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D&D 5E DM Help! My rogue always spams Hide as a bonus action, and i cant target him!
- Thread starter Klaudius Rex
- Start date
Flamestrike
Legend
I've weighed out of this discussion (getting sick of repeating myself and really, everyone is entitled to the interpretation that works for them) but you might want to re-read the advice you quoted.
Nowhere does it say those races can attempt to hide while being observed. It says you can attempt when observers are 'nearby', and you stay hidden thereafter even if they look straight at you.
It was intentionally written vague to support both interpretations (gamist/ RAW vs simulationist/ common sense) of hiding.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
"and a wood elf can try to hide simply by being in heavy rain, mist, falling snow, foliage, or similar natural phenomena. It’s as if nature itself cloaks a wood elf from prying eyes—even eyes staring right at the elf!"
It says right there clear as day that you can try to hide while being stared at. So yes, it does say they can attempt to hide while being observed.
Plaguescarred
D&D Playtester for WoTC since 2012
The question specifically ask if they can hide while observed and the answer doesn't specifically refute it. It on the contrary say it can be done even when eyes are staring right at them. Normally you can't hide from someone if you're in full view. A lightfoot halfling though, can try. And a wood elf can try to hide too. It says so right in the answer!
Flamestrike
Legend
He is staring at the Elf. [After] the Elf hides.
And hiding while under observation is something the Elf cant do, while being stared at.
It's just now [Elf hidden behind small bush, yet still totally visible] he wont see the elf even if he's looking right at him.
Example:
An Elf walks into room containing nothing but a 2 and a half foot tall potted ficus. Even though the ficus only provides light obscurement, he decides to hide behind the ficus. He rolls well [An 18]. An Orc [passive perception 12] walks into the room and stares directly at the ficus (and the Elf).
Despite staring straight at the Elf, the Orc cant see the Elf.
Now, if the Elf were a Human [and not an Elf], the Orc would instead see this:
In the Elfs case, the Orc instead sees this:
Elf magic is cool.
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Flamestrike
Legend
No, the answer is written (intentionally I strongly suspect; they still havent provided a definitive answer one way or the other) to support both interpretations; the gamist one and the simulationist one.
See above for reasons.
Flamestrike
Legend
No, it doesn't. It says once hidden they cant be seen by observers (with a lower perception than the Elfs stealth result) despite still being visible. Its intentionally written to support both interpretations.
Observe:
A wood elf can try to hide simply by being in heavy rain, mist, falling snow, foliage, or similar natural phenomena.
Elf [in natural phenomena with no-one watching] is allowed to take the Hide action ['try to hide']. Succeeds and rolls higher than passive perception of dudes nearby.
Dudes nearby now turn and look directly at the Elf.
It’s as if nature itself cloaks a wood elf from prying eyes—even eyes staring right at the elf!"
Dudes see nothing, despite the Elf being clearly visible.
Plaguescarred
D&D Playtester for WoTC since 2012
No the answer is clear enought it's just that some simulationist have a hard time accepting it i believe.
If you're not in vull view you're not seen clearly and thus everyone can hide. Normally you can't hide from someone in full view. These features THOUGH let you try to hide while in full view.
Though means despite the fact, even if , howerever.... http://www.thefreedictionary.com/though
So even if, however, despite the fact that they're in full view (and normally can't hide) they can try to hide...
Normally, you can’t hide from someone if you’re in full view. A lightfoot halfling, though, can try to vanish behind a creature that is at least one size larger, and a wood elf can try to hide simply by being in heavy rain, mist, falling snow, foliage, or similar natural phenomena.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Try to hide =/= already hidden. It means that you are not hidden and TRY TO HIDE. You are trying to force that statement to fit your pre-conceived ideas on hiding, when it clearly doesn't.
If someone is not observed he can NEVER try to hide, as hiding will ALWAYS be successful. Staying hidden vs. perception is another matter entirely, but when unobserved the roll is not to try to hide, it is to see how well you successfully hid. You can only ever TRY to hide while being observed.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
For the record, I'm primarily simulationist and I understand it just fine. [MENTION=6787503]Hriston[/MENTION] and [MENTION=6788736]Flamestrike[/MENTION] are trying to twist that statement to fit their narrative of how hiding works. Hriston is trying to argue that you don't directly observe something you are staring directly at, and Flamestrike is trying to divorce the second sentence from the first when they are clearly tied together by how they are written. Both are failing badly.
