Behavior Tree Service doesn't tick without wait

You could initialize your blackboard value before you run your behavior tree, or alternatively you could wait until your blackboard value is set before calling run.

https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Engine/AI/BehaviorTrees/QuickStart/6/index.html

A null pointer or uninitialized value can be annoying, I definitely agree that it shouldn’t crash script, but it also helps point to a design pattern consideration. One of two methods I mentioned might be more graceful for your implementation than a benign wait.