Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant rolls Initiative; they make a DEX check that determines their place in the Initiative order. The DM rolls for monsters. At the DM's discretion, for a group of identical creatures, the DM can make a single roll so that each member of the group has the same Initiative. **Surprise.** If a combatant is surprised by combat starting, that combatant has the [[Surprised]] condition. For example, if an ambusher starts combat while hidden from a foe who is unaware that combat is starting, that foe is [[Surprised]]. **Initiative Order.** A combatant's check total is called their Initiative count, or Initiative for short. The DM ranks the combatants, from highest to lowest Initiative. This is the order in which they act during each round. The Initiative order remains the same from round to round. **Ties.** If a tie occurs, the creature with the higher Initiative modifier goes first. If both creatures have the same Initiative modifiers, they roll a d20, the creature with the higher roll going first.