Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 digitallimit0 Sep 04, 2014 19:23:16	From the "quick questions" thread, here's a not so quick series of questions about stealth and things:   digitallimit0 wrote:
#2 Thank_Dog Sep 04, 2014 19:59:39	What is the actual question you're asking? That's just a jumble of conversation taken out of context. A clear question will result in a clear answer. There isn't even a question in all of this.
#3 Danny_Montanny Sep 05, 2014 4:23:51	For Sneak Attack, if you attack a creature that has an enemy 5 ft. away from it that can take actions, you can apply the bonus damage on a hit. So long as the weapon is finesse or ranged, it doesn't matter where you attack from.   This notion that moving "breaks" stealth is ridiculous. If you extrapolate from Exploration, you just have to be moving slowly to be able to stealth. Also, moving away from cover and approaching an enemy is entirely up to the DM weather or not stealth is maintained. A Shadow Monk stepping from a shadow and moving no more than 20 ft. should be able to remain stealthed against their target so long as their check beats the target's passive perception, but again, up to the DM.   Normally, attacks give away your position. The Skulker feat allows missed ranged attacks to circumvent this, but mechanically, I don't think there's any other way. Intuitively, though, there's plenty, especially with ranged attacks.   So many people want to quantify it, but it's not possible. The rules are strictly written to allow for variation. If you have a stealthy character, talk to your DM and decide what that means together. If your Wizard and Rogue are pinned down around a corner by an evil caster, wouldn't you allow the Wizard to open a Dimension Door right behind the caster so the Rogue could step through and Sneak Attack?
#4 Timborama Sep 05, 2014 6:28:28	Danny_Montanny wrote:
#5 digitallimit0 Sep 05, 2014 11:00:02	Danny_Montanny wrote:
#6 obsid Sep 05, 2014 13:56:06	You must have FULL COVER or HEAVY CONSEALMENT (Ie the enemy cannot see any of your body at all) to use the hide action (ie to enter stealth), without some special ability like the lightfoot halfing.  One your are hidding, you only need to maintain some cover (at least 1/2) to remain hidden.  You can peak out and shoot your bow or throw a dagger, without him seeing you.  If you step out of cover entirely (as is usually required for a melee attack), as soon as you lose all cover then you are no longer hidden and dont gain advantage.  The one exception is if the enemy is distracted, which is up to the DM (if you attack from behind a character that is fighting someone else its possible for the DM to say the creature is distracted).  Remember lightfoot halflings can hide behind characters too, allowing them to potentially get very close without breaking cover, but even then you can almost never get into melee range and not break stealth (short of heavy consealmnet that you can see through like a magical darkness when you have devils sight warlock ability or a reach weapon allowing you to attack around a friendly).  You can do things like throw your dagger at the enemy from 10 feet away as a lightfoot halfling, however you always break stealth after you attack.
#7 arnwolf666 Sep 05, 2014 14:02:59	I find stealth comical.  You can hide when no one can see you.  Well duh, we need a check for that.  I am considering a house rule where a person can leave his hiding place and move up to his movement rate and still be hidden until the end of his turn if there is no cover or he doesn't attack.  I think it would be much more intersting in combat.
(Reply to #6) Moribund	Nowhere does it say what exactly breaks hiding, besides an attack or making noise. All we really have to go on is the line: "if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you."   This can be interpreted as: you either need to maintain the initial conditions that allowed you to hide (which for most people is total cover or heavily obscured) or not approach the target.   This is restrictive, but not terribly so.  You can move, as long as it isn't toward the target, which allows you to move out of cover or obscurement (and thus able to see your target).  You can even approach, as long as the conditions continue to allow you to hide.    But nowhere in the rules does it say you can need to maintain some cover or obscurement to stay hidden.  It isn't unreasonable to assume, but is never explicitly stated.   Interestingly enough, hiding in a heavily obscured area is automatic.  The opponent's Perception check fails due to the blinded condition.  You are just assumed to be quiet.  Lightly obscured is enough to give opponents disadvantage on Perception checks (-5 to passive Perception).  Only when there is no obscurement are both parties on equal footing.   My concern is that the isn't any text that equates cover to obscurement.  Only the lightfoot halfling's naturally stealthy ability seems to indicate that one grants the other, and does not say what degree is provided.