Tell me more ×
Role-playing Games Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for gamemasters and players of tabletop, paper-and-pencil role-playing games. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 3 down vote favorite

If a character is stealthing, let's say in total concealment, and its target perceives it by beating its stealth roll, then does the stealthing character have CA against the target?

share|improve this question

1 Answer

up vote 3 down vote

No

You gain CA against a foe (via stealth) by being hidden from it.

From the Rules Compendium, page152, Stealth:

Opposed Check: Against the passive Perception of each target creature present. ...

Success: The creature becomes hidden from the target.

If you don't win the opposed check, you're not hidden. If you're not hidden, you don't get combat advantage.

share|improve this answer
1  
I completely agree. The issue that arises is when 4e gets all wacky in its verbiage. They say total concealment equals invisible somewhere and that invisible means you get CA. Folks get confused that even if a foe is invisible if you roll perception and despite all those minuses you perceive them, you get no CA. Incidentally, there is another issue that arises from your answer. The unnecessary addition of the passive perception. Either active or passive perception may be used and in either case if the perception score beats the stealth score the target is no longer hidden and has no CA. – Chet Aug 2 '12 at 5:58
3  
If you are invisible you have total concealment. The RAW are: "Total Concealment (-5 Penalty to Attack Rolls): An attacker takes a -5 penalty to melee and ranged attack rolls against a target that has total concealment. The attacker can’t see the target: It is invisible, in a totally obscured square, or in a heavily obscured square and not adjacent to the attacker." The important thing to note is the or in that last sentence. Total Concealment does not equal invisibility, but invisibility does equal total concealment. – madrius Aug 2 '12 at 17:49
Oooo Madrius that is a helpful distinction. TY – Chet Aug 2 '12 at 19:21
glad to be of help! – madrius Aug 2 '12 at 23:18

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.