D&D 5E Can Objects Be Hidden?

[Satyrn]

. . . in the absence of a skill check to hide the object . . .

When I edit down a post I'm quoting I try to select the most relevant bit. But along with that I also try not to respond as though what I didn't quote doesn't exist.

 

[BoldItalic]

Oddly enough, in the absence of a skill check to hide the object, the DM gets to decide the DC needed to find it (not the player).

So if the player wants to pull "Oh, I hid that awhile ago without telling the DM, you have to find it", it might very well be decided that a DC 5 Investigate/Perception is needed check to find it.

In my scheme, the player doing the hiding decides the DC because the player becomes the DM for that purpose and therefore has a mandate to do so. The rules read as if it is assumed that the DM is always the same person, but it doesn't have to be. If you think of "the DM" as being a role that can pass between the people around the table, it puts a different slant on things.

 

[Caliban]

When I edit down a post I'm quoting I try to select the most relevant bit. But along with that I also try not to respond as though what I didn't quote doesn't exist.

What are you talking about? Nothing in the parts I didn't quote referred to making a skill check.

And in the the bit I did quote, they specifically state: "not tell the DM where he has put it or what DC he thinks it deserves..."

No skill check to hide it, just deciding on a DC and informing the DM what it is. Which is the relevant bit I was responding to...

 

[Caliban]

In my scheme, the player doing the hiding decides the DC because the player becomes the DM for that purpose and therefore has a mandate to do so.

Yeah, no. Not at my table anyways. I'm very much in the "My world, my game, I'm the DM." camp. Player Agency is important, but they don't get to take the reins away from the DM on a whim. That would be so abused by my players.

If you prefer to handle it differently in your game, more power to you.

 

[Satyrn]

What are you talking about? Nothing in the parts I didn't quote referred to making a skill check.

And in the the bit I did quote, they specifically state: "not tell the DM where he has put it or what DC he thinks it deserves..."

No skill check to hide it, just deciding on a DC and informing the DM what it is. Which is the relevant bit I was responding to...

I was going for a joke. A far too subtle joke.

What I quoted was the least relevant part of your quote regarding what I was trying to imply: Your reply to bolditalic seemed to completely ignore his mention of the player taking on the role of DM.

 

[Caliban]

I was going for a joke. A far too subtle joke.

What I quoted was the least relevant part of your quote regarding what I was trying to imply: Your reply to bolditalic seemed to completely ignore his mention of the player taking on the role of DM.

Yeah, I didn't get it.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

But what about you? Do you think objects can be Hidden?

[sarcasm mode]

Well, what I want to know is: Can a falling object be considered to HAVE to take the Move action when falling? Until we get this one sorted out my group at least, refuses to play such an obviously broken RPG!

[/sarcasm mode]



I would answer more serious...but I don't think I have to because it should be obvious on my view (I hope!).

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Li Shenron]

I recently got into a debate about whether or not objects could be hidden. I thought it would be interesting to turn this into a poll and discussion about the topic. And when I say hidden, I mean gaining the same benefits as having taken the Hide Action.

What exactly are the benefits of taking the Hide action? "Hidden" is not even a condition listed in the conditions appendix IRC. Being "hidden" to someone just means that such someone doesn't know where you are, or that they even don't know you are there at all. Other possible mechanical benefits apply to combat mostly, which doesn't apply to objects.

So of course an object can be hidden! Whatever object you don't know is there (e.g. a trap or secret door) or you don't know where (e.g. a key) is hidden.

I believe that objects can be Hidden, especially if someone intentionally hides them. How does someone intentionally hide an object? That was also the subject of debate. For me, the most obvious way is taking an object with you when you use the Hide Action and then leaving it in the place where you were hidden. This would be subject to all the usual hide limitations, such as being revealed when a creature with line of sight reasonably looks its way.

Another way seems to be the Sleight of Hand skill. It states "Whenever you attempt an act of legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting something on someone else or concealing an object on your person, make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check."

I think Dexterity(Sleight of Hand) is mostly used for the transition of an object from not-hidden to hidden. For example, to steal something and put it in your pocket without anyone noticing.

It's not so much used to put an object in your pockets or conceal a weapon in your boot beforehand i.e. when nobody's watching. But if you have a situation where e.g. a guard is checking your clothes for concealed weapons, I would rather use an Intelligence check to represent how well you might have concealed such weapon.

 

[Horwath]

Simple hide and object.

Set the DC.

If it's out of sight and has to be found by clues then use Investigation skill.

If it is hidden in plain sight by ways of camouflage, then use Perception skill.

Size of an object and hiding place/method will determin the time needed.

Hiding few cold coins between rocks might take single Action, while camouflaging a house in forest might take several days.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Under most circumstances I would say there is no need to do a check to hide an object. The player informs the DM they want to hide the object. The DM asks how carefully they want to hide it and how much time they want to take to do so and sets a DC accordingly. Finding a hidden object is not an opposed check, it is static.

If you are using a special skill to try and make it more difficult to find, such as camouflaging the object then there might be a check on that aspect, which could modify the DC for finding the object.


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