The Combat Rules

Initiative

Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant makes an Initiative check to determine their place in the initiative order.

The Initiative check is a d20 + your Dexterity modifier + your Perception modifier + your Wisdom modifier + your Luck modifier + your Insight Proficiency bonus + your Warfare Proficiency bonus.

The initiative ranks the combatants in order from the highest to the one the lowest. This is the order (called the initiative order) in which they act during each round. The initiative order remains the same from round to round.

Surprise Rounds

The DM determines who might be surprised. If neither side tries to be stealthy, they automatically notice each other. Otherwise, the DM compares the Dexterity (Stealth) checks of anyone hiding with the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of each creature on the opposing side. Any character or monster that doesn't notice a threat is surprised at the start of the encounter.

If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't. The condition ends when the first round of combat ends.

Synergy Turns

When two characters roll the same initiative, they can take their turns in the order they decide, or do their moves simultaneously, to allow for special interactions.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you take the Attack action and attack with one hand, you can also attack with a light weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack, unless that modifier is negative.