D&D 5E Any further clarification to Hiding in Player's Handbook?

[Prism]

Right...and this is why I have the attacker make the stealth check at the point he emerges from total concealment. It is to see if he has been able to take advantage of his targets distraction. If the target isn't alert or in melee I might give the attacker advantage on the stealth check. If the target is expecting the target to emerge from somewhere I'll give disadvantage to the hide check. If the target is readied and watching specifically that spot the check might automatically fail.

With you there. I might be a little stricter about the auto fail part though. If the rogue, in combat hides behind a wall and then pops out in the same round or even a round or two later I would say an hide attempts would auto fail as the enemies would be watching that corner - unless a distraction was created to help the initial hide "where did that rogue go?" or the eventual attack.

If the rogue moves out of the room and then comes back in from a different corridor then I'd be far more likely to allow the distraction to work.

If an enemy was stood in a good position to continually observe the room I would probably always allow them to automatically see a rogue trying to attack from partial cover - again unless a distraction was created

 

[Uller]

Right. Back to my paintball analogy from earlier. In another game an opposing player and I were exchanging fire from cover. We were both taking turns emerging from the same spot and attempting to drive the other guy back. After two or three go arounds I finally forced him back out of sight. At thatpoint I moved to another position. When he emeged to fire at my old position I was able to carefully aim and fire. If he had emerged from a different spot he could have done the same to me.

I think the rules are purposely vague to allow DMs discretion to use common sense rather than try to cover every possibility. It makes for a little bitbof "dm, may I?" but allows flexibility.

 

[Branduil]

Using Hide is normally an action in combat, so most of the time you could not Hide and then attack in the same round anyway.

I believe the intention of the rules is that you can use an action to Hide, and then on your next turn you can attack with advantage before revealing your position. The rules say that you usually reveal your position if you approach the enemy, but peeking around a corner isn't approaching.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Using Hide is normally an action in combat, so most of the time you could not Hide and then attack in the same round anyway.

I believe the intention of the rules is that you can use an action to Hide, and then on your next turn you can attack with advantage before revealing your position. The rules say that you usually reveal your position if you approach the enemy, but peeking around a corner isn't approaching.

I agree, plus it seems more fun and dynamic to me to make it easier to attack from hiding than to restrict it - both for PCs and monsters/NPCs!

 

[Branduil]

I agree, plus it seems more fun and dynamic to me to make it easier to attack from hiding than to restrict it - both for PCs and monsters/NPCs!

It's certainly not overpowered, either, if you're giving up an action to Hide. Now, Halflings and high-level Rangers can Hide as a bonus action, but that's part of the benefits of playing those characters. And you can still fail you Stealth check, so you might waste a bonus action for nothing.

 

[Agamon]

I can't see anywhere it says that. What it does say is

"If you are hidden—both unseen and unheard—when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses"

If you are leaning out from cover to make an attack you do not have total cover and therefore are not hidden in the first place and non of this applies. That would at best be three-quarters cover which isn't enough. As in the posts a few above this, that may work with a distraction

The rule does apply to attacking while obscured though hence why I originally said it would work better in combat

You might be reading that a bit too literally. If everyone is staring at the exact location you're going to attack from, then okay. But if you are attacking as you lean out, you should still get the bonus for being hidden. When you are finished the attack, you're back to being under full cover, but everyone knows where the attack came from.

Some common sense needs to be applied when applying rules, rather than treating them strictly literal. D&D is a different kind of game than MtG.

 

[Mistwell]

It's certainly not overpowered, either, if you're giving up an action to Hide. Now, Halflings and high-level Rangers can Hide as a bonus action, but that's part of the benefits of playing those characters. And you can still fail you Stealth check, so you might waste a bonus action for nothing.

I think you meant Rogues and high-level Rangers (and those who are Hasted), not Halflings. Halflings do not get a bonus action to hide, it's just that Lightfoot Halflings, Wood Elves, and anyone with the Skulker feat can hide in things that others cannot hide in.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Giving more ways to hide is one thing, making it easier is another. Having more ways to hide usually doesn't get players to try it more, unless its done as a bonus action, so the tricks only get used when it can more easily be achieved, such as a rogue using Cunning Action.

So it takes the right class, with the right race or feat.

 

[Tony Vargas]

The passive perception rule seems really harsh, depending on how its read. As the stealther, you have to roll d20, but as an observer, you roll d20, but is guaranteed a minimum result of 10.

Or is the intent that you use either active or passive perception?

If you're making an active check then either a) no one's there or b) they beat your passive. So any roll of 10 or less is just going to fail.

 

[Nemio]

Searching gives you extra attempts - the hider has already beaten your passive perception.

Mind you I would rather only one side rolls most of these things so ideally either the searcher tryis to hit "passive stealth" or the hide check sets the DC for subsequent searches.

Ok, I understand if you see it as an extra check.

I was thinking more about the ambush situation in the Starter Set.
My players see the dead horses.
I ask them what they want to do.
Most of them move forward or stay back, I use passive perception.
One of them wants to move forward and look out for trouble in the meanwhile
I was thinking I need to ask for a Perception roll.

But if I understand correctly it means that even if the roll is lower than the passive perception I can use the latter?

I thought I couldn't which caused my confusion.