The last flare-up of the long-running debate over Stealth got me to thinking about what it would take to rework the Stealth rules in 5E. I spent a while noodling over it and came up with what follows. Rather to my surprise, I ended up with something that slots quite neatly into the existing 5E ruleset.
The goal was to create a system that would, in 90% of cases, resolve to "Roll Stealth versus passive Perception," and handle the oddball 10% with a few simple rules and a healthy dose of DM discretion. What do you think? Are there important stealth scenarios that aren't addressed? Would this work at your table?
2/16: Updated per suggestions below.
STEALTH
You can use Dexterity (Stealth) to avoid being heard or seen by your foes. To do so, you must be hidden to any creature that might see you, and quiet to any creature that might hear you.
Hidden: You can become hidden by using the Hide action, which means taking shelter behind something that provides partial concealment; a bush, a crowd of people, etc. You are then hidden to any creature whose sight of you is impeded. You stop being hidden if you attack, cast a spell with a somatic component, or do anything else that draws attention. You also stop being hidden if you lose your concealment.
If an obstacle provides total concealment, you can't be seen at all and do not need to be hidden. However, this usually means you can't see your enemies either! In most cases, peeking out to watch enemies (or attack them) means you only have partial concealment and must be hidden.
You can also be hidden to a creature if it's distracted. Normally, creatures expecting danger pay attention all around them. If a creature's attention is focused elsewhere, or you are in an unusual place (such as on the ceiling), the DM may rule that the creature is distracted from you. You are hidden to that creature as long as it remains distracted.
Quiet: Once on your turn, you can become quiet (no action required). If you move more than half speed, attack, cast a spell with a verbal component, or do anything else that makes significant noise, you stop being quiet.
Stealth and Perception: The first time a creature might see or hear you, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check against the creature’s passive Perception. A creature’s passive Perception equals 10 plus its Wisdom (Perception) modifier. If you fail, you cease to be hidden or quiet to that creature. If you succeed, the creature doesn’t see or hear you; however, it may detect you by other means, such as smell.
A creature relies on both sight and hearing to detect stealthy foes. If the creature must rely on a single sense to detect you (it’s deaf, you’re invisible, etc.), it has disadvantage (-5) on its passive Perception.
The DM may require you to re-roll Stealth if the situation changes or a long time has passed. Otherwise, you keep the same result until you stop being stealthy. Use it against any creature that might see or hear you.
Stealth in Combat: You can use Stealth in combat, subject to the above rules. However, bear in mind that concealment, partial or total, is only useful as long as you keep it between you and your enemy. You can Hide behind a pillar, but an enemy need only walk around the pillar to see you plain as day.
Searching: A creature can use its action to look for stealthy foes. It makes an Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the result equals or exceeds your Stealth result, you are no longer hidden or quiet to that creature.
OTHER RULES CHANGES
Mask of the Wild (Wood Elf Trait): In natural surroundings, you can treat any type of light obscurement (fog, dim light, etc.) as concealment allowing you to Hide. If you’re hidden this way, the obscurement penalty to vision doesn’t apply to detecting you.
Skulker (Feat, first ability): You can treat any type of light obscurement (fog, dim light, etc.) as concealment allowing you to Hide. If you’re hidden this way, the obscurement penalty to vision doesn’t apply to detecting you.
Skulker (Feat, second ability): When you’re hidden or quiet, if you make a ranged attack and miss, you don’t stop being hidden or quiet.
The goal was to create a system that would, in 90% of cases, resolve to "Roll Stealth versus passive Perception," and handle the oddball 10% with a few simple rules and a healthy dose of DM discretion. What do you think? Are there important stealth scenarios that aren't addressed? Would this work at your table?
2/16: Updated per suggestions below.
STEALTH
You can use Dexterity (Stealth) to avoid being heard or seen by your foes. To do so, you must be hidden to any creature that might see you, and quiet to any creature that might hear you.
Hidden: You can become hidden by using the Hide action, which means taking shelter behind something that provides partial concealment; a bush, a crowd of people, etc. You are then hidden to any creature whose sight of you is impeded. You stop being hidden if you attack, cast a spell with a somatic component, or do anything else that draws attention. You also stop being hidden if you lose your concealment.
If an obstacle provides total concealment, you can't be seen at all and do not need to be hidden. However, this usually means you can't see your enemies either! In most cases, peeking out to watch enemies (or attack them) means you only have partial concealment and must be hidden.
You can also be hidden to a creature if it's distracted. Normally, creatures expecting danger pay attention all around them. If a creature's attention is focused elsewhere, or you are in an unusual place (such as on the ceiling), the DM may rule that the creature is distracted from you. You are hidden to that creature as long as it remains distracted.
Quiet: Once on your turn, you can become quiet (no action required). If you move more than half speed, attack, cast a spell with a verbal component, or do anything else that makes significant noise, you stop being quiet.
Stealth and Perception: The first time a creature might see or hear you, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check against the creature’s passive Perception. A creature’s passive Perception equals 10 plus its Wisdom (Perception) modifier. If you fail, you cease to be hidden or quiet to that creature. If you succeed, the creature doesn’t see or hear you; however, it may detect you by other means, such as smell.
A creature relies on both sight and hearing to detect stealthy foes. If the creature must rely on a single sense to detect you (it’s deaf, you’re invisible, etc.), it has disadvantage (-5) on its passive Perception.
The DM may require you to re-roll Stealth if the situation changes or a long time has passed. Otherwise, you keep the same result until you stop being stealthy. Use it against any creature that might see or hear you.
Stealth in Combat: You can use Stealth in combat, subject to the above rules. However, bear in mind that concealment, partial or total, is only useful as long as you keep it between you and your enemy. You can Hide behind a pillar, but an enemy need only walk around the pillar to see you plain as day.
Searching: A creature can use its action to look for stealthy foes. It makes an Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the result equals or exceeds your Stealth result, you are no longer hidden or quiet to that creature.
OTHER RULES CHANGES
Mask of the Wild (Wood Elf Trait): In natural surroundings, you can treat any type of light obscurement (fog, dim light, etc.) as concealment allowing you to Hide. If you’re hidden this way, the obscurement penalty to vision doesn’t apply to detecting you.
Skulker (Feat, first ability): You can treat any type of light obscurement (fog, dim light, etc.) as concealment allowing you to Hide. If you’re hidden this way, the obscurement penalty to vision doesn’t apply to detecting you.
Skulker (Feat, second ability): When you’re hidden or quiet, if you make a ranged attack and miss, you don’t stop being hidden or quiet.
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