Anyone know how concealment works?

[TerraDave]

Actually, our guy was pretty insistent on it being an AC +...I also don't really know what the difference might be.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's +2/+5 Defenses for concealment, as compared to -2/-5 attack for Cover.

I think it's to stop the two from getting confused.

Fitz

 

[malcolm_n]

Yep, I thought it was +2/+5... then one of the regional coordinators from Living FR posted in the other thread and said it was negative.

It's all the same thing, though. +/- 2/5

actually, +2 defense applies to attacks on the creature; it equals all players get -2 to attack me.

+2 attack applies to the attacking creature; it equals all creatures I attack are at -2 defense.

Apples and oranges

 

[Zelgadas]

actually, +2 defense applies to attacks on the creature; it equals all players get -2 to attack me.

+2 attack applies to the attacking creature; it equals all creatures I attack are at -2 defense.

Apples and oranges

Yes, except that cover imposes the -2/-5 penalty to the attacker's roll, while concealment applies a +2/+5 bonus to the defender's defenses. Effectively the same result; it's either two or five points harder to hit the guy. However, I think I can see the reasoning behind cover and concealment being two distinct conditions that operate in very similar ways, rather than a single condition with a single mechanic. When you have cover, you don't necessarily have cover against everyone. If I'm hiding behind a wall, I have cover against the creatures on the other side, but not the creatures right behind me. Cover, therefor, applies a penalties only to the attackers to whom the cover would logically apply. Concealment, on the other hand, would be more frequently applied to everyone, since if you're hard to see you're hard to see; it doesn't necessarily matter what angle you're being viewed from. Thus, it grants a bonus to defense. (I realize that there are a couple of instances where concealment would not apply equally to everyone; if the room is dark and you have mixed creatures with normal, low-light, and darkvision, you might have concealment against some but not others; then it maybe gets a little bit hairy.)

Another reason might be that cover is much easier to see on the battle map. If there's an interposing object, you can see it right there, and you know whether or not it's blocking your shot. This makes for an easy reminder for the attacker that he's got a -2/-5 to his attack roll. Concealment, on the other hand, is generally a little bit harder to represent on the battle map. If you're invisible or hiding, your mini doesn't dissappear (usually), so it's easier to simply make the defender remember that he's got concealment by giving him a defense bonus, rather than make every potential attacker remember it.

[edit: forgot an apostrophe]

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

and this may allow cover/concealment to stack... which would up the desire to duck *and* hide...

Of course, some playstyles might see this as a bug