expanded Hide rules?

[GlassJaw]

In the main forum there is a discussion about running a game using the Thief video game setting. I think a setting like that would really need some expanded and more comprehensive rules for the Hide skill, especially one that deals with varying degrees of light, darkness, and shadow.

I have some ideas for this but I was wondering if anyone knows of any rules that might already exist. Thanks!

 

[punkorange]

Being a lazy DM, I find the easiest way to deal with this would just be situational modifiers. But that's just me.

 

[Gez]

Yeah. Circumstance modifiers. Also, I give bonus to Hide based on cover* (+4) and concealment (%/5). Don't even remember if they're in the core rules or if that's from my house-rules, though.

* Of course, the cover from a Tower Shield or from a shield spell doesn't count. Only cover from walls, trees, rocks, fourniture, and other stuff that has a reason to be there.

 

[Felnar]

Yeah. Circumstance modifiers. Also, I give bonus to Hide based on cover* (+4) and concealment (%/5). Don't even remember if they're in the core rules or if that's from my house-rules, though.

* Of course, the cover from a Tower Shield or from a shield spell doesn't count. Only cover from walls, trees, rocks, fourniture, and other stuff that has a reason to be there.

well, as i read the rules in the PHB (pg 76), cover or concealment is required to make a hide check in the first place, so it shouldnt also give a bonus. The cover and concealment rules (pg 150-152) say that "improved"(near perfect) cover or concealment gives +10 to your hide check.

*and i'd say its easy to hide behind a tower shield, but hiding the tower shield itself is hard