D&D 5E 5e Surprise and Hiding Rules Interpretation

[Jon Gilliam]

Here's the latest version of our complete doc:

Surprise & Hiding Rules Interpretation
Determining Surprise and Start of Combat

1. The DM determines if it is possible for the party to hide for surprise at the start of combat : The DM determines the circumstances under which hiding is possible, taking into consideration the availability of cover in the combat zone, the state of awareness or alertness of opponents at the start of combat, light conditions, whether the party was already in plain view of their opponents, and anything else the DM considers relevant. Either the entire party engaging in the first round of combat will be able to hide prior to combat or none of the party will be able to do so.
2. If it is possible to hide for surprise, the DM asks the party to come to a consensus on whether everyone on their side of the combat is going to try to hide in order to surprise opponents in an ambush by being Stealthy as a group. Note that all of the characters in the party have to be hidden prior to combat in order to have a chance to surprise any opponents, because otherwise the presence of the unhidden character will be noticed by all opponents as a threat, and any character or monster that notices the presence of a threat isn’t surprised.
3. If the party is not hiding as a group, each player individually decides pre-combat if their character will be hiding : When a combat is about to begin, if it will be possible for characters to hide the DM will ask the players which of them wants their character to be hidden at the start of combat. Any players whose characters will be hidden, either decided individually or as part of the group decision, make a Stealth check.
4. DM determines who is surprised : The DM next determines who is surprised by comparing the Stealth checks of anyone who will be hiding with the passive Perception scores of all of the creatures on the opposing side (and vice versa). Individual creatures on either or both sides may be surprised. Any character or monster whose passive perception is less than the lowest Stealth of all opponents doesn’t notice any threats, and is surprised at the start of the encounter. Any character or monster who notices the presence of even one opponent (one threat) is not surprised. Characters or creatures who are surprised can’t move or take actions on the first turn of combat.
5. The DM asks for marching order and location preferences : If the characters are not already on the scene the DM now reveals the combat map, asks the players what their marching order is, and asks what they would like their general starting location to be for the combat. It does not matter whether that general location of preference is reachable in a round with the character’s movement speed or not.
6. The DM decides where characters are located : Taking into consideration marching order and the player’s preference for their character’s starting location, the DM will position the characters such that they are hidden from the opposing creatures with passive perceptions lower than their stealth rolls. The path that a character took to get to that starting location is not part of the combat and is narrated by the DM to reflect which characters will be trying to hide. Once a character reaches their starting position, they will always be hidden from the appropriate opponents as per their Stealth check. If there is not sufficient cover represented on a map to reflect how they are hidden, that cover will be narrated by the DM as a “theater of the mind” addition to the map.
7. Characters hidden at their starting locations are as per the Hide action : Once combat commences, for characters whose players wanted them hidden at the start of combat, it is as if those characters have previously taken the Hide action with the same Stealth check as was made for surprise determination.

Hiding

• Definition of being “Hidden” : Being “hidden” from an opposing creature means that you could attack that creature without them being able to perceive that your attack is coming.
• Definition of “noticing a threat” : When used in the context of surprise or hiding, noticing a threat means perceiving the presence of something believed to be able to take the attack action.
• The DM decides when characters or monsters are hidden: The DM decides whether or not you are hidden from another creature by taking into account the following considerations:
  • any specific traits or abilities
  • whether the creature can see you
  • whether the creature can hear you
  • whether the creature can perceive your presence in any way
  • whether the creature is distracted
  • whether the creature is able to determine your position
  • whether the creature perceives your presence as a potential attacker
• Definition of “Surprise” : Surprise is the state experienced by a creature who was not alert to any opponents being present and who momentarily freezes and loses their first turn in combat when stealthy opponents startle them by suddenly appearing out of hiding.

FAQ

• When does combat start? Combat starts when two opposing parties are aware or are about to become aware of the presence of each other, and the DM judges that at least one side seems reasonably inclined to do violence (or some other undesired action) to the other.
• If one party is parlaying with an opposing party, can I attack unexpectedly and get the first turn in combat? No, activity in combat is always ordered by initiative. As soon as you tell the DM you’d like to attack, initiative is rolled, and your allies and your opponents who have greater initiative scores would act before you do. These other combatants could do an Insight check to determine that your character intends to attack on their turn.
• Does all of one side of an impending combat need to hide to have surprise? Yes. If even one opponent (one threat) is noticed by a member of the opposing side, then that creature is not surprised. All opposing creatures will perceive the presence of an unhidden party member as a threat and will therefore not be surprised. Since surprise is determined prior to the DM establishing the location of the characters and monsters, characters who do not declare they are hiding are assumed to have their presence perceived by their opponents in determining who is surprised.
• Couldn’t the rules mean that surprise is only determined by comparing Stealth versus passive Perception only for those creatures who are hiding, and not considering those who chose not to hide? No. The rules state that if neither side of a combat tries to be stealthy they notice each other, and that implies creatures who are not stealthy are noticed as a threat. The rules also state that the condition under which a creature is surprised is when they do not notice a threat. Note also that if only one person from the party being hidden could give surprise, that would likely cause players to often decide that only the character with the highest Stealth check modifier and therefore the highest chance to succeed would hide. That’s counter to how surprise is presented in the rules as a side-based ambush that a band of adventurers is planning as a group.
• Can I initiate surprise by deceiving an adjacent opponent into believing I’m actually an ally and then suddenly attacking? No, since surprise requires hiding and you would not be hidden from your opponent because they could notice that your attack was coming. This would be an initiative roll, but if your opponent who had been successfully deceived previously (Insight vs Deception check) wins initiative, they may choose to do nothing to counter your attack on their turn if they momentarily believe the initiation of your action is due to something else other than commencing an attack.
• Can I initiate surprise by deceiving an adjacent opponent into believing I’m actually an ally and concealing my dagger thrust as I attack? No, because you would have to be hidden to initiate surprise, and if you were able to conceal your attack this way for surprise purposes, you would in effect be hiding in plain sight, which is a special ability of 10th level rangers. Per the rules, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, and without any special ability or trait indicating otherwise, any concealment of your thrust during attack is included in your bonuses and modifiers on your to hit roll. Note that even the Assassin rogue archetype’s “Assassinate” ability doesn’t automatically assume you have surprised a creature (since it provides an additional benefit if that is the case), and it doesn’t require a Stealth check.
• Can the DM choose to decide surprise using some procedure other than comparing passive Perceptions and Stealth scores? No, not by the rules as written. The DM determines surprise based on the procedure specified in the rules, they don’t decide surprise based on their own criteria. What the DM does decide is the circumstances under which creatures can hide, which can influence when initiating surprise is an option.
• Can rangers using the Hide in Plain Sight ability lie in wait and initiate surprise on an ambush? Yes, because their opponents might not notice their presence as something with the potential to attack which is what defines them as hidden.
• Can a ranger with the Hide in Plain Sight ability attack at advantage using the Unseen Attackers and Targets rule? Yes. Rangers with this ability may be in plain sight, but they are not seen because their presence is not perceived. Camouflage disrupts the visual processing of the eye, in effect giving the ranger a very limited kind of invisibility. When using this ability, opponents with passive Perceptions lower than the ranger’s Stealth check not only do not notice their presence, they cannot see them without actively searching.
• Can my character hide and initiate surprise by successfully impersonating an inanimate object and then attacking, even if I’m in plain view? Maybe, in very specific circumstances if your opponents might then not notice your presence as something that could attack. Perhaps a halfling in plain view might hide among a collection of dolls, or a character might hide in plain view among a collection of wax figures for example. The precedence would be the gargoyle’s False Appearance trait, but the DM would decide if that’s possible given the circumstances and what penalty to the Stealth check might apply given the difficulty of remaining motionless.
• Can my character who is not a ranger hide in plain sight by camouflaging themselves? Maybe, since there is the ranger’s ability, Hide in Plain Sight, as precedence, although doing so would not provide the other bonuses associated with the ranger ability and would carry all the limitations. The DM would decide if this is possible given the circumstances, how long it might take to set up the camouflage, and what penalty to the Stealth check might apply given the character’s amateurish attempt and the difficulty of remaining motionless.
• Can my character hide for surprise by disguising themselves as a rock? Yes, but only by the disguise keeping your opponents from perceiving your presence by physically hiding under that disguise. In this case, the disguise is no different than if you crawled under or behind a crate or box.
• Can I hide in a crowd of people and then initiate surprise by attacking opponents even if they would see me approach from the crowd? The DM would decide based on the circumstances. The DM can choose to allow a character to continue to be hidden as they approach a creature if circumstances would have that creature being distracted, as by a crowd (PHB p. 177, Hiding side box).
• Can creatures with the False Appearance trait such as mimics or gargoyles hide and initiate surprise on attacking when they are in plain view? Yes, because their special trait allows them to be indistinguishable from an inanimate object, which means their presence might not be noticed as something with the potential to attack.
• Can creatures with the False Appearance trait such as mimics or gargoyles hide and then gain advantage as per the Unseen Attackers and Targets rule when they are in plain sight? Yes, but only until they move. The mimic or gargoyle can be hidden in plain sight because their False Appearance trait allows them to remain motionless impersonating an object, and their presence as a threat is not noticed. In effect for those whose passive perceptions are less than the gargoyle’s Stealth check, the gargoyle is in plain sight (visible), but their presence as something that could attack is not seen, which makes them hidden.
• If my character chose to start combat hidden, can they attack the creatures who didn’t perceive them on the first round of combat at advantage as per the Unseen Attackers and Targets rule? Yes. If you choose for your character to be hidden at the start of a combat, the DM will position your character so that they are hidden (in almost all cases both unseen and unheard) by the creatures whose passive perception scores are less than your Stealth check. Your character can try to determine on their turn which of their opponents they notice can also see them and which cannot, possibly making an Nature check to assess the terrain in uncertain cases.

Rules as Written Reference

Stealth. Make a Dexterity(Stealth) check when you attempt to conceal yourself from enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone without being seen or heard.
(PHB p. 177) / “Using Each Ability” / Dexterity

Hiding Errata (p. 177). The following sentence has been added to the beginning of this section: “The DM decides when circumstances are appropriate for hiding.”
The first sentence of the second paragraph now begins, “You can’t hide from a creature that can see you clearly…”
(PHB 1st Ed Errata) emphasis added on the new text

Using Ability Scores, Hiding Side-box:
You can’t hide from a creature that can see you clearly, and you give away your position if you make noise, such as shouting a warning or knocking over a vase. An invisible creature can always try to hide. Signs of its passage might still be noticed, and it does have to stay quiet.
In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, so if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you. However, under certain circumstances, the DM might allow you to stay hidden as you approach a creature that is distracted, allowing you to gain advantage on an attack roll before you are seen.
(PHB p. 177, Hiding side box) emphasis added on the last sentence

Combat Surprise Rules:
A band of adventurers sneaks up on a bandit camp, springing from the trees to attack them. A gelatinous cube slides down a dungeon passage, unnoticed by the adventurers until the cube engulfs one of them. In these situations, one side of the battle gains surprise over the other.
The DM determines who might be surprised. If neither side tries to be stealthy, they automatically notice each other. Otherwise, the DM compares the Dexterity (Stealth) checks of anyone hiding with the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of each creature on the opposing side. Any character or monster that doesn’t notice a threat is surprised at the start of the encounter.
If you’re surprised, you can’t move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can’t take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren’t.
(PHB p.189, Surprise) emphasis added

COMBAT STEP-BY-STEP
1. Determine surprise. The DM determines whether anyone involved in the combat encounter is surprised.
2. Establish positions. The DM decides where all the characters and monsters are located. Given the adventurers’ marching order or their stated positions in the room or other location, the DM figures out where the adversaries are–how far away and in what direction.
3. Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls initiative, determining the order of combatants’ turns.
4. Take turns. Each participant in the battle takes a turn in initiative order.
5. Begin the next round. When everyone involved in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 4 until the fighting stops.
(PHB p. 189) emphasis added on first sentence of the 2nd bullet

Does surprise happen outside the initiative order as a special surprise round? No, here’s how surprise works.
The first step of any combat is this: the DM determines whether anyone in the combat is surprised (reread “Combat Step by Step” on page 189 of the Player’s Handbook). This determination happens only once during a fight and only at the beginning. In other words, once a fight starts, you can’t be surprised again, although a hidden foe can still gain the normal benefits from being unseen (see “Unseen Attackers and Targets” on page 194 of the Player’s Handbook).
To be surprised, you must be caught off guard, usually because you failed to notice foes being stealthy or you were startled by an enemy with a special ability, such as the gelatinous cube’s Transparent trait, that makes it exceptionally surprising. You can be surprised even if your companions aren’t, and you aren’t surprised if even one of your foes fails to catch you unawares.
If anyone is surprised, no actions are taken yet. First, initiative is rolled as normal. Then, the first round of combat starts, and the unsurprised combatants act in initiative order. A surprised creature can’t move or take an action or a reaction until its first turn ends (remember that being unable to take an action also means you can’t take a bonus action). In effect, a surprised creature skips its first turn in a fight. Once that turn ends, the creature is no longer surprised.
In short, activity in a combat is always ordered by initiative, whether or not someone is surprised, and after the first round of combat has passed, surprise is no longer a factor. You can still try to hide from your foes and gain the benefits conferred by being hidden, but you don’t deprive your foes of their turns when you do so.
(Sage Advice Compendium, p. 9, Combat) emphasis added

Surprise rules work for two opposing sides. What happens with surprise when a third group of combatants sneaks up, hidden from the melee, and ambushes? The surprise rule is relevant only when a combat is starting. Any ambushes during the fight use the rules for Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
(Sage Advice Compendium, p. 10, Combat)

Unseen Attackers and Targets
Combatants often try to escape their foes’ notice by hiding, casting the invisibility spell, or lurking in darkness.
When you attack a target that you can’t see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. This is true whether you’re guessing the target’s location or you’re targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn’t in the location you targeted, you automatically miss, but the DM typically just says that the attack missed, not whether you guessed the target’s location correctly.
When a creature can’t see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it. If you are hidden–both unseen and unheard–when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.
(PHB p. 193) emphasis added on the word “can’t”

Ranger’s Hide in Plain Sight ability
Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage.
Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up against a solid surface, such as a tree or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you are. You gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks as long as you remain there without moving or taking actions. Once you move or take an action or a reaction, you must camouflage yourself again to gain this benefit.
(PHB p. 92)

Gargoyle Monster Description
Deadly Reputation. Gargoyles have a reputation for cruelty. Statues carved into the likenesses of gargoyles appear in the architecture of countless cultures to frighten away trespassers. Although such sculptures are only decorative, real gargoyles can hide among them to ambush unsuspecting victims. A gargoyle might alleviate the tedium of its watch by catching and tormenting birds or rodents, but its long wait only increases its craving for harming sentient creatures.
(MM p. 140, emphasis added on 3rd sentence)

Gargoyle’s False Appearance trait
False Appearance. While the gargoyle remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an inanimate statue.
(MM p. 140)

 

[Jon Gilliam]

New definition and FAQ!

• Definition of "Stealth" : Being stealthy represents the attempt to move into hiding undetected by opponents after doing a Stealth skill check

Are being Hidden and being Stealthy the same thing? No, because Stealth represents the attempt to move into hiding without being detected. For example, say a monster has an action prepared to attack any opponent that moves, and that you are currently unhidden and visible to that monster. If you first say you're being Stealthy (and do a Stealth check) and then move to a place to hide, the monster's prepared action will only trigger if their passive Perception equals or bests your Stealth check. If you move towards a hiding place first without doing the Stealth check, the monster's prepared action would go off.

 

[NotAYakk]

I'm engaging with conversation among my players in my group where I've DM'd off and on for 7 years, so it's not a matter of cracking down (I don't run that type of campaign), but of trying to come to a common agreement on the exactly what the rules are intended to mean.

Currently we have this:

• Definition of being "Hidden" : Being "hidden" from an opposing creature means that the other creature was not able to notice your presence as a potential threat.
• Definition of "noticing a threat" : When used in the context of surprise or hiding, noticing a threat means being aware of the presence of something believed to be able to take the attack action.

But I'm persuaded that knowing location should be included in the definition, but we're still mulling that over.

Your allies are able to take the attack action. Strict reading of the above means nobody with allies they can see can be surprised.

Clearly being aware of non-threatening allies is not "noticing a threat".

 

[Flamestrike]

For example, say a monster has an action prepared to attack any opponent that moves, and that you are currently unhidden and visible to that monster. If you first say you're being Stealthy (and do a Stealth check) and then move to a place to hide, the monster's prepared action will only trigger if their passive Perception equals or bests your Stealth check. If you move towards a hiding place first without doing the Stealth check, the monster's prepared action would go off.

That's not the rules.

You're not hidden until you become unseen and pass a Stealth check to hide.

Walking away silently (while in plain view) of the enemy will not negate an AoO or a readied action, unless you are ALSO unseen (or unable to be seen clearly enough via DMs call) as you move.

 

[Neonchameleon]

1. Only hidden creatures can gain surprise : Only creatures who will be hidden at the first round of combat are able to surprise other creatures.

Why? If an assassin is masquerading as a member of the orchestra or a servant they aren't hidden - but may easily be able to surprise their target.

1. Players decide pre-combat if their character will be hiding : When a combat is about to begin, if it will be possible for characters to hide the DM will ask the players which of them wants their character to be hidden at the start of combat,

Again, why? I mean if they know the fight is coming and have time to hide that's an ambush. Also why would you not hide?

1. DM determines who is surprised : The DM next determines who is surprised by comparing the Stealth checks of anyone who will be hiding with the passive Perception scores of all of the creatures on the opposing side (and vice versa).

If the PCs are prepared enough to be hidden then there is time for a warning.

What it looks to me like you have is a setup for tabletop wargame scenarios, trying to cut out the RP element. No problem with that - but I'd rather use something like Necromunda or Gloomhaven as my ruleset at that point.

 

[Jon Gilliam]

That's not the rules.

You're not hidden until you become unseen and pass a Stealth check to hide.

Walking away silently (while in plain view) of the enemy will not negate an AoO or a readied action, unless you are ALSO unseen (or unable to be seen clearly enough via DMs call) as you move.

Here's the definition of Stealth from the PHB (emphasis added): "conceal yourself from enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone without being seen or heard." I agree that AoO are an issue .... I've been discussing with the other players online this morning also, and that came up. We've adjusted the definition to account for that, as well as the idea that being Stealthy is close enough to the "circumstances appropriate for hiding" that it should fall under the jurisdiction that the DM decides that (as per the PHB errata under Hiding).

Newest:

Definition of "Being Stealthy" : Being stealthy represents the potential to attempt to move into hiding undetected by opponents after doing a Stealth skill check. Since the DM decides the circumstances that are appropriate for hiding, that includes the circumstances that are appropriate to being stealthy. In any case, you are no longer stealthy if you come adjacent to an opponent when who will be capable of making an opportunity attack against you.

FAQ:
Are being Hidden and being Stealthy the same thing? No, because Stealth represents the potential to attempt to move into hiding without being detected. For example, say a non-adjacent monster has an action prepared to do a ranged attack against any opponent that moves, and that you are currently unhidden and visible to that monster. Let's say you first tell the DM you'd like to be Stealthy, the DM determines the circumstances are appropriate for stealth and calls for a Stealth check, and then you start to move to a hiding place. The monster's prepared action will only trigger if their passive Perception equals or bests your Stealth check. If you instead move towards a hiding place first without doing the Stealth check, the monster's prepared action would trigger.

 

[Jon Gilliam]

Your allies are able to take the attack action. Strict reading of the above means nobody with allies they can see can be surprised.

Clearly being aware of non-threatening allies is not "noticing a threat".

I agree with you. But actually, I think when the rules talking about "noticing a threat" in combat that it is meant to also refer to non-threatening allies. In the Hiding side-box PHB p. 177 it says : "In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, so if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you." (emphasis added).

So I believe that all cases where the wording "noticing a threat" is used in the rules, it's meant to mean that opponents "notice a threat" and allies just "notice." I'll think about making that more explicit, but I haven't heard from any players who found that ambiguous as yet.

 

[Jon Gilliam]

Why? If an assassin is masquerading as a member of the orchestra or a servant they aren't hidden - but may easily be able to surprise their target.


Again, why? I mean if they know the fight is coming and have time to hide that's an ambush. Also why would you not hide?


If the PCs are prepared enough to be hidden then there is time for a warning.

What it looks to me like you have is a setup for tabletop wargame scenarios, trying to cut out the RP element. No problem with that - but I'd rather use something like Necromunda or Gloomhaven as my ruleset at that point.

An assassin masquerading as a member of an orchestra can't surprise because they aren't hidden. If you take a look as the Assassin archetype for a Rogue (PHB p. 97), their Assassinate (and later Death Strike) ability is not predicated on getting surprise (known for certain because they get an additional bonus if the target is surprised). I think there's ample evidence that the 5e designers intended "surprise" to be a very particular set-up at the beginning of a combat meant to represent an ambush. I've addressed this issue in the following FAQs, and my groups seems to have consensus on it, at least at this point:

• Can I initiate surprise by deceiving an adjacent opponent into believing I'm actually an ally and then suddenly attacking? No, since surprise requires hiding and you would not be hidden from your opponent because they could notice that your attack was coming. This would be an initiative roll, but if your opponent who had been successfully deceived previously (Insight vs Deception check) wins initiative, they may choose to do nothing to counter your attack on their turn if they momentarily believe the initiation of your action is due to something else other than commencing an attack.
• Can I initiate surprise by deceiving an adjacent opponent into believing I'm actually an ally and concealing my dagger thrust as I attack? No, because you would have to be hidden to initiate surprise, and if you were able to conceal your attack this way for surprise purposes, you would in effect be hiding in plain sight, which is a special ability of 10th level rangers. Per the rules, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, and without any special ability or trait indicating otherwise, any concealment of your thrust during attack is included in your bonuses and modifiers on your to hit roll. Note that even the Assassin rogue archetype's "Assassinate" ability doesn't automatically assume you have surprised a creature (since it provides an additional benefit if that is the case), and it doesn't require a Stealth check. Similarly, the rogue's "Sneak Attack" ability doesn't presume you have surprised the target, only that you have advantage on the attack roll.

 

[Jon Gilliam]

Why? If an assassin is masquerading as a member of the orchestra or a servant they aren't hidden - but may easily be able to surprise their target.


Again, why? I mean if they know the fight is coming and have time to hide that's an ambush. Also why would you not hide?


If the PCs are prepared enough to be hidden then there is time for a warning.

What it looks to me like you have is a setup for tabletop wargame scenarios, trying to cut out the RP element. No problem with that - but I'd rather use something like Necromunda or Gloomhaven as my ruleset at that point.

As to why player's decide pre-combat if they will be hiding, that's because players should have autonomy over their character's actions. I suppose you could have a house-rule that if an encounter is laid out as an ambush, that this means the players automatically hide, but I think my players would find that unacceptably controlling : "Huh, my barbarian, Throng, certainly wouldn't hide from a threat!"

As for the DM determining who will be surprised, that's taken almost verbatim from PHB p. 189

Remember, we're not trying to re-write the Rules as Written, we're trying to decide what the Rules as Written mean, based only on the primary sources : the WOTC published rule books, the errata, the Sage Advice compendium, and possibly other Sage Advice tweets from recognized WOTC experts.

 

[Neonchameleon]

An assassin masquerading as a member of an orchestra can't surprise because they aren't hidden.

Repeating the rule doesn't answer the "why" question about the rule being that way, especially when it cuts off entire avenues of play and planning. Repeating the FAQ also doesn't answer the "why" question - it just says it's what you've decided without giving a justification as to why your world works that way.

(Saying that that's what you think the 5e designers intended admittedly does even if I think if they'd meant that they'd have said that.)