Stealth House Rules - My Version

[Contents May Vary]

Here's yet another set of house rules for stealth.

I've tried these out, and I'm going to be playing with these for a while. They've worked ok so far, and they've reduced the amount of information I have to track. In particular, I didn't like having to track which enemy was aware of which character, so I simplified that away...

Anyway, here's the rules, such as they are:

Definition of "Aware of you"
----------------------------
An enemy can be "aware of you" even if you are hidden.
They know you're around SOMEWHERE!

* Enemies all start unaware of you at the beginning of the encounter.
* If you become hidden BEFORE any enemy has had their turn in the encounter,
they all remain unaware of you until you become unhidden.
* If any enemy sees you at any point during the encounter, all enemies become
aware of you, and will remain aware of you until the end of the encounter.
* If any enemy has their turn before you have hidden and you are in their line
of sight, all enemies become aware of you until the end of the encounter.

To become hidden
----------------
(1) You must begin a move in a square with cover or concealment.
(2) If any enemies are aware of you, you must move to a different square
than your starting square.
If no enemies are aware of you, you can hide without moving
(but it still takes a move action to become hidden).
(3) All squares that you move through must provide cover or concealment.
(4) You must make a successful steath check against the highest
of all observer's passive perceptions.
(An "observer" is any enemy within line of sight.)
(5) If you move more than 2 squares, your stealth check is at -5.
(6) If you run, your stealth check is at -10.

To stay hidden
--------------
* Unless you do something to draw attention to yourself or you
take damage, you remain hidden until you fail a stealth check.
* You must make a stealth check at the end of any turn during which
you have not made a stealth check.
* If you take any kind of damage (including ongoing damage)
you become visible.
* Drawing attention to yourself includes attacking, making noise,
moving without a successful stealth check etc.
(Use common sense.)
* If you move, you must make another stealth check against all observer's
passive perceptions.
* If you move to a square without cover or concealment, you automatically
become visible.
* Any enemy who you attacked during your turn may, on their
following turn, make an active perception check against your last stealth
check result to try to see you.
This is a standard Minor action.
If they fail the check, you remain hidden (and they may not make
another active check until you attack them again).

Superior Cover and Superior Concealment
---------------------------------------
You get a +5 bonus to your stealth check if you have superior cover
or total concealment. If you have both, you have a +10 bonus.

Effect of being hidden
----------------------
You gain combat advantage.
If an enemy is unaware of you, it cannot attempt to attack you.
If an enemy is aware of you, it can attack your square at -5 to hit
(this penalty does not apply to area and close attacks).

Notes
-----
It's going to be useful to keep a note of the maximum of all the enemies'
perception skills during the encounter, so you only need to check one number.

I've missed out the rules for a Distracted creature, since it doesn't apply
outside combat.

 

[Setaroth]

I'm not sure I'd require the stealth check at the end of every round if the combatant is remaining motionless (not acting/speaking/whatever). Especially at lower levels that seems unnecessarily harsh, especially given a slow movement or similar action still only incurs a normal stealth check.

If you insist on it, I'd give +5 to the roll.

 

[Tonester]

reduced the amount of information I have to track. In particular, I didn't like having to track which enemy was aware of which character, so I simplified that away...

I never understood this issue. Why are people tracking this at all? In combat, there are usually 4-5 other party members who are interacting with a throng of monsters. At most, no more than 1-3 monsters care about any particular individual party member.

But hey - if this works for you and your group, that is awesome and is the most important thing.

 

[Contents May Vary]

I never understood this issue. Why are people tracking this at all? In combat, there are usually 4-5 other party members who are interacting with a throng of monsters. At most, no more than 1-3 monsters care about any particular individual party member.

Well initially, I was worrying about which enemies could warn other enemies... Since I changed things so either all enemies are aware or no enemies are aware, that's got a lot simpler.

I also found that with the original rules it could be quite important which enemies were aware of someone, if that person was attempting to sneak past a line of enemies... Ended up being more than 1-3 monsters to worry about!

Again, that's all gone away since I changed the rules.

 

[Contents May Vary]

I'm not sure I'd require the stealth check at the end of every round if the combatant is remaining motionless (not acting/speaking/whatever). Especially at lower levels that seems unnecessarily harsh, especially given a slow movement or similar action still only incurs a normal stealth check.

If you insist on it, I'd give +5 to the roll.

Yeah, I think I agree. I was using a variation of the rules on the bottom of PHG page 281 (to do with total concealment). I think I'll change to your suggestion that they don't need to roll at all.

 

[Tonester]

Usually, there are only a couple different types of monsters. When a player stealths on their turn, it is against the passive perception which is the same for all monster types.

If, on their turn, a monster wants to involve the character that stealthed, then they need to do a minor action perception check. Most of the time, however, its been my experience that this doesn't come up that often.

 

[deleteme123456]

This looks ridiculously broken in favor of stealthers. Aware/unaware is hardly an issue. Find some trees to provide cover, make your stealth roll at +9 (level 1 rogue, +4 dex, +5 trained) vs the passive perception (the highest perception of a level 1 monster is 5), this means you need to roll a 7 or higher, which should happen about 2/3rd of the time. You then move 1 square after your attck into the other square of trees and hide again. Repeat ad nauseum. At level 2 the highest perception monsters are Elves which might not be suitable for all campaigns. Aside from them you're not getting higher than +8 through level 3. At the Rogue's second level he takes skill focus: stealth and gains a total of +4 from that and from half-level, now he's at +13 rolling vs 18 fixed, needs a 6 or higher. That's the BEST-case scenario for the enemies (with elves he's at +13 vs 21 passive, so he neeeds a 9, still 60% success)

If the monster miraculously DOES use its standard action to find you (this in RAW as being a minor action, PHB 281) it can't do anything because ... oh that's right, it used its standard action. By next turn you'll be hidden again. If it warns its friends, better hope they aim really well, since they're at -5 to hit. You didn't even specify that the -5 to hit doesn't apply to area and close attacks (RAW, PHB 281). Or better yet, aim at the monster that's last in initiative before you. It'll be completely powerless because by the time it warns its friends, you'll be in a new spot.

 

[Tonester]

Scroll down to the bottom of

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=230323&page=12

for my take on the rules as they are written. I think I cover many/all of the things people have brought up about stealth.

 

[Contents May Vary]

This looks ridiculously broken in favor of stealthers.

Hmm, but your points seem to apply to the RAW anyways...

I made a mistake when typing in the rule about an enemy you attacked making a stealth check - it was supposed to be a minor action (I'll correct that, in fact I'm going to try that being a free action) - I was basing that rule on the very rules you quoted.

 

[Contents May Vary]

At the Rogue's second level he takes skill focus: stealth and gains a total of +4 from that and from half-level, now he's at +13 rolling vs 18 fixed, needs a 6 or higher. That's the BEST-case scenario for the enemies (with elves he's at +13 vs 21 passive, so he neeeds a 9, still 60% success)

I should also point out that Mike Mearls (the 4th ed lead designer) had this to say in http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1055454 :

"The game's math assumes that the rogue gets sneak attack with just about every attack he makes. If the rogues in your game are constantly gaining combat advantage, it really isn't a big deal."

So the designer thinks that those high stealth chances are not only a not a problem, but an assumption in the design!