Rogue and stealth

[vhailor]

 ___________________________
|      |      |      |      |
|  A1  |  A2  |  A3  |  A4  |
|______|______|______|______|
|      |      |      |      |
|  B1  |enemy |      |  B4  |
|______|______|______|______|
|      |      |      |      |
|  C1  |pillar|      |      |
|______|______|______|______|
|      |      |      |      |
|  D1  |rogue |      |  D4  |
|______|______|______|______|
|      |      |      |      |
|  E1  |      |      |      |
|______|______|______|______|

 

[essenbee]

This is how I would rule the move from D1 to d2: If the enemy watched you go behind the pillar, then he knows you are there. You could make a Bluff check (vs. Insight) to distract the enemy (e.g. use ventriloquism to throw your voice, causing the enemy to look behind him), and , if successful, nip behind the pillar and try to hide. Then he would not be certain where you went...

 

[deleteme123456]

1. No, you don't have superior cover. The enemy chooses any corner of its square and traces lines to all corners of your square. No matter which corner he chooses, he has unbroken line of sight to at least 2 corners of your square, which is only cover, not superior cover. Your DM may rule differently, but this is RAW.
2. Technically neither of you has superior cover (see #1) and can't make a stealth check unless you were previously hidden.
3. Assuming you somehow got stealth in D2 despite #1 and #2, you use deft strike and pick D3 or D4, doesn't matter both give the enemy cover... after the attack you can return to D2, but per #1 you don't have superior cover and can't stealth.
4. Opinions on FG differ. I personally rule that the power means to let you move at full speed without penalty to stealth; others think it means that you can make a check when you only have cover or concealment. That said, even in B3 you definitely don't have cover or concealment, so even if you pass the stealth check, you immediately become unhidden as the enemy has unbroken line of sight to you.
5. Please see the errata for Stealth. Stealth is now at the end of a move action, and you retain the benefits of stealth until you complete the action that causes you to lose stealth.

 

[kalfalnal]

Perhaps someone could make a flow chart for attaining and maintaining stealth through movement and attacking and the like...

 

[deleteme123456]

Sadly my time is devoted to my campaign, with leftover time currently going to improving the Weisbaden charsheet, and after that I need a bloody DM screen that isn't completely useless/out-of-date. Maybe after that.

 

[vhailor]

1. No, you don't have superior cover. The enemy chooses any corner of its square and traces lines to all corners of your square. No matter which corner he chooses, he has unbroken line of sight to at least 2 corners of your square, which is only cover, not superior cover. Your DM may rule differently, but this is RAW.

Doesn't superior cover mean that my enemy has no visual comtact with me?

In case I and the enemy are on the opposite sides of a pillar or wall covering one square, don't have I superior cover? Any line from his square to mine touches the pillar.
In the book says:
"To determine whether you can see a target, pick a corner of your space and trace an imaginary line from that corner to any part of the target’s space. You can see the target if at least one line doesn’t pass through or touch an object or an effect—such as a wall, a thick curtain, or a cloud of fog—that blocks your vision."

 

[Griogre]

No the definition of Superior cover (DMG 43) is that 3 or 4 lines are blocked from a corner and only if 4 lines are blocked can you be not targeted. the way you drew your pillar two lines can always be drawn from each corner (you are allowed to draw the lines down the side of the pillar) so there is only cover not superior cover from that pillar.