel that " critical failures are only for attack rolls." should be the main point here, as it resolves any other confusion.
$endgroup$
– goodguy5
13 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
2. The Alert feat negates surprise
Because the Alert feat (PHB, p. 165) states:
You can't be surprised while you are conscious
A character with the Alert feat cannot be surprised while they are conscious.
"Surprised" has a clear mechanical meaning.
If a character is surprised, they cannot act on their first turn of combat, and after their first turn, they are no longer surprised.
A character with the Alert feat who rolls a low perception check can be unprepared, but never surprised. Perhaps they don't have enough time to wake all their allies before combat starts or they don't have time to get into position or take the action required to don a shield (before combat). But they can never be "surprised".
Rules as Written, critical failures are only for attack rolls.
It is a common house rule that rolling a 1 on a d20 results in a critical fail, whatever the context - but there is no rule in D&D 5e that states that is the case for anything but attack rolls, where the result is simply "you miss".
Notes:
- The optional rule on page 242 of the DMG ("Critical Success or
Failure") doesn't explicitly state that a 1 rolled on an ability
check overrides a feat's features. - While it is not called "critical fail" or "critical success" the
death saving throw is a unique case in the rules where the
mechanics of a benefit, or harm, accrues to a saving throw coming up
20 or 1. (On a 20 you have 1 HP and are no longer unconscious, on a
1 you get two fails).
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
$endgroup$
4
$begingroup$
Crit fails (and successes) are also for death saves.
$endgroup$
– Nacht
yesterday
1
$begingroup$
@Nacht I added your point in as a note. Blake, I hope you approve. If not, by all means revert.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Personally, I feel that " critical failures are only for attack rolls." should be the main point here, as it resolves any other confusion.
$endgroup$
– goodguy5
13 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
2. The Alert feat negates surprise
Because the Alert feat (PHB, p. 165) states:
You can't be surprised while you are conscious
A character with the Alert feat cannot be surprised while they are conscious.
"Surprised" has a clear mechanical meaning.
If a character is surprised, they cannot act on their first turn of combat, and after their first turn, they are no longer surprised.
A character with the Alert feat who rolls a low perception check can be unprepared, but never surprised. Perhaps they don't have enough time to wake all their allies before combat starts or they don't have time to get into position or take the action required to don a shield (before combat). But they can never be "surprised".
Rules as Written, critical failures are only for attack rolls.
It is a common house rule that rolling a 1 on a d20 results in a critical fail, whatever the context - but there is no rule in D&D 5e that states that is the case for anything but attack rolls, where the result is simply "you miss".
Notes:
- The optional rule on page 242 of the DMG ("Critical Success or
Failure") doesn't explicitly state that a 1 rolled on an ability
check overrides a feat's features. - While it is not called "critical fail" or "critical success" the
death saving throw is a unique case in the rules where the
mechanics of a benefit, or harm, accrues to a saving throw coming up
20 or 1. (On a 20 you have 1 HP and are no longer unconscious, on a
1 you get two fails).
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
$endgroup$
2. The Alert feat negates surprise
Because the Alert feat (PHB, p. 165) states:
You can't be surprised while you are conscious
A character with the Alert feat cannot be surprised while they are conscious.
"Surprised" has a clear mechanical meaning.
If a character is surprised, they cannot act on their first turn of combat, and after their first turn, they are no longer surprised.
A character with the Alert feat who rolls a low perception check can be unprepared, but never surprised. Perhaps they don't have enough time to wake all their allies before combat starts or they don't have time to get into position or take the action required to don a shield (before combat). But they can never be "surprised".
Rules as Written, critical failures are only for attack rolls.
It is a common house rule that rolling a 1 on a d20 results in a critical fail, whatever the context - but there is no rule in D&D 5e that states that is the case for anything but attack rolls, where the result is simply "you miss".
Notes:
- The optional rule on page 242 of the DMG ("Critical Success or
Failure") doesn't explicitly state that a 1 rolled on an ability
check overrides a feat's features. - While it is not called "critical fail" or "critical success" the
death saving throw is a unique case in the rules where the
mechanics of a benefit, or harm, accrues to a saving throw coming up
20 or 1. (On a 20 you have 1 HP and are no longer unconscious, on a
1 you get two fails).
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
edited 13 hours ago
KorvinStarmast
82.5k20257444
82.5k20257444
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
answered yesterday
Blake SteelBlake Steel
3,9981948
3,9981948
4
$begingroup$
Crit fails (and successes) are also for death saves.
$endgroup$
– Nacht
yesterday
1
$begingroup$
@Nacht I added your point in as a note. Blake, I hope you approve. If not, by all means revert.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Personally, I feel that " critical failures are only for attack rolls." should be the main point here, as it resolves any other confusion.
$endgroup$
– goodguy5
13 hours ago
add a comment |
4
$begingroup$
Crit fails (and successes) are also for death saves.
$endgroup$
– Nacht
yesterday
1
$begingroup$
@Nacht I added your point in as a note. Blake, I hope you approve. If not, by all means revert.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Personally, I feel that " critical failures are only for attack rolls." should be the main point here, as it resolves any other confusion.
$endgroup$
– goodguy5
13 hours ago
4
4
$begingroup$
Crit fails (and successes) are also for death saves.
$endgroup$
– Nacht
yesterday
$begingroup$
Crit fails (and successes) are also for death saves.
$endgroup$
– Nacht
yesterday
1
1
$begingroup$
@Nacht I added your point in as a note. Blake, I hope you approve. If not, by all means revert.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
@Nacht I added your point in as a note. Blake, I hope you approve. If not, by all means revert.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Personally, I feel that " critical failures are only for attack rolls." should be the main point here, as it resolves any other confusion.
$endgroup$
– goodguy5
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Personally, I feel that " critical failures are only for attack rolls." should be the main point here, as it resolves any other confusion.
$endgroup$
– goodguy5
13 hours ago
add a comment |
tbro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
tbro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
tbro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
tbro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already, and check out the help center for more guidance.
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– V2Blast
yesterday
$begingroup$
Possible duplicate of Is a critical failure on a natural 1 a rule or house rule?
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
see also rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/93831 , rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/135860
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
yesterday
$begingroup$
@enkryptor Don't think it's a dupe, this one has the feat as an added consideration.
$endgroup$
– KorvinStarmast
yesterday
$begingroup$
@KorvinStarmast the feat is irrelevant. The question basically asks "does the feat beat crit fail", but there is no such thing as "crit fail" in 5e. This would be valid for any "does X beat crit fail" question.
$endgroup$
– enkryptor
18 hours ago