D&D 5E Attacking from hiding -- who knows where you are?

If you attack from hiding, using a bow, you "give away your location", but to who? Certainly to your target (unless they're dead), but to anyone else? When your target goes down any other enemy standing next to him certainly notices it and has some idea where the arrow came from but is it exact? What about an enemy who is 15' away from the newly dead creature?
Would the DM just make a decision each time based on how close the enemy was to the target and how alert he was?

The idea is you're no longer hidden, from anyone. Whatever benefits being hidden confers in your game, are lost.

daimaru42 said:

If you attack from hiding, using a bow, you "give away your location", but to who? Certainly to your target (unless they're dead), but to anyone else? When your target goes down any other enemy standing next to him certainly notices it and has some idea where the arrow came from but is it exact? What about an enemy who is 15' away from the newly dead creature?
Would the DM just make a decision each time based on how close the enemy was to the target and how alert he was?

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Depends on your DM.

Hiding and stealth is left vague on purpose to allow for different styles and feel. Some people rule that hidden is a "condition" you either have or don't.

Others, like me say that "it depends"; basically who could have seen where the arrow came from and were they paying attention.

Let's say you're following some goblins who are tired from a long trek. The caravan is noisy, it's bright out (goblins hate that in my world). You snipe one of the goblins in the back and kill it instantly. There's a chance no one knows where you are.

On the other hand, let's say you are hidden but the enemy knows there's someone out there. They're scanning the woods, you shoot and several of them know where you are and can point you out to anyone who didn't see it.

Being hidden is an opposed check between you and individuals, it's not a condition like previous editions.

BTW, you may have spawned a lot of posts ... this is for some reason a controversial subject.

daimaru42 said:

If you attack from hiding, using a bow, you "give away your location", but to who? Certainly to your target (unless they're dead), but to anyone else?

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Anyone who saw you. I know that's not very helpful, but there's no formula of distance, line of sight, or anything to determine it more exactly than that. You'll know for sure when they start pointing or shooting at you.

Would the DM just make a decision each time

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Yes.

based on how close the enemy was to the target and how alert he was?

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Maybe. Or whether he thought a particular creature present happened to be looking in your general direction when you took the shot. Or consulting the mystic oracles of Ein'i, Mi-ni, Mynee, & Maux.

Oofta said:

Others, like me say that "it depends"; basically who could have seen where the arrow came from and were they paying attention.

Let's say you're following some goblins who are tired from a long trek. The caravan is noisy, it's bright out (goblins hate that in my world). You snipe one of the goblins in the back and kill it instantly. There's a chance no one knows where you are.

On the other hand, let's say you are hidden but the enemy knows there's someone out there. They're scanning the woods, you shoot and several of them know where you are and can point you out to anyone who didn't see it.

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This, exactly.

Sometimes it just comes down to random luck - did anyone happen to be looking at you when you stood up for a moment and fired. Even the target might not be much help - the caravan guard got hit in the left side and can yell out that the shot came from somewhere to her left...but from how far? Is the shooter on the ground or up a tree? Which bush is it behind? And...how many more are out there?

Lan-"and were you even the intended target, or did some hunter just miss a deer somewhere out there and bag you instead"-efan

Some food for thought on weather effects, visibility, advantages and disadvantages:

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/environment/weather/

http://dungeonsmaster.com/2010/03/effective-use-of-weather/

Best data on effects of weather: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/weather.htm#tableWindEffects

Good ideas on the effects, distance and vision types may have or be impacted by weather.

Hope they help