D&D 5E Can Objects Be Hidden?

[Maxperson]

On a more serious note, I'm guessing the real questions is "How can PC's hide objects". Because obviously they can be hidden, it's just a matter of determining the Perception/Investigate DC to find them.

It can be as simple as "I put it behind this seat cushion" and the DM goes "OK, that's a DC 13 Investigate."

But if you actually want to make it hard to find, then it's probably a skill check. I'd probably have it depend on how you are trying to hide it.

Hiding something by using camouflage? Survival check.

Hiding something in plain sight? Deception check.

Hiding/planting it on someone? Sleight of Hand check.

Finding a good place to hide an object? Investigate check.

Almost never an actual Stealth check. That's all about hiding yourself and being quiet.

I was actually thinking of making it a stealth(wis) check, since you are trying to figure out the best place to put the object so that someone else won't find it. The object was cunningly hidden. There are lots of ways to do it.

 

[Jester David]

The thread seems to have moved on with people adopting various reasonable definitions of 'hidden', but the above makes no sense to me. Here is what the PHB says about the benefits of the Hide Action.



Objects aren't usually attackers, so are you talking about the object as the target of an attack? This doesn't seem to have anything to do with the rest of your post. So what exactly did you mean by the bolded phrase?

Objects aren't attackers, no, but they *can* be targets.

 

[Caliban]

I was actually thinking of making it a stealth(wis) check, since you are trying to figure out the best place to put the object so that someone else won't find it. The object was cunningly hidden. There are lots of ways to do it.

That works too. Maybe just have the player tell you what skill they are trying to use to hide the object with, and their justification. If they make a good case, let them do it.

 

[JeffB]

That works too. Maybe just have the player tell you what skill they are trying to use to hide the object with, and their justification. If they make a good case, let them do it.

Old school, ftw.

On a side note- this is why I like more broad/abstract skill systems like 13A backgrounds.

DM- ok...you want to use your "Grew up as a Reaver of the Savage Coast" background? how?

Player- I often had to hide my share of treasures and trinkets, and sometimes I would take more than my fair share or pocket items before other Reavers saw them..I became really good at hiding loot in my cabin and on my person, and I know how thieving pirates think, so I should be able to hide something easily enough from these backwater town watchmen

DM- ok..sounds reasonable, and sounds like wisdom you gained...roll +wisdom and your background points vs DC20..

 

[Tony Vargas]

Old school, ftw.

Skills are 'New' School.

 

[JeffB]

Skills are 'New' School.

Tell that to Runequest and Traveller

 

[JeffB]

On a serious note..I guess NWPs showed up 1985ish? In both A and D&D?

Edit- technically skills in D&D go back to 1975. But I meant available to everyone.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Tell that to Runequest and Traveller

They know they're 'New' School.

 

[BoldItalic]

No-one seems to have asked the question: hidden from whom? Are we talking about PCs hiding things from NPCs who are supposedly looking for them?

If so, all the player has to do is to cross the item off his inventory secretly and not tell the DM where he has put it or what DC he thinks it deserves. Then it's up to the DM to send out NPCs doing Investigation checks and whatnot until the player accepts that it has been found or the NPCs give up.

In other words, the player and the DM temporarily switch hats, which could be fun or it could be incredibly boring, depending on how you play it.

 

[Caliban]

If so, all the player has to do is to cross the item off his inventory secretly and not tell the DM where he has put it or what DC he thinks it deserves. Then it's up to the DM to send out NPCs doing Investigation checks and whatnot until the player accepts that it has been found or the NPCs give up.

Oddly enough, in the absence of a skill check to hide the object, the DM gets to decide the DC needed to find it (not the player).

So if the player wants to pull "Oh, I hid that awhile ago without telling the DM, you have to find it", it might very well be decided that a DC 5 Investigate/Perception is needed check to find it.