Group Rolls

[Water Bob]

et's say you've got five bandit archers on each side of a trail, hiding, lying in wait to ambush the PCs as the player characters come walking down the trail, single file.


Is there a good way to handle the hide throws for the group? Take 10, and use the lowest roll on each side of trail?

 

[Grogg of the North]

Personally, I'd say they all take 10 and if the ambush site has been prepared, give them a +2 for having picked out the location. Unless there is a wide variety of hide modifiers I wouldn't get too worried about what's the lowest check result.

 

[captnq]

Well, lets see... They got total concealment, so they don't need to make hide rolls.

 

[GMMichael]

Well, lets see... They got total concealment, so they don't need to make hide rolls.

Good observation. But total concealment applies to when there is no chance of seeing someone. If the bandits are hiding on a "trail," we don't really know that there's no chance of seeing them.

Groups are easier to spot than individuals, and taking 10 is a good idea. The simplest way might be to go with the generic challenge rating rules, and just set the CR to how difficult you, Water Bob, feel it to be.

 

[Greenfield]

I'd start with the presumption that the bandits have done this before, and have a clue what they're doing.

They have one lookout who is using Hide, and has had the time to prepare his vantage point.

All the other bandits are laying low, perhaps even dug in slightly, so they have 100% concealment. No Hide checks necessary.

When they get the signal from the lookout, they spring up and take their surprise shot.

That way you only have to use the Hide check of the Bandit Chief, or whoever his best lookout is.

Simple enough?

 

[Water Bob]

As pure coincidence, I'm reading a 3.5 adventure (The Siege of Ebonring Keep, for Arcana Unearthed) where I saw this exact encounter. Weird how things like this happen. Now, I'm not saying this is the only way to do it, but what they suggest is:

80 feet out, the PCs get a Spot check at DC 25. For every +2 over the DC, add 10 feet to distance. So, a roll of 28 means that they spot the ambush 90 feet away.

Failing that, they get to try again at 40 feet, this time the PC roll is opposed by the bandit's Hide throw. The bandits have constructed blinds on the sides of the road to hide their ambush, so the bandit's get a +5 circumstance bonus.

If the PCs fail that, then they will be totally surprised.





Now, the question here is: Who should roll the spot check for the PCs? The leader of the group? The character leading the party? The highest Spot among the group? Take 10 with the highest among the group? The highest of the group but then add +2 for everyone else in the group (using the Aid Another rule)?

How do you get away with fairly rolling once for the entire group?

 

[Storminator]

You could figure out the hide modifier for the bandits, let them take 10, and roll every PC's perception (spot, whatever) vs the static DC. Then if less than half the PCs pass there's a surprise round. PCs that pass the hide DC also get to act in the surprise round.

Tho [MENTION=6669384]Greenfield[/MENTION] set up sounds pretty plausible.

PS

 

[Greenfield]

Also consider that, with prep, the spotter can get Aid Another bonuses on his set up:

Spotter: "Okay, I'm in, can you see me from the trail?"
Bandit 1: "Yeah, you're low enough but your feet are sticking out. Cover em or pull em in."
Bandit 2: "You're good from this side."
Bandit 3: "...."

for as many Bandits you can rationally have give advice.

You, as a DM, can give them as much bonus as you care to to make the scene challenging.