Initiative

Making an Initiative Check
When you make an initiative check to determine combat-action-order, you follow following rule:

D20 + Senses + Boni - Mali

Boni and Mali
Boni and Mali can come from a certain feat or class feature, or just reflect the situation you are caught in.

Surprise Rounds
If the highest Initiative exceeds the lowest by more than, the ones within 20 Range of the highest Initiative act in a Surprise Round.

The Surprise Round is a normal Round in Combat.

Note that characters which cannot act in a Surprise Round cannot defend themselves as they have no Defensive Actions.

Example:

''The warrior Ulf is walking through a little city, when suddenly he gets attacked by a Rogue. Since Ulf was unaware of danger AND unaware of the attacker (which he failed to see before the attack) he gains a -10 Malus on his Initiative Roll. The attacker however Attacked First which gives him a +5 Bonus. Now Ulf rolls Initiative, gaining a 10, the Malus of -10 results in 0 Initiative. The attacker rolls a 17 resulting in a 22. Since the Initiative of the highest combat-participant (the Rogue) is 20 higher than Ulf's, The Rogue gains a surprise round.''

Example 2 (multiple characters):

The fight participants have the following Initiative (after Boni and Mali):

Enemy-Assassin: 28

Julia the Sorceress: 19

Robby the Hunter: 8

Humbler: 7

Ulf: 6

Derek 5

Since The Assassin is 20 or more higher than Ulf, Derek and Humbler, there is a surprise round.

The characters with 8 or more can act in it (28 - 20). Meaning the Assassin is first, Julia is second and Robby is third in the surprise round. In the second round everyone can act according to the usual order.