I have a pretty good grasp on how the hide action works in combat so I don't want to get into a big debate on it, but I do need a couple clarifications:
1.) On their turn if a creature takes the hide action to make a stealth check, when does the passive perception of other creatures kick in? If a creature's passive perception beats the stealth roll does the stealth immediately fail? Or does the passive perception not kick in until the passively perceiving creatures turn?
2.) If your stealth roll beats everyone's passive perception and subsequently beats everyone's active attempts to perceive you (using an action to make a perception roll) how long do you stay hidden? My guess would be you stay hidden indefinitely, and do not have to keep taking the hide action round after round until you reveal yourself OR another creature uses an action to make a successful perception roll.
3.) If a creature is invisible (or in darkness, or heavily obscured) AND hidden. Does a standard perception check (passive or active) fall into the "anything that relies on sight fails automatically" rule? Or can creatures rely on hearing and smell to use their perception in an otherwise normal fashion. I might say a human (elf, dwarf, whatever) could roll normally using hearing but NOT smell because humans aren't not known for their acute sense of smell. For example if a human had the deafened condition in this same situation, the perception check would automatically fail.
Follow up to that: Keen hearing or smell: If a creature is invisible (or in darkness, or heavily obscured) AND hidden. Does a creature with keen hearing or smell still get advantage on their perception checks?
1.) On their turn if a creature takes the hide action to make a stealth check, when does the passive perception of other creatures kick in? If a creature's passive perception beats the stealth roll does the stealth immediately fail? Or does the passive perception not kick in until the passively perceiving creatures turn?
2.) If your stealth roll beats everyone's passive perception and subsequently beats everyone's active attempts to perceive you (using an action to make a perception roll) how long do you stay hidden? My guess would be you stay hidden indefinitely, and do not have to keep taking the hide action round after round until you reveal yourself OR another creature uses an action to make a successful perception roll.
3.) If a creature is invisible (or in darkness, or heavily obscured) AND hidden. Does a standard perception check (passive or active) fall into the "anything that relies on sight fails automatically" rule? Or can creatures rely on hearing and smell to use their perception in an otherwise normal fashion. I might say a human (elf, dwarf, whatever) could roll normally using hearing but NOT smell because humans aren't not known for their acute sense of smell. For example if a human had the deafened condition in this same situation, the perception check would automatically fail.
Follow up to that: Keen hearing or smell: If a creature is invisible (or in darkness, or heavily obscured) AND hidden. Does a creature with keen hearing or smell still get advantage on their perception checks?