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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DEFCON 1" data-source="post: 6963093" data-attributes="member: 7006">Hiding in combat at my table:A PC (or monster) must first move behind a solid object or Heavily Obscuring terrain.  The three exceptions to this rule are:- Lightfoot Halflings (who can also be behind a larger-sized creature due to Naturally Stealthy)- Wood Elves (who only need to be behind Lightly Obscuring terrain if it's natural phenomena due to Mark of the Wild)- Those with the Skulker feat (who can attempt to hide in the Lightly Obscuring terrain of Dim Light.)Once behind said object or terrain they are considered "out of sight", and they then roll a DEX (Stealth) check to see how well they are hidden.  This check is covering all of ways you could sense the creature besides sight (so how quiet they can remain, covering their scent, avoiding leaving footprints or knocking into objects, not affecting air currents etc.)  If this number is higher than an enemy's Passive Perception, the PC is considered Hidden to that specific individual.Anyone who wishes to find the Hidden person (because the DEX (Stealth) check was higher than their Passive Perception), the individual must either:1) Move to another location in space such that the hidden individual is no longer behind or being blocked by the cover or terrain that allowed them to make the check in the first place (so for instance, moving around the wall or corner to come face-to-face with the person who ducked behind it to hide.)2) Use their Action to make an active INT (Perception) check to find the person.  If their INT (Perception) roll is higher than the PC's DEX (Stealth) check, then they know where the PC is.  Yes, I use INT for active Perception checks, and only use WIS for the passive number.  I also give several of my monsters and NPCs an extra feature called 'Vigilant', which allows them to use a Bonus action to make INT (Perception) checks to find Hidden creatures.If the person who is hiding wishes to attack an enemy during combat on their turn, several things must occur:1) The target of the attack must be unaware of the hiding person-- usually because their Passive Perception was lower than the DEX (Stealth) check, or if their active INT (Perception) check (if they made one) was also lower than the DEX (Stealth) check.2) The person who went into hiding must move at least 10 feet away from where they first entered the obscuring terrain and must remain behind obscuring terrain for the duration of the move.  This movement can be from Heavily Obscuring terrain to Lightly Obscuring, but at the end of the move they do still need to be behind some form of obscuring terrain (Light, Heavy, or LOS blocking).  The original DEX (Stealth) check counts for this movement.  (This is to keep a PC from trying to hide and attack just behind a single pillar for example.  The monsters need to have a wider possible area from whence an attack could come from for them to be more susceptible to attack.)3) The individual can then fire from within or lean out from behind said obscuring terrain to attack, and they will get to make the attack with Advantage using their Action.  After this attack they are no longer considered Hidden.  Unless stated by the PC otherwise, it is assumed they duck back behind the terrain they are in, resulting in either a bonus to AC (due to Lightly or Heavily Obscuring terrain), or being unable to be targeted due to no line-of-sight.  If the PC still has an action available this turn to make another DEX (Stealth) check to become Hidden again, they may.  Otherwise, on the PC's next turn they usually will start by making a new DEX (Stealth) check to regain their Hidden status and then move 10 feet to a new location behind the cover in order to attack with Advantage again with their next available Action.Most of the time, attacking while Hidden is usually done by those PCs and monsters who can make Hide checks using Bonus actions.  They move into Heavily Obscuring terrain or behind cover, use a Bonus action to make a DEX (Stealth) check, move an additional 10 feet while in the terrain if they have it available, then attack an enemy while Hidden using their Action.  The rest of the round they are not considered Hidden, but do gain any AC bonuses due to the terrain.  The next round they will then do the same thing over again.The way for monsters to defend against this tactic is to either use their movement to get into or behind the cover the PC is within so as to break the Hidden status... or Ready their Action to fire on the PC when they pop out to attack.</blockquote>

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