Sniping, Readying, Ambushing, Lurking

[underfoot007ct]

You sort of missed my point. I want to run the game and interpret the rules in a way that doesn't nerf the Rogue's Ambusher feat. Sort of a long winded question to get to that point I admit. But if the Ambusher feat is only good for melee attacks, then I see the benefit I guess. If the rogue wants to concentrate on ranged attacks then he probably wouldn't choose that feat and opt for something more beneficial to sniping. We just don't have one yet.

What makes you think that sentry wants to play the rogues snip game. The sentry can scream for his sentry comrades, then either wait or run up to melee the rogue (with his sentry pals).

 

[stevelabny]

The (total lack of) stealth rules in the playtest is making me fear running it.

Are we really back to the 1e version of "can i hide here? no ? what about here?", then sneak up behind someone unless you have the ambusher feat, then try to hide next turn in the same shadows?

And how does the pre-gen halfling's "you can hide behind creatures larger than you" actually work?

After attacking the goblin from the shadows, the rogue moves behind the fighter like so:

--G---
----F-
-----R

On the goblin's turn, he moves to attack the rogue:
------
----FG
-----R

On the rogue's turn, he moves behind the fighter and attempts to hide!

------
---RFG
------

He succeeds, and now the goblin doesn't know where he is!

If the goblin just holds his ground and attacks the fighter, the rogue can pop out next turn and sneak attack the goblin again!

If the goblin takes a diagonal move, he suddenly notices the rogue STANDING RIGHT THERE and the rogue is no longer hidden.

----G-
---RF-
------- OOPS!

Is that right?

However, if the rogue had moved 20 feet back and was in shadows, he would stay hidden unless the goblin used an action to try to find him?

If everything I'm typing is correct, I suppose it doesn't sound that bad, but I really had to draw it out to see how it works :/

 

[hafrogman]

However, if the rogue had moved 20 feet back and was in shadows, he would stay hidden unless the goblin used an action to try to find him?

Except that goblins have darkvision. Per 'Darkness' on page 5 on the DM document, that seems to imply that darkness doesn't count as obscuring when dealing with darkvision. Thus the rogue needs physical cover.

 

[stevelabny]

Except that goblins have darkvision. Per 'Darkness' on page 5 on the DM document, that seems to imply that darkness doesn't count as obscuring when dealing with darkvision. Thus the rogue needs physical cover.

Heh. Okay. Yeah, the goblin was just kind of a random example. But yes, you're right.

It just seems scary to me that the Halfling rogue will be able to waste a turn hiding using other players for cover to get more sneak attacks but a human rogue might not have any such option.

 

[DogBackward]

The (total lack of) stealth rules in the playtest is making me fear running it.

Are we really back to the 1e version of "can i hide here? no ? what about here?", then sneak up behind someone unless you have the ambusher feat, then try to hide next turn in the same shadows?

The rules are pretty clear, actually. You have to be heavily obscured or be able to get behind something that covers at least half your body.

Your halfling example is right. But halflings get that racial bonus because it's thematic, and because every race gets some pretty useful bonuses. Dwarves can see in the dark, are immune to poison and can't get lost in most dungeons. Elves can see in the dark, are immune to sleep and charm and always have Advantage on the three most commonly used checks in the game: Listen, Spot and Search. Halflings get two rerolls... and can hide behind people. Humans are just good at everything.

Halflings have always made the best thieves. That's not a new thing.