clearstream
(He, Him)
Updated 30th Nov. 2018!
I'm interested in some feedback on these... guidelines, clarifications or homebrew depending how you see it. They come out of two years running OOTA, where vision questions have been common, critical, and sometimes complicated. One helpful thing I've come to realise is that the distinction between being hidden and unseen is one of knowing a creature's location. Regarding the vagueness of "not clearly seen", I follow a belief that Skulker constitutes not simply a recital of the general rule, but a specific that trumps that general. That means that I take "not clearly seen" to be true in the most general sense - in 5th edition, in all circumstances in which you can hide, it will be because you are not clearly seen - with the usual case being narrower than that. That has worked out well in play: providing clarity and feeling balanced.
Hiding and Blindness
Unseen, but not Unheard
Being unseen has offensive and defensive benefits, giving advantage or disadvantage depending on who sees whom. Even when you can’t see a creature, you still know its location from the noise it makes: allowing you to target it with ranged and melee attacks. If you know an attacking creature's location, they will stop being unseen as soon as they create line of sight to attack you, unless they are heavily-obscured or invisible.
Unseen and Unheard: Hiding
Being hidden has a defensive benefit, forcing attackers to choose the square they think you are in when they attack you: automatically missing if incorrect. Successfully hiding results in you being unseen, unheard, and your location not known. You can take the Hide action if you are—
Blinded
Attackers have advantage on their attack rolls against blinded creatures that they can see. Each foot of movement while blinded costs 1 extra foot of speed. To Dash you must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (DC 12) or fall prone, unless you are in contact with a sighted guide.
I'm interested in some feedback on these... guidelines, clarifications or homebrew depending how you see it. They come out of two years running OOTA, where vision questions have been common, critical, and sometimes complicated. One helpful thing I've come to realise is that the distinction between being hidden and unseen is one of knowing a creature's location. Regarding the vagueness of "not clearly seen", I follow a belief that Skulker constitutes not simply a recital of the general rule, but a specific that trumps that general. That means that I take "not clearly seen" to be true in the most general sense - in 5th edition, in all circumstances in which you can hide, it will be because you are not clearly seen - with the usual case being narrower than that. That has worked out well in play: providing clarity and feeling balanced.
Hiding and Blindness
Unseen, but not Unheard
Being unseen has offensive and defensive benefits, giving advantage or disadvantage depending on who sees whom. Even when you can’t see a creature, you still know its location from the noise it makes: allowing you to target it with ranged and melee attacks. If you know an attacking creature's location, they will stop being unseen as soon as they create line of sight to attack you, unless they are heavily-obscured or invisible.
Unseen and Unheard: Hiding
Being hidden has a defensive benefit, forcing attackers to choose the square they think you are in when they attack you: automatically missing if incorrect. Successfully hiding results in you being unseen, unheard, and your location not known. You can take the Hide action if you are—
- Free to obfuscate your location, such as when you are not confined or restrained; and
- Heavily-obscured by such things as darkness, opaque fog, or dense foliage; or
- Concealed by an object that blocks vision entirely such as a creature two sizes larger than you; or
- Unobserved such as when a creature is distracted; or
- Unseen such as through an invisibility spell or a class ability.
Blinded
Attackers have advantage on their attack rolls against blinded creatures that they can see. Each foot of movement while blinded costs 1 extra foot of speed. To Dash you must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (DC 12) or fall prone, unless you are in contact with a sighted guide.
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