D&D 5E Can someone hide from multiple enemies?

[Oofta]

This is a common sense/ logic ruling.
The question is really, if one creature knows the space an enemy occupies, does every allied creature?

If you allow your PCs to tell other PCs the exact square of an enemy between turns then it only seems fair enemies can do the same. If you only allow players to talk on their turn and share the result of their Perception checks at that time, it makes sense that monsters are equally restricted.

Assuming they have a shared language and are intelligent enough to coordinate or use tactics.

I'm not even sure you need a language. I used to be able to point out squirrels to my dog, he would literally see me point and follow what I was pointing at.

But even knowing exactly where someone is may not reveal them, there are too many factors.

 

[Jester David]

I'm not even sure you need a language. I used to be able to point out squirrels to my dog, he would literally see me point and follow what I was pointing at.

But even knowing exactly where someone is may not reveal them, there are too many factors.

More just clarifying that something like oozes or skeletons aren’t gong to point out a hidden foe.

 

[Hriston]

So, let's say someone wanted to hide in combat. Enemy A can see the PC but enemy B cannot. Is it possible for the PC to be hidden from enemy B but not from enemy A?

Yes, if the PC tries to hide and ties or exceeds B's Wisdom check with a Dexterity check, then the PC is hidden from B but not from A.

And let's say both A & B can't see the PC but the PC only passed Enemy B's passive Perception. How would that situation work? According to the PHB, you can communicate so the enemy would probably do that but it's only on their turn or maybe the enemy doesn't think to communicate

The PC is hidden from B. A knows where the PC is, probably because A can hear the PC making some noise that B does not hear. On A's turn, A can tell B where the PC is. Then on B's turn, B can act on that information, possibly resulting in the PC becoming unhidden.

 

[Imaculata]

Depending on how well the pc is hidden, I would probably still have B make a perception chance with a bonus, to locate the pc. Even if A points where the pc is hiding.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

To be clear though, an Enemy A just pointing at where someone else is hiding doesn't mean they are no longer hidden to Enemy B.

Maybe, maybe not. If B said, "The enemy is behind that tree," then A now knows where the PC is. The PC is not hidden from A. They don't get to use any features or advantages that require being hidden.

The PC might have total cover and/or concealment from B, if they are 100% covered by the tree, but they are not hidden.

If B said, 'Over there" then all A can do is yell, "Where! I need more informatino that just 'over there'! Sheesh, you just can't get good help."

 

[SuperTD]

Maybe, maybe not. If B said, "The enemy is behind that tree," then A now knows where the PC is. The PC is not hidden from A. They don't get to use any features or advantages that require being hidden.

The PC might have total cover and/or concealment from B, if they are 100% covered by the tree, but they are not hidden.

If B said, 'Over there" then all A can do is yell, "Where! I need more informatino that just 'over there'! Sheesh, you just can't get good help."

By the rules, until Enemy A either sees the hidden creature directly or succeeds on a perception check to determine the creature is definitely still there, it is still hidden. It might not make sense in every situation, but it's RAW. After all, If enemy A is looking at me, and I step 5 feet behind a pillar that provides full cover and successfully hide, I'm considered hidden to Enemy A - it doesn't matter that Enemy A understands object permanence and knows there is nowhere else I could be - I'm still hidden by the rules.

Concealment isn't a term in 5e - there's cover which affects AC, and obscurement which can hide/blind creatures or impose disadvantage on perception checks..

 

[Shiroiken]

So, let's say someone wanted to hide in combat. Enemy A can see the PC but enemy B cannot. Is it possible for the PC to be hidden from enemy B but not from enemy A?

And let's say both A & B can't see the PC but the PC only passed Enemy B's passive Perception. How would that situation work? According to the PHB, you can communicate so the enemy would probably do that but it's only on their turn or maybe the enemy doesn't think to communicate

You can be hidden from only 1 enemy, depending on the circumstances. Even if an ally gives away the location, it doesn't change the fact that you're still hidden from them, they just know which space you're in. Unless they can move to be able to see you, they'd need to make a Perception check (which I'd give advantage to) for you to no longer be hidden from you.

Consider a halfing hiding behind an ally or two. Enemies may know the halfling is there somewhere, but they can't actually see him. They can attempt to target the space, but they definitely have disadvantage for attacking an unseen foe.

 

[jaelis]

Consider a halfing hiding behind an ally or two. Enemies may know the halfling is there somewhere, but they can't actually see him. They can attempt to target the space, but they definitely have disadvantage for attacking an unseen foe.

To be fair, not much is definite when it comes to stealth and hiding. I think some people would play that if you know where a creature is, then by definition it is not hidden from you. I think most people agree that being hidden and being unseen are two different things. The halfling ability lets you hide but it doesn't explicitly make you unseen, so this could be ruled differently at different tables.

 

[Li Shenron]

So, let's say someone wanted to hide in combat. Enemy A can see the PC but enemy B cannot. Is it possible for the PC to be hidden from enemy B but not from enemy A?

Yes, it's possible.

In fact, you normally don't attempt at hiding from a specific enemy, you just try to hide in general i.e. from everyone. However your roll may be high enough to beat someone's passive perception but not someone else's.

And let's say both A & B can't see the PC but the PC only passed Enemy B's passive Perception. How would that situation work? According to the PHB, you can communicate so the enemy would probably do that but it's only on their turn or maybe the enemy doesn't think to communicate

One example could be a PC trying to hide behind a big obstacle. If the PC Hide checks beats enemy B's perception but not enemy A's, then B suddenly doesn't know where the PC has gone. Enemy A does know, although he doesn't see it anymore because it's covered by the obstacle. A can definitely tell B where the PC has gone, but neither can still see it right from where they are. I don't think the game mandates that you can only speak during your turn, but I think it makes sense for a DM to rule something like that, in order to keep a certain sense of timing in the initiative round and to at least make it matter a little that B was beaten by Hide.

Think of what can happen in the inverse situation where an enemy Hides: if you let one single PC tell everyone else immediately where someone is hiding, then a single PC with very high passive perception is enough for the whole party to spoil every enemy attempts at Hide.

 

[Hriston]

By the rules, until Enemy A either sees the hidden creature directly or succeeds on a perception check to determine the creature is definitely still there, it is still hidden. It might not make sense in every situation, but it's RAW. After all, If enemy A is looking at me, and I step 5 feet behind a pillar that provides full cover and successfully hide, I'm considered hidden to Enemy A - it doesn't matter that Enemy A understands object permanence and knows there is nowhere else I could be - I'm still hidden by the rules.

Concealment isn't a term in 5e - there's cover which affects AC, and obscurement which can hide/blind creatures or impose disadvantage on perception checks..

I think you may have forgotten that, by RaW, the DM determines when circumstances are appropriate for hiding. Hiding somewhere that an enemy knows where you are might not be considered appropriate.