My point is not that I can explain the difference, but rather that I cannot prove they are the same.
One might attempt to do so by looking at other ability checks. For example, is trying to climb, and climbing, the same thing? I think they are, but how can one prove that they are? A group could say that trying to climb is rolling the die, and climbing is the product of rolling the die, or something like that.
But consider the analogy. Trying to climb something that is impossible to climb (a sheer glass wall with no ropes etc) means you cant climb it.
You can attempt to, but you fail.
So if you cant hide in something (dim light)
you cant therefore be hidden in it. You can attempt to, but you fail.
If you cant swim in a slab of rock, you cant
be swimming in it. You can attempt to, but you fail.
I mean it's plain language we're using here. If any attempt to do the task is impossible, you cant do the task.
Implied by you are not clearly seen is that you are seen.
A creature that CAN see you clearly is the wording. And you CAN see a creature clearly when looking at it with NVG's (i.e. with darkvision) in light fog, or heavy rain, which is why it is (generally speaking) impossible for them to hide from you in such circumstances.
You might be unable to make out finer details, or be only viewing them in black and white, but you CAN clearly see them.
I mean go outside with a friend in heavy rain. Stare straight at each other. Try and hide without moving.
Obviously it wont work!
Now try the same thing, with your friend behind a lone tree, and you staring at the tree from 30' away. Count to 3, and on 3 your friend has to move around from the tree, and up to you and touch your nose using only the rain as cover, without you seeing him.
You can try this experiment a million times,
and you see your friend the instant he steps around from behind the tree every single ttime.
It's madness we're arguing this. The RAW is not trying to set up some absurd situations (which is what you end up with if you follow
@Iry interpretation).
In Law we have a rule of interpretation of legislation. If two possible interpretations are available, and one leads to an absurd result,
we accept the one that doesn't.
That's not precisely true. The rules state that you can't hide from a creature that can see you clearly.
Yes, but the PHB also specifically defines hidden as 'unseen and unheard' so
when you become hidden, you become unseen and unheard.
How do you remain unseen and unheard, when you leave a hiding spot, and approach someone who can now see you, such as by moving through heavy rain straight towards them as they stare straight at you?