[RPG] How does the Gloom Stalker ranger’s Dread Ambusher feature interact with Surprise

attackclass-featurednd-5erangersurprise

In D&D 5e, if a Gloom Stalker Ranger uses their Dread Ambusher feature's secondary attack on a creature during a surprise round (whether on the same target or a different one), is that creature still considered surprised?

This is important if the character is multiclassed with Assassin rogue, because Assassins auto-crit when hitting a surprised creature.

Best Answer

A surprised creature remains surprised until the end of their turn on the first round of combat

and especially:

At which moment does the 'Surprised' state disappear?

If you take from these one thing and one thing only it should be this:

There is no "surprise round" in D&D 5e!

There is only the first round of combat during which none, some or all combatants may be surprised until the end of their turn.

When it is the Gloom Stalker ranger/Assassin rogue's turn during the first round there are only two types of creatures:

creatures who are surprised - meaning they were surprised at the start of the combat and their turn comes after the Gloom Stalker ranger/Assassin rogue.
everyone else - which includes both those who were surprised but are no longer surprised because they have had their turn already, and those who were never surprised.

If the Gloom Stalker ranger/Assassin rogue chooses, on their turn, to attack a surprised creature, then that creature remains surprised because they haven't had their turn yet. It doesn't matter if the Gloom Stalker ranger/Assassin rogue attacks once, twice or seventy-three times - the creature is surprised during each and every attack.

Related Solutions

[RPG] Does the Rogue’s Assassinate feature grant criticals on multiple attacks

You are right for the number of critical hits. The Assassinate feature (PHB, p. 97) says:

Starting at 3rd level, you are at your deadliest when you get the drop on your enemies. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

When an enemy is surprised, you play your full turn. If you multiclass into fighter to have Extra Attack, yes, you can have more critical hits if you hit (you have advantage on your attacks since they didn't move yet). One detail that you must not forget is that the Sneak Attack damage is applicable only once in your turn:

Once per turn, you can deal extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack

With a level 5 fighter and a level 3 rogue with two daggers, the damage would be (assuming they all hit):

2d4+DEX (first hit) + 2d4+DEX (second hit) + 4d6 (sneak attack damage) + 2d4 (off-hand attack)

[RPG] Does the additional attack from the Gloom Stalker ranger’s Dread Ambusher feature stack with Extra Attack

It stacks

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

If you take the attack action, you attack twice.

At the start of your first turn of each combat, you walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of that weapon's damage type.

If you take the attack action, you can make one extra attack.

Nothing in these two statements prevents the other. One changes your number of attacks to a flat number (2), the other says "whatever it was before, +1".

2+1 = 3, you get three attacks in the first round of combat, and one of those 3 attacks deals extra damage. You get only 2 attacks for the rest of the combat.

On multiattack: Multiattack is a monster specific action. It is NOT the 'Attack action', it's a specific action some monsters have, that determines what it can do with those attacks. This is to prevent, for example, a bandit captain from using its multiattack to make three grapple attempts in a single round. Both your features require the 'Attack action'.