Questions tagged [stealth]
The ability to remain undetected by other creatures, either by skill or special effect.
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1answer
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Does relocation/teleportation while hidden require a new Stealth check?
I've been looking around, and from what I understand, the Stealth rules seems to be kind of a sore point in D&D/Pathfinder systems.
What I'm getting at will require two separate questions (other ...
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4answers
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Can scale mail be modified to remove disadvantage on Stealth checks?
One of my players in D&D 5e asked the Blacksmith if he could create some kind of small cushion to muffle the armor and not get disadvantage on stealth anymore. Is this possible? If so, how much ...
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4answers
393 views
Can a part of the group remain stealthy when combat starts?
A group of 4 PCs roll Dexterity (Stealth) checks. They sneak around and 3 of them get noticed by the enemy (because of line of sight or just bad Dexterity (Stealth) rolls). Combat starts, everyone ...
6
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1answer
503 views
How does the Wood Elf's Mask of the Wild trait work, in terms of flavor?
Just a flavor question (with perhaps slight gameplay influence):
How does a wood elf use the Mask of the Wild trait to hide?
The wood elf's Mask of the Wild trait says:
You can attempt to hide ...
6
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1answer
196 views
Mechanics for one-shot (stealth) incapacitation [closed]
I feel like the rules of 5e (I'm not familiar with other editions) are really lacking in department of stealth opportunities.
I'm mostly talking about one shot kills, but not necessarily. Examples:
A ...
10
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2answers
743 views
Can my familiar hide in the same space as me?
Let's take an example:
I am standing with my cat familiar next to an enemy. It turns out that this enemy hates cats and want to attack it.
Can my familiar, without provoking opportunity attacks, ...
9
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1answer
488 views
If the party is hidden prior to attacking enemies, do they surprise the enemies and/or get advantage on their attacks?
Our adroit heroes tracked the goblins back to a small camp in the woods. Completely unaware of the threat around them, the goblins sit around a fire, easy prey to the hidden band of adventurers ...
6
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1answer
227 views
Do Sleight of Hand checks cover stealthiness?
The PHB and basic rules describe Sleight of Hand checks as follows:
Whenever you attempt an act of legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting something on someone else or concealing an object ...
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2answers
218 views
How quiet is a creature that's not moving?
A typical adventurer in a breastplate and employing a heavy wooden shield suffers a −6 armor check penalty on appropriate skills, including the Move Silently skill.
But, with that in mind, what's the ...
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1answer
80 views
How do hidden enemies interact with the soft cover rules?
A pack of wolves are fleeing from the PCs, who are shooting at them with longbows from an entrenched position. One of the wolves is injured and has abandoned stealth in favor of a more rapid escape: ...
8
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1answer
211 views
When does a hidden opponent that is moving become visible?
Directly inspired by the question, When does a hidden opponent that is attacking become visible?.
From the Player's Handbook, page 194:
If you are hidden -- both unseen and unheard -- when you ...
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1answer
287 views
Is there a mechanic for an instant stealth kill?
I've read D&D 3.5 core books and haven't found anything useful in such a scenario - a player is approaching an unaware opponent (for instance with a dagger) and is trying to kill him by cutting ...
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197 views
Can a centaur move stealthily while someone rides on him?
Can a centaur (from Unearthed Arcana: Centaurs and Minotaurs) with a rider use Stealth/move stealthily?
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2answers
964 views
Can a lightfoot halfling use the ability to hide behind a larger creature while otherwise being observed?
Lightfoot halflings have the Naturally Stealthy trait:
You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
Can a lightfoot halfling use ...
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6answers
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In a PvP arena, how can other characters deal with a Rogue with Expertise in Stealth?
I'm running an arena-style fight between a lot of PCs. It's now getting to the point that there are few enough PCs that they are beginning to take levels to counter one another.
One of the players ...
3
votes
1answer
169 views
Does a Hidden character who casts Booming Blade with the benefit of Subtle Spell metamagic get revealed?
A Sorcerer is hiding in a bush, giving them Cover, and last round, they used the Hide action to obscure their location. An unremarkable Orc is standing adjacent to the bush.
This round, the Sorcerer ...
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2answers
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Do you need to be hidden to get advantage when attacking while unseen?
I always assumed you needed to be hidden to get advantage when attacking/disadvantage when being attacked, but after looking at the rules I'm fairly certain this is not the case. There's a chance I'm ...
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3answers
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Having goblins hide every turn in Lost Mine of Phandelver
The following contains minor spoilers for LMoP.
I am preparing to DM my first-ever game, which is the published adventure Lost Mine of Phandelver. I'm looking at the very first encounter, the
I ...
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3answers
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Can an Arcane Archer fighter use a Banishing Arrow to effectively get two surprise rounds?
The Arcane Archer fighter (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 28-30) gets a number of Arcane Shot options, allowing them to unleash special magical effects when they fire a longbow/shortbow. One of ...
3
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2answers
187 views
Does a dual-wielder get advantage on both attacks if hidden? [duplicate]
If my rogue attacks while hidden and dual-wielding shortswords, do I have advantage on both of my attacks (from Two-Weapon Fighting) or only on the first attack?
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3answers
495 views
Is there any need to roll for surprise when the enemy has no way to detect you?
Supposing my wizard has an owl familiar (120ft darkvision) and spots a band of enemies 120 feet away at night. If my wizard engages from a distance that they cannot possibly detect her from, is a ...
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Can a Stealth check ever be made passively?
The PHB, at p. 175, presents passive skill checks as a means to represent two different kinds of in-game scenarios:
Such a check can represent the average result for a task done repeatedly, such as ...
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2answers
417 views
How can I best narrate the position of an unhidden invisible skeleton?
While fighting through a wizard's tower, the party breaks into an unexplored storeroom to take cover from enemies down the corridor outside the room. Unbeknownst to them, there is an invisible ...
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2answers
819 views
What methods are there to cause a Blinded (but not Deafened) creature to lose track of my position?
The scenario.
I'm playing a level 3 Sorcerer, using the Shadow Sorcer Origin provided by Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Before combat began (or in the immediately previous round, if you like) I ...
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3answers
214 views
Does this Poltergeist's Telekinetic Thrust give away its location?
The Monster Manual's entry for the Specter (p. 279) includes the Poltergeist variant, which has the Telekinetic Thrust action. The part I'm considering is (emphasis mine):
If the target is an ...
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3answers
446 views
If a hidden creature fails to surprise a character, is the creature still hidden?
If a hidden creature fails to surprise a character, is the creature still hidden?
For example, a goblin is hiding in some bushes, and a PC walks by. To determine surprise, the DM rolls for the goblin'...
8
votes
2answers
902 views
Is hiding different when invisible than when behind total cover?
A character rolls stealth with advantage if he is invisible, because he can't be seen. Why doesn't a character get advantage for being behind total cover? The senses you rely on to detect the ...
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3answers
1k views
Controlling Spiritual Weapon while hidden
If my multi-classed Rogue(4)/Warlock(5) casts Spiritual Weapon, and then Hides...
Can he continue to control the Spiritual Weapon on his subsequent turns and remain Hidden? Or does attacking the ...
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votes
2answers
283 views
Does hidden just mean unseen and unheard?
Exactly what "hidden" means in game is not completely obvious.
Hiding When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until
you are discovered or you stop hiding, that check’s total is
...
0
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2answers
232 views
Does making an attack while Hidden reveal your position to a blind & deaf creature?
The rules on attacking creatures from hiding are:
When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it. If you are hidden–both unseen and unheard–when you make an attack, ...
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3answers
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In combat, do creatures have complete knowledge of the locations of all other non-Hidden creatures in the combat?
In my question about Hiding I realised in the comments that I was resting on the following assumption:
In combat, every creature knows exactly (to the square) where every other creature in the ...
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2answers
583 views
Can you Hide from some but not all enemies?
One of my players is asking if he can use Wall of Fire to block off the line of sight of enemy archers. The spell description says the wall is "opaque", so this seems like a valid thing to try.
...
21
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4answers
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Can I see a Hidden creature that is not obscured at all?
Here is the scenario: I am the GM, and one of my players is a Sharpshooter Rogue. He likes to hide as a bonus action to gain advantage on his rolls, which effectively nullifies the -5 attack bonus on ...
9
votes
1answer
704 views
Does Pass without Trace and Wild Shape into Cranium Rat make you untraceable?
Pass without trace says:
A veil of shadows and silence
radiates from you, masking you and your companions from detection. For
the duration, each creature you choose within 30 feet of you
(...
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votes
3answers
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Does tremorsense see through Pass without Trace?
Scenario: The PCs have Pass without Trace active when they walk through a tunnel where an Umber Hulk has been waiting behind the wall in ambush for prey, using its tremorsense.
Question: Does the ...
9
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3answers
327 views
Is shadow blend as powerful as it seems?
The level 7 Dark Moon Disciple monk substitution level grants the monk—in exchange for the supernatural ability wholeness of body—the supernatural ability shadow blend that says
In any conditions ...
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11answers
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How do I allow the Rogue opportunities to be stealthy with a Druid in the party?
My party is currently level 6, and consists of a Halfling Rogue, Human Druid, Halfling Barbarian, and Half-Elf Monk. They're all excellent players who play tactically and know their class well. I'm ...
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1answer
617 views
Rules for being stealthy while mounted
Are there official rules or rulings for attempting to use stealth while mounted?
My research on the internet has found a number of opinions on the matter, but none of them seem to be backed by a ...
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2answers
407 views
Does a PC know it rolled low when using stealth?
This happens on a PBP session recently.
I have a goblin on a watch on a tower, but the party doesn't know this. This is an enemy base, so they rolled Dexterity (stealth) to get in.
One of the ...
23
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2answers
2k views
How much can a surprised character do?
When a character is surprised, they can't move or take actions (including bonus actions) on their first turn, and they can't use a reaction until the end of their first turn.
Well and good.
But can ...
6
votes
1answer
677 views
When does a hidden opponent that is attacking become visible?
The PHB p.180 specifies that during a round of combat, there are all manner of actions occurring during combat:
"In combat characters and monsters are in constant motion, often using
movement ...
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4answers
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Can I stay hidden between using Misty Step into melee range and attacking with an action?
Situation
I'm hidden behind a pillar. The enemy is within 30 ft range. I have Misty Step prepared (or the Fey Step from the Eladrin race) and I want to Sneak Attack (or try to surprise the enemy).
...
11
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5answers
973 views
How to have players save against secret spells and traps
I've been thinking about a method to utilize secret threats without removing player agency. This is especially important for when a character would be forced to make a saving throw by a stealthed ...
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1answer
221 views
How visible is someone using Rogue's Hide in Plain Sight?
For disambiguation, I'm referring using Pathfinder's Rogue Talent from Ultimate Combat. An excellent answer might address if other form(s) of HiPS have a different answer, but it's not necessary.
A ...
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1answer
237 views
Does the “fast stealth” skill reduce the penalty for stealthing from distracted observers?
Part of the stealth rules from Paizo:
If people are observing you using any of their senses (but typically sight), you can't use Stealth. Against most creatures, finding cover or concealment allows ...
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1answer
152 views
Does breaking cover/concealment end stealth, post-errata?
Once again, stealth is causing problems in Pathfinder, with the stealth errata adding the following line:
When you start your turn using Stealth, you can leave cover or concealment and remain ...
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1answer
382 views
Sniping, Bluff and Escape, oh my! Pathfinder combat Stealth questions
I'm playing my first Pathfinder campaign and created a monstrosity of cowardly proportions; the result of an overwhelming buffet of available classes. He is a ranged rogue (shocker) and has some Rogue ...
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1answer
606 views
How combat Hide mechanic works on multiple enemies present?
I'm a player in a campaign. One of the encounter I'm currently in is my party are surprised by bunch of skeletons in the bushes when we arrived at a clearing.
We fall back to the bushes. I rolled ...
11
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1answer
5k views
Perception While Sleeping
While a creature is asleep (naturally, not as a result of an enchantment spell), does it continue to use its unmodified Perception score, or is it disadvantaged as a result of it being effectively in ...
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2answers
159 views
If a penalty is reduced past 0, does it become a bonus?
Context: stealthy sniper advanced rogue talent reduces sniping check to -10. Expert sniper feat reduces the penalty by 10. The 5 rank skill unlock for stealth also reduces the penalty for sniping by ...
