Hiding other characters

[Tom McCafferty]

Last weekend I was faced with the problem of how to determine if the party's ambush was spotted by a group of orcs.

In the party there is a hobbit whose hide skill exceeds everyone elses by a great amount. The party were hidden in the bushes by the hobbit, their arguement being that the orc's spot should match the hobbit's hide for the ambush to be spotted.

Do you think this is correct?

Or have I been conned, as I suspect I should compare the orc with the best spot skill in the orc band with the character with the worst hide skill for the ambush to be discovered.

 

[Planetouched]

every char makes hide check and the orcs all make spot checks. Never does one hiding PC conceal the rest of your party. Isn't this like logical?..I know how my PC's would react:

PC1: "Look, there orcs!"
PC2: "Orcs, how many? Come let's gettum."
PC3: "Orcs? xp!! let's kill 'em all."
DM: Aren't you a paladin and perhaps they could be like...good orcs?
PC1: "Look, that one looks like the one we killed last time, I bet he's just been raised! Chaargge!!"
PC3: "I agree...die by my sword."
DM:.....

 

[CRGreathouse]

The ELH lets one member hide others, albeit at a (-50?) penalty.

 

[Shallown]

Use the aid another rule. If he makes a DC 10 then the others get +2 to their hide.

In my games I allow the DC to be raised to increase the aid by like +1 per 5 points but remember what would add in to this.

For that situation I would discount size bonus (they aren't small)
Racial bonus (They aren't halflings)
Dex bonus (How fast the halfling has little bearing)
Magic items (They don't have a cloak on)

Once those things are taken into account the DC raising for additional bonus doesn't get out of hand.

Things I would include.
If he had a camoflouge kit (can be used on others)
Skill Focus (He just knows more about hiding)

Etc

I use this for all skills in my game I just apply logic and the circumstance bonus/penalty rules.

So it isn't exactly a house rule

Later

 

[Aaron2]

If a character has total cover or concealment, he can't be seen. Hide checks aren't used. Thus, you can put the non-Hobbit character in a deep ditch or behind a stone wall and the orcs would have no chance of seeing them. Only the Hobbits Hide skill would count (he can't have 100% cover since he's got to be on the lookout for the orcs).

The only down side to this is that is might take a few rounds for the other character to make their way to the ambush location once the hobbit sounds the alarm.


Aaron

 

[Bastoche]

The ELH penality for hiding another is -20 IIRC. Maybe -30. But not -50, that's a bit high IMO.

 

[Taloras]

I believe that there is a PrC in Quintessential Rogue(commando type PrC) that can hide others, create ambushes, and sneak attack at 60 feet....but im not certain.