Difference between revisions of "Stealth (Apath)"

	Unofficial rules compendium
	Contents 1 Hiding 1.1 Going Into Hiding; 1.2 Remain in Hiding; 1.3 Avoiding a Search; 1.4 Automatically Leaving Stealth; 1.5 Hide Others; 1.6 Shadowing; ; 2 Non-Combat Stealth 2.1 Group Stealth; 2.2 Marathon Stealth; ; 3 External Links 3.1 Discussion Sources; ;
	Contents 1 Hiding 1.1 Going Into Hiding; 1.2 Remain in Hiding; 1.3 Avoiding a Search; 1.4 Automatically Leaving Stealth; 1.5 Hide Others; 1.6 Shadowing; ; 2 Non-Combat Stealth 2.1 Group Stealth; 2.2 Marathon Stealth; ; 3 External Links 3.1 Discussion Sources; ;

Latest revision as of 13:03, 4 December 2017

Publisher Purple Duck Games.

The details of how to hide are somewhat obscure. This is an attempt to clear up the different situations where Stealth checks to hide are needed.

Hiding

You are usually either hidden against all enemies or not hidden at all; as long as your enemies communicate, they are able to point out your location to each other if any of them know where you are. Sometimes this can be to your advantage; an enemy who reports your location to its allies might make sounds which can reveal its own location. If you are already in hiding when a possible observer enters the scene, you remain hidden until you act, the enemy moves into a position that prevents your Stealth, or an enemy takes an action to make a Perception check that beats your Stealth.

If you have successfully used Stealth, you are effectively invisible. You gain a +2 bonus on the attack roll, and the opponent cannot apply its Dexterity bonus to armor class. This allows you to use the sneak attack ability. Only your first attack gains this benefit. Attackers don't know where you are, and must guess at a square to attack in. Even if they do pick the right square, they still suffer 50% miss chance due to total concealment.

**Table: Compound Stealth Modifiers**
This table has all Stealth and the relevant Perception modifiers in a single table. All are expressed as modifiers to Stealth, but can just as well be reversed to be modifiers to Perception. The “when entering stealth” modifiers only count actions during the current turn and only applies to Stealth checks to hide, not to checks to remain hidden. Situation modifiers are environmental conditions such as light, noisy surfaces, leaving a trail, a dense crowd, or unlikely hiding places. Extreme situation modifiers are such things as raging fires, wading in water or mud, a riot, or sneaking past a sentry.
In improved cover	+10†
Invisible or total concealment	+20†
Situation modifier	+/-2
Extreme situation modifier	+/-5

When entering Stealth
In combat or speaking	–20
Moving at half speed or more	–5
Running or charging	–20

Observer is...
Some distance away	+1 per 10 feet
Distracted	+5
Asleep	+10
† These modifiers are halved if the observer is adjacent to the obstacle or in a very quiet environment; anytime you could hear incidental noises like breathing.

Going Into Hiding

To use stealth to hide you must move (including a 5 ft. step) and cannot have any enemy in your reach. As you can only move once in your turn, you can only go into hiding once on your turn. You also need to satisfy one of these conditions against every potential observer.

The observer is inside the reach of an enemy (typically one of your allies).
The observer is being distracted by a Bluff check to create a diversion to hide.
You have cover (not including soft cover) or concealment against the observer.

Remain in Hiding

Once you have successfully used Stealth to hide, new Stealth checks are only needed if you take an action other than a free action. You can take free actions and 5 ft. steps without having to make a Stealth check.

Avoiding a Search

If you are hidden, a new Stealth check is needed when a possible observer spends an action to make a Perception check. If the observer succeeds on this check, you are spotted and no longer hidden.

Automatically Leaving Stealth

If you run, make an attack, or take an obvious action (such as speaking to satisfy a verbal component) you leave Stealth immediately after the action. (Exception === sniping.) You can attempt to resume hiding, but usually do so at a penalty, see Table Compound Stealth Modifiers. If, on another creature's turn, you do not fulfill any of the conditions for going into Stealth against that creature, you are automatically spotted.

Hide Others

You can hide an object or a creature that remains absolutely still. This uses your Stealth skill modifier, plus a size modifier of +4 for every size category what you are hiding is smaller than you, or -4 per size category if larger than you. As soon as a creature hidden this way takes any action or moves even 5 ft., it must use its own Stealth skill.

Shadowing

In a setting that regularly provides concealment or cover, such as a forest or crowded street, Stealth can be used to unobtrusively follow another creature. This is handled with an opposed roll of Stealth vs. Perception. Range penalties do not apply, the distance between shadow and quarry varies from moment to moment. The marathon stealth rules can be used here.

Non-Combat Stealth

**Unaware Condition**
To make Stealth easier to use the GM may use the unaware condition. An intelligent creature that does not expect trouble is unaware. This applies to most noncombatants, and to combatants who are not expecting trouble or standing on guard. An unaware creature always takes 10 on perception checks. They are often distracted as well. When a creature fails an opposed Stealth check against an unaware enemy, the enemy does not spot the stealthy creature, but looses the unaware condition.

Do not use these rules in combat; they are intended for avoiding combat.

Group Stealth

When a group of creatures tries to move stealthily the following procedure can be used. Each character makes a Stealth check. Use the best result; the character who rolled the best result is on point and the first to enter new areas. Each character beyond the character with the best roll penalizes the main character's Stealth check by -4. If a character's Stealth check was 10 or more the penalty for that character is reduced to -2. This is a variant of the aid other action. Characters can hang back to lessen the impact they have on the main character's Stealth check. Being 50 ft. away or behind a corner allows a character to not roll Stealth and always provide only a -2 penalty. If the distance is 100 ft. or more or the character is behind a closed door, the character doesn't count at all.

Marathon Stealth

Using Stealth over long distances can quickly grow repetitive. To simplify the process, assume that both sides are taking 10 until the point of greatest risk; that is when the chance of being spotted is greatest, or at 30 ft. range if approaching an observer that closely. Apply a –4 penalty on the first Stealth check to represent the cumulative risk of multiple observations. The GM should always require Stealth checks at obstacles, such as when climbing a fence or wading a moat. Note that it is possible to avoid having to use marathon stealth by taking only 5 ft. steps and remaining in cover; as noted above this requires no Stealth checks.

External Links

Original Stealth rules at d20PFSRD.com
Stealth Discussion at ENworld
Stealth development article at Paizo Blog
More Stealth @ Paizo
Hobbies Pathfinder—Hide in Plain Sight Analysis

Discussion Sources

The text in this article is Open Game Content. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the Action copyright. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains OGL material and does not show this license statement, please contact one of the Action administrators. Please note that images used in article may have different copyright than the text.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Apath}}
-{| class="wikitable"
+'''Publisher
-|'''Interpretation, News, Rewrite''' <br>
+Purple Duck Games.
-Much of this article is merely recapitulation and interpretation; I explain the Stealth rules as I understand them. But certain parts are either new or rewritten.
-State of alertness, group stealth, and taking 10 are new rules.
+The details of how to hide are somewhat obscure. This is an attempt to clear up the different situations where Stealth checks to hide are needed.
-Invisibility has been made to confirm more closely to the normal Stealth rules. Rather than having its own rule for when a character is pinpointed or merely spotted, it uses the general state of alertness rule.
+== Hiding ==
-|}
+You are usually either hidden against all enemies or not hidden at all; as long as your enemies communicate, they are able to point out your location to each other if any of them know where you are. Sometimes this can be to your advantage; an enemy who reports your location to its allies might make sounds which can reveal its own location.
-You are skilled at avoiding detection, allowing you to slip past foes or strike from an unseen position. This skill covers hiding and moving silently.
+If you are already in hiding when a possible observer enters the scene, you remain hidden until you act, the enemy moves into a position that prevents your Stealth, or an enemy takes an action to make a Perception check that beats your Stealth.
-== Check ==
+If you have successfully used Stealth, you are effectively invisible. You gain a +2 bonus on the attack roll, and the opponent cannot apply its Dexterity bonus to armor class. This allows you to use the sneak attack ability. Only your first attack gains this benefit. Attackers don't know where you are, and must guess at a square to attack in. Even if they do pick the right square, they still suffer 50% miss chance due to total concealment.
-Your Stealth check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone who might notice you. Creatures whose Perception you beat with your Stealth can't sense you or say where you are. You are effectively [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Invisibility invisible] against them. When hidden this way, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls, and ignores opponents' Dexterity bonuses to AC (even if they lack such a bonus, which is significant for sneak attack). Attackers don't know where you are, and must guess at a square to attack in.
+{| class="wikitable" align="right" width="40%"
+|+ '''Table: Compound Stealth Modifiers'''
-As long as your enemies communicate, they are able to point out your location to each other if they know where they are; you are usually either hidden against all enemies or not hidden at all. Sometimes this can be to your advantage; an enemy who reports your location to its allies might make sounds which can reveal its own location.
+|-
+|colspan=2| This table has all Stealth and the relevant Perception modifiers in a single table. All are expressed as modifiers to Stealth, but can just as well be reversed to be modifiers to Perception. The “when entering stealth” modifiers only count actions during the current turn and only applies to Stealth checks to hide, not to checks to remain hidden. Situation modifiers are environmental conditions such as light, noisy surfaces, leaving a trail, a dense crowd, or unlikely hiding places. Extreme situation modifiers are such things as raging fires, wading in water or mud, a riot, or sneaking past a sentry.
-As soon as you do something to draw attention to yourself, you exit stealth. This includes making any kind of attack. For exceptions see sniping below; the GM may allow other exceptions using the sniping mechanic. Several of these actions are listed among the check modifiers below; this is in case you want to use Stealth at the end of a round after having done one of these things to reveal yourself.
+|-
+||In improved cover  ||align=right| +10†
-If you are successfully using Stealth and attack another creature, you gain the advantages of being invisible; a +2 bonus on the attack roll, and the opponent cannot apply its Dexterity bonus to armor class. This allows you to use the sneak attack ability rogues and some other characters have. Only your first attack in a round gains this benefit.
+|-
+||Invisible or total concealment  ||align=right| +20†
-=== Stealth Check Modifiers ===
+|-
-{| class="wikitable"
+||Situation modifier  ||align=right| +/-2
-|valign="top"| '''Creature using Stealth is...''' ||valign="top"| '''Stealth modifier'''
 |-
-|valign="top"| Size Modifier||valign="top"| See text
+||Extreme situation modifier  ||align=right| +/-5
 |-
-|valign="top"| Moving at more than half speed, or gesturing (sign language, somatic components) ||valign="top"| –5
+||||
 |-
-|valign="top"| Working (standard or full-round action) or Talking (verbal components)||valign="top"| –10
+|| ''' When entering Stealth  ||align=right|
 |-
-|valign="top"| Running or in combat ||valign="top"| –20
+||In combat or speaking  ||align=right| –20
 |-
-|}
+||Moving at half speed or more  ||align=right| –5
-Creatures gain a bonus or penalty on Stealth checks based on their size: Fine +16, Diminutive +12, Tiny +8, Small +4, Large –4, Huge –8, Gargantuan –12, Colossal -16.
-Once you are successfully hidden and are aware of all potential observers, you can take 10 on Stealth checks. Since unaware observers generally take 10 on their Perception checks and are often distracted as well, it is possible to remain in Stealth indefinitely unless something untoward happens, such as new creatures entering the scene.
-=== Perception Check Modifiers ===
-These Perception check modifiers typically apply to perceive someone using Stealth.
-{| class="wikitable"
-|valign="top"| '''Circumstance''' ||valign="top"| '''Perception modifier'''
 |-
-|valign="top"| Distance ||valign="top"| -1 per 10 feet
+||Running or charging  ||align=right| –20
 |-
-|valign="top"| Behind an obstacle (corner, closed door) ||valign="top"| -5
+||||
 |-
-|valign="top"| Through a wall (per foot of thickness) ||valign="top"| -10
+|| '''Observer is...
 |-
-|valign="top"| In improved cover ||valign="top"| -10
+||Some distance away  ||align=right| +1 per 10 feet
 |-
-|valign="top"| Total Concealment (invisible, total cover) ||valign="top"| -20
+||Distracted  ||align=right| +5
 |-
-|valign="top"| Observer is distracted (busy, in melee)||valign="top"| -5
+||Asleep  ||align=right| +10
 |-
-|valign="top"| Observer is asleep ||valign="top"| -10
+|colspan=2| † These modifiers are halved if the observer is adjacent to the obstacle or in a very quiet environment; anytime you could hear incidental noises like breathing.
 |}
+===  Going Into Hiding ===
+To use stealth to hide you must move (including a 5 ft. step) and cannot have any enemy in your reach. As you can only move once in your turn, you can only go into hiding once on your turn. You also need to satisfy one of these conditions against every potential observer.
+* The observer is inside the reach of an enemy (typically one of your allies).
+* The observer is being distracted by a Bluff check to create a diversion to hide.
+* You have cover (not including soft cover) or concealment against the observer.
-The +20 modifier for total concealment assumes a situation with a fair amount of distractions, like a city street or busy room. In a very quiet setting or when another sense could reveal the character this modifier is reduced to -10, or even less in an absolute quiet.
+=== Remain in Hiding ===
+Once you have successfully used Stealth to hide, new Stealth checks are only needed if you take an action other than a free action. You can take free actions and 5 ft. steps without having to make a Stealth check.
-== Conditions For Going Into Stealth ==
+=== Avoiding a Search ===
-To hide using stealth, you need to satisfy '''two''' conditions, you need to be under cover or concealment, and all observers need to be distracted.
+If you are hidden, a new Stealth check is needed when a possible observer spends an action to make a Perception check. If the observer succeeds on this check, you are spotted and no longer hidden.
-=== Distraction ===
+=== Automatically Leaving Stealth ===
-An observer is distracted if one of the following applies:
+If you run, make an attack, or take an obvious action (such as speaking to satisfy a verbal component) you leave Stealth immediately after the action. (Exception ===
-* The creature has a visible enemy (typically one of your allies) closer than you are.
+sniping.) You can attempt to resume hiding, but usually do so at a penalty, see Table
-* The creatures is being distracted by a [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/bluff Bluff] check.
+Compound Stealth Modifiers. If, on another creature's turn, you do not fulfill any of the conditions for going into Stealth against that creature, you are automatically spotted.
-* You have total cover or total concealment against the creature.
-Note that a distraction is only required to hide when you are currently being seen. If an opponent can't see you because you are currently hidden, you don't need a distraction.
-=== Cover or Concealment ===
+=== Hide Others ===
-In order to hide, you need to have [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Cover cover] or [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Concealment concealment] against all hostile observers.
+You can hide an object or a creature that remains absolutely still. This uses your Stealth skill modifier, plus a size modifier of +4 for every size category what you are hiding is smaller than you, or -4 per size category if larger than you. As soon as a creature hidden this way takes any action or moves even 5 ft., it must use its own Stealth skill.
-== States of Alertness ==
+=== Shadowing ===
-Potential observers can be either be unaware or alert. Typically creatures start an encounter unaware and become alert due to failed Perception checks. This makes failing Stealth a two-tier process; the situation begins as fairly routine with unaware opponents and escalates on the first failed Perception check. A character in combat is always alert.
+In a setting that regularly provides concealment or cover, such as a forest or crowded street, Stealth can be used to unobtrusively follow another creature. This is handled with an opposed roll of Stealth vs. Perception. Range penalties do not apply, the distance between shadow and quarry varies from moment to moment. The marathon stealth rules can be used here.
+== Non-Combat Stealth ==
-A creature that is unaware takes 10 on Perception checks, and is often distracted as well. If a Stealth check fails to overcome the Perception of an unaware creature, it becomes alert.
+{| class="wikitable" align="right" width="40%"
+|+''' Unaware Condition
-An alert observer rolls Perception checks each time another character tries to use Stealth and may take move actions to try and use Perception to spot hidden enemies on its own turn. A creature that sees a plausible explanation for what created the disturbance that made them alert (often the result of a successful Bluff check) returns to being unaware, otherwise it remains alert for around 15 minutes. An alert observer that succeeds at an opposed Perception vs. Stealth check spots the sneaking character.
+|-
+|To make Stealth easier to use the GM may use the unaware condition.
-== Group Stealth ==
+An intelligent creature that does not expect trouble is unaware. This applies to most noncombatants, and to combatants who are not expecting trouble or standing on guard.
-When a group tries to move stealthily the following procedure can be used. Do not use this rule in combat or against aware opponents; it is intended for groups trying to avoid combat.
+An unaware creature always takes 10 on perception checks. They are often distracted as well.
+When a creature fails an opposed Stealth check against an unaware enemy, the enemy does not spot the stealthy creature, but looses the unaware condition.
-Each character makes a Stealth check. Use the best result. Each character beyond the character with the best roll penalizes the main character's Stealth check by -4. If a character's Stealth check was 10 or more the penalty for that character is reduced to -2. This is a variant of the Aid Other action.
+|}
+Do not use these rules in combat; they are intended for avoiding combat.
-Characters can hang back to lessen the impact they have on the main character's Stealth check. The Stealth check of a character who hangs back can never be used for the group's roll. For every 10 ft. behind the head of the group a character is, his Stealth check gets a +1 bonus, but his effective Perception check suffers a -1 penalty. Being behind a door or corner counts as being 50 ft. away. Common practice is to have two groups; a point group or point man moving at the head, and a secondary group moving far enough behind to gain an effective Stealth modifier of +9, sufficient to always roll 10.
-== Sniping ==
-If you've already successfully used Stealth at least 10 feet from your target, you can make one ranged attack and then immediately use Stealth again without becoming visible in between. You take a –20 penalty on your Stealth check to maintain your obscured location. If you pass this check, you were never visible, and targets have no idea where you are.
-Note that even if this roll fails, you can take a 5 ft. step and fulfill the conditions on entering Stealth, you can try to use Stealth at the beginning of a round. This grants the attack advantages of Stealth and avoids all circumstance penalties due to your actions in the previous round. It does not protect you in between turns.
-== Camouflage and Hiding Objects ==
-A creature can use Stealth to try and hide an object or even another creature. This is a full-round action for each 5 ft. square to be camouflaged, and uses the size modifiers of the creature or object to be hidden. All normal conditions for Stealth must be fulfilled. Use the stealth bonus of the creature that did the hiding rather than that of the hidden creature, making checks as required when observers could see through the camouflage. If the object or creature moves or is moved, this use of Stealth ends.
-== Special Cases ==
-=== Camouflage and Hide in Plain Sight ===
-Rangers and some other characters gain improved stealth abilities.
-[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/ranger#TOC-Camouflage-Ex- Camouflage] means you always have concealment for the purpose of Stealth.
-[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/ranger#TOC-Hide-in-Plain-Sight-Ex- Hide in plain sight] means you can always have cover '''and''' all observers are considered distracted. These benefits only apply to the use of Stealth; they offer no other advantages.
-=== Invisibility ===
-Invisibility denies all observers a line-of-sight and thus normally imposes a -20 penalty on Perception checks as above. Invisibility provides both distraction and concealment. An invisible creature that takes no actions, does not move, and does not speak can use a Stealth bonus of +20 instead of their actual Stealth skill. If an observer can perceive the invisible character with another sense, such as blindsight, invisibility is negated.
-=== Senses Other Than Sight ===
-Most creatures rely on sight for penetrating stealth, but there are some special cases.
-''[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Darkvision Darkvision] and [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Low-Light-Vision low-light vision]''  allows creatures to [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Concealment ignore concealment] in conditions of poor light, but it is still possible to use contrasting shadows against such vision. Thus, it can actually become easier to hide against creatures with darkvision by introducing a light source, and thus shadows.
-''Alternate Primary Senses:'' There are some senses that penetrate most cover and concealment. See
-[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Blindsight-and-Blindsense blindsense, blindsight], and
-[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Tremorsense-Ex- tremorsense].
-Even in this case you can still hide if you manage to somehow conceal yourself against the sense in question, such as masking your scent against scent-based blindsight or not touch the ground against tremorsense. Camouflage is a great asset here.
-''Secondary Senses:'' Even if you are invisible to a primary sense, or an observers primary sense is blinded, most creatures have a secondary sense (usually hearing, but sometimes scent) they can use that to locate you. You are considered [[#Invisibility|invisible]] if the target can only detect you with a secondary sense.
-See [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Keen-Scent-Ex- keen scent],
-[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Scent-Ex- scent].
-A character that has one or more secondary senses put out of action suffer a -4 penalty on Perception checks, cf [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Deafened deafened] condition.
+=== Group Stealth ===
+When a group of creatures tries to move stealthily the following procedure can be used.
+Each character makes a Stealth check. Use the best result; the character who rolled the best result is on point and the first to enter new areas. Each character beyond the character with the best roll penalizes the main character's Stealth check by -4. If a character's Stealth check was 10 or more the penalty for that character is reduced to -2. This is a variant of the aid other action.
+Characters can hang back to lessen the impact they have on the main character's Stealth check. Being 50 ft. away or behind a corner allows a character to not roll Stealth and always provide only a -2 penalty. If the distance is 100 ft. or more or the character is behind a closed door, the character doesn't count at all.
-== Action ==
+=== Marathon Stealth ===
-Usually none. Normally, you make a Stealth check as part of movement, so it doesn't take a separate action. You can use stealth as part of a 5 ft. step. You can only make one attempt at Stealth per round.
+Using Stealth over long distances can quickly grow repetitive. To simplify the process, assume that both sides are taking 10 until the point of greatest risk; that is when the chance of being spotted is greatest, or at 30 ft. range if approaching an observer that closely. Apply a –4 penalty on the first Stealth check to represent the cumulative risk of multiple observations. The GM should always require Stealth checks at obstacles, such as when climbing a fence or wading a moat.
+Note that it is possible to avoid having to use marathon stealth by taking only 5 ft. steps and remaining in cover; as noted above this requires no Stealth checks.
 == External Links ==
@@ Line 126: / Line 91: @@
 * [http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?342566-quot-Hide-in-Plain-Sight-quot-and-quot-Camouflage-quot-WHO-SAYS/page2&p=6188313&highlight=#post6188313 Stealth Discussion] at ENworld
 * [http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lcml?Stealth-Playtest-Round-TwoStealth Stealth development article at Paizo Blog]
+* [http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lckz More Stealth @ Paizo]
+* [http://davidvs.net/hobbies/pathfinder-hips.shtml Hobbies Pathfinder—Hide in Plain Sight Analysis]
 === Discussion Sources ===