Encounter (PSR Supplement)

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Optional Rule: Surprise

At the start of an encounter, your narrator might decide that some creatures are Surprised. Such a creature is unaware of the fight once it breaks out. A Surprised creature can't move, and can't take any action or reaction, until after its first turn ends. This is summarized in the Surprised condition.

An encounter is a period of chaotic action in which the actions of every creature – including each protag — are broken apart into turns. Typically an encounter is combat involving the protags fighting monsters, but it can be other situations like the escape of a crumbling cave, chasing a fleeing criminal, or sneaking quietly into a tightly-guarded fortress.

Rounds & Turns. The game organizes the chaos of an encounter into a cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents 6 seconds in the game world, so there are 10 rounds in a minute. During a round, each creature in the encounter takes a turn, which are meant to happen near-simultaneously in the game world. The turn order is decided at the beginning of the encounter. Once every creature has had their turn, the encounter begins to the next round, with every creature taking another turn.

A combat encounter usually continues until one side stops fighting.

Order of an Encounter

1. Decide position. Your narrator decides the locations of protags and other creatures based on the players' actions prior to the start of the encounter, or the players' marching order. A combat grid can help, but it's optional.
2. Determine turn order. Each creature in the encounter makes a Wisdom Save. The creature with the highest result takes the first turn. After that there are broadly three options for determining the turn order, depending on the priorities of your group. See Turn Order.
3. Take turns. Each creature or side takes their turn in the encounter as decided in the previous step.
4. Start the next round. Once every creature or side has taken their turn, the next round begins. The same turn order decided in step 3 is kept between rounds. Rounds continue until the encounter ends.

Turn Order

Turn order, or "initiative," is decided at the start of an encounter. Each creature involved in the encounter makes an Wisdom Save. The creature with the highest result rolls first. In the case of a tie, protags go first.

In some cases your narrator might call for a check or save other than Wisdom to determine order, give some creatures advantage or disadvantage on the check, or even decide turn order using the circumstances of how the encounter began.

How turns flow after the first one depends on the priorities of your gaming group. Your narrator decides on one option between round-table turns, group turns, and staggered turns. The turn flow method used by default in 5e is not described in PSR, but that's an option too.