Post by Zyraen on May 18, 2019 12:26:47 GMT 8
For this section, the term "hider" refers to the creature attempting the stealth check or hiding
BECOMING HIDDEN
The stealth check is usually at the end of a move action, but it can be at the end of any of the hider's actions that involve the hider moving, and during which the hider did not make an attack. Note that using an attack ability, even if it does not involve an attack roll, counts as making an attack. For clarity, the hider may do so even if it does not actually move from its square, as long as its action allows it to move 1 or more squares. Thus moving 0 squares still allows a stealth check, but standing up would not.
The stealth check is made against the passive perception (as DC) of each creature that the hider has superior cover or total concealment against, or that does not have line of sight to the hider.
If the hider moved more than 2 squares during the action, it takes a -5 penalty to the stealth check. If the hider ran after the last time it started its turn, it also takes a -10 penalty to the stealth check.
Outside combat, the GM might allow the hider to make a Stealth check against a distracted creature, even if the hider doesn’t have superior cover or total concealment and isn’t outside the creature's line of sight. The creature might be focused on something in a different direction, allowing the hider to sneak around it.
Note that the hider might successfully stealth against creatures the hider is unaware of, and separately, the GM may handwave the roll against the allies of the hider.
WHEN HIDDEN
The hider becomes hidden from all the creatures which have passive perception equal or lower than its stealth check. Being hidden means being silent and invisible, ie the hider counts as having total concealment against the creatures it is hidden from. The hider's location, ie occupied square, is unknown to the creatures it is hidden from.
Typically, a creature is hidden from some player characters but not all of them. In such case, as long as the player character aware of the hider is able to use a swift action on his turn to freely communicate with the other player characters (such as by loudly talking and gesturing), thereafter all of the player characters know which square the hidden creature is in. In interests of a smoother game, the GM may handwave this swift action to a free action on any turn, at his discretion. Note that the hider remains hidden to the others, retaining the benefits of total concealment, even though its location is known.
At GM's discretion, if no player character is aware of a hider's location, or the only player characters who know its location are likely unable to disclose it to the others, the GM may remove the hider from the miniature board.
For avoidance of doubt, if a hidden creature can observe an enemy, it can tell whether that enemy is aware of it. While it is not generally encouraged as it slows down the game, the GM may decide otherwise if the hider has especially low insight (eg a hidden zombie might be unable to discern if the player character is unguarded) or if the observed enemy is notably different from the hidder (eg a hidden halfling rogue might be unable to discern if a gelatinous cube is aware of it)
REMAINING HIDDEN
The hider remains hidden against the target as long as all of the following requirements are met
- the hider has at least cover or partial concealment against a creature it is hidden from. This cover or concealment cannot be due to another creature. Note that cover is often lost as an enemy approaches the hider, and if the hider only has cover but no concealment, typically once the hider's enemy rounds a corner it should see the hider.
- if a creature enters the hider's square, or grabs the hider, the hider is no longer hidden from that creature. Note that if the hider has any concealment or any cover (typically from abilities such as invisibility), it still retains those benefits
- the hider must keep quiet. If the hider speaks without whispering or otherwise makes an audible noise, it doesnt remain hidden from any creature that can hear it.
- the hider must move 2 or less squares during any action. If it moves more than 2 squares during an action, at the end of that action the hider must make a stealth check to remain hidden at -5 penalty, or a -10 penalty if the hider runs
- the hider must not make an attack, see below. Note that using an attack ability, even if it does not involve an attack roll, counts as making an attack.
ATTACKING WHILE HIDDEN
- when the hider makes an attack, it retains the benefits of being hidden until immediately after the attack roll. If the attack has no attack roll, it loses its benefits once it initiates the attack, before resolving its effect.
- hence if the hider attacks a target it is hidden from, the hider is invisible to the target and thus the target is unguarded against the hider. This is true unless the hider cannot see the target, which means it cannot benefit from the target being unguarded. For avoidance of doubt, the hider being hidden does not negatively affect the use of signature moves by the target.
- when resolving signature attacks that interrupt the hider's attack, note that the hider is still benefitting from being hidden at the point that the interrupt is used. Thus if the hider is hidden from the attacker, the attacker has to guess the location of the hidden attacker, typically by pointing to the square. The attacker may point to a range of squares and make a random roll to see if he guessed correctly. Even if the square guessed is correct, the attacker typically suffers a penalty for the hider having total concealment and possibly also cover penalties.
- For fairness, if the player character is the hider and the enemy using the interrupt attack has to make such a guess as to the hider's location, roll a 1d10, and on a 9-10 (about 20% chance) the enemy has chosen the correct square. The GM can use this as a guideline also if a player is unable to select the right squares
- the hider then loses the benefit of being hidden immediately after making its attack roll, and the target, if hit, still suffers all the the damage dealt to it by the attack ability, as well as all statuses and effects that arise from the ability which relate to the target. However the hider does not benefit from the attack ability until after ready actions resolve. Thus, even if its attack ability allows the hider to move after attacking, ready actions that trigger on becoming aware of the hider will go off before that movement.
- As earlier noted, some attack abilities do not involve an attack roll. This typically involves commanding or gesturing to an ally of the hider to make an attack (eg Quicken CA) and has an effect entry. In such case, resolve the ready actions before the effect entry, and if the hider is reduced to 0 HP, the effect does not occur. Essentially, the hider's commands or gestures are cut short before becoming effective.
BECOMING HIDDEN
The stealth check is usually at the end of a move action, but it can be at the end of any of the hider's actions that involve the hider moving, and during which the hider did not make an attack. Note that using an attack ability, even if it does not involve an attack roll, counts as making an attack. For clarity, the hider may do so even if it does not actually move from its square, as long as its action allows it to move 1 or more squares. Thus moving 0 squares still allows a stealth check, but standing up would not.
The stealth check is made against the passive perception (as DC) of each creature that the hider has superior cover or total concealment against, or that does not have line of sight to the hider.
If the hider moved more than 2 squares during the action, it takes a -5 penalty to the stealth check. If the hider ran after the last time it started its turn, it also takes a -10 penalty to the stealth check.
Outside combat, the GM might allow the hider to make a Stealth check against a distracted creature, even if the hider doesn’t have superior cover or total concealment and isn’t outside the creature's line of sight. The creature might be focused on something in a different direction, allowing the hider to sneak around it.
Note that the hider might successfully stealth against creatures the hider is unaware of, and separately, the GM may handwave the roll against the allies of the hider.
WHEN HIDDEN
The hider becomes hidden from all the creatures which have passive perception equal or lower than its stealth check. Being hidden means being silent and invisible, ie the hider counts as having total concealment against the creatures it is hidden from. The hider's location, ie occupied square, is unknown to the creatures it is hidden from.
Typically, a creature is hidden from some player characters but not all of them. In such case, as long as the player character aware of the hider is able to use a swift action on his turn to freely communicate with the other player characters (such as by loudly talking and gesturing), thereafter all of the player characters know which square the hidden creature is in. In interests of a smoother game, the GM may handwave this swift action to a free action on any turn, at his discretion. Note that the hider remains hidden to the others, retaining the benefits of total concealment, even though its location is known.
At GM's discretion, if no player character is aware of a hider's location, or the only player characters who know its location are likely unable to disclose it to the others, the GM may remove the hider from the miniature board.
For avoidance of doubt, if a hidden creature can observe an enemy, it can tell whether that enemy is aware of it. While it is not generally encouraged as it slows down the game, the GM may decide otherwise if the hider has especially low insight (eg a hidden zombie might be unable to discern if the player character is unguarded) or if the observed enemy is notably different from the hidder (eg a hidden halfling rogue might be unable to discern if a gelatinous cube is aware of it)
REMAINING HIDDEN
The hider remains hidden against the target as long as all of the following requirements are met
- the hider has at least cover or partial concealment against a creature it is hidden from. This cover or concealment cannot be due to another creature. Note that cover is often lost as an enemy approaches the hider, and if the hider only has cover but no concealment, typically once the hider's enemy rounds a corner it should see the hider.
- if a creature enters the hider's square, or grabs the hider, the hider is no longer hidden from that creature. Note that if the hider has any concealment or any cover (typically from abilities such as invisibility), it still retains those benefits
- the hider must keep quiet. If the hider speaks without whispering or otherwise makes an audible noise, it doesnt remain hidden from any creature that can hear it.
- the hider must move 2 or less squares during any action. If it moves more than 2 squares during an action, at the end of that action the hider must make a stealth check to remain hidden at -5 penalty, or a -10 penalty if the hider runs
- the hider must not make an attack, see below. Note that using an attack ability, even if it does not involve an attack roll, counts as making an attack.
ATTACKING WHILE HIDDEN
- when the hider makes an attack, it retains the benefits of being hidden until immediately after the attack roll. If the attack has no attack roll, it loses its benefits once it initiates the attack, before resolving its effect.
- hence if the hider attacks a target it is hidden from, the hider is invisible to the target and thus the target is unguarded against the hider. This is true unless the hider cannot see the target, which means it cannot benefit from the target being unguarded. For avoidance of doubt, the hider being hidden does not negatively affect the use of signature moves by the target.
- when resolving signature attacks that interrupt the hider's attack, note that the hider is still benefitting from being hidden at the point that the interrupt is used. Thus if the hider is hidden from the attacker, the attacker has to guess the location of the hidden attacker, typically by pointing to the square. The attacker may point to a range of squares and make a random roll to see if he guessed correctly. Even if the square guessed is correct, the attacker typically suffers a penalty for the hider having total concealment and possibly also cover penalties.
- For fairness, if the player character is the hider and the enemy using the interrupt attack has to make such a guess as to the hider's location, roll a 1d10, and on a 9-10 (about 20% chance) the enemy has chosen the correct square. The GM can use this as a guideline also if a player is unable to select the right squares
- the hider then loses the benefit of being hidden immediately after making its attack roll, and the target, if hit, still suffers all the the damage dealt to it by the attack ability, as well as all statuses and effects that arise from the ability which relate to the target. However the hider does not benefit from the attack ability until after ready actions resolve. Thus, even if its attack ability allows the hider to move after attacking, ready actions that trigger on becoming aware of the hider will go off before that movement.
- As earlier noted, some attack abilities do not involve an attack roll. This typically involves commanding or gesturing to an ally of the hider to make an attack (eg Quicken CA) and has an effect entry. In such case, resolve the ready actions before the effect entry, and if the hider is reduced to 0 HP, the effect does not occur. Essentially, the hider's commands or gestures are cut short before becoming effective.