Hiding = invisible?

[Alphar]

Skip Williams

Skip mailed me almost a year ago regarding this subject. If you are successfully hiding, then you gain ALL of the benefits of being invisible, meaning you get the +2 to hit, they lose their dex, blah blah blah.

My group had a HUGE fight over this one, and then Skip solved it for us

 

[Barcode]

Alphar,

If you still have Skip's email, could you copy/paste the relevant bits to the thread? That is certainly official enough for me and my group...

Thanks,

Barcode

 

[IceBear]

There is a thread further down this page where Ristamar asked the Sage and posted his answer. Here is the Sage's answer:

Dear Mr. Williams

Does a hidden character count as "invisible" with regards to the "Attacker Invisible" entry on table 88 of the PHB, thereby giving a +2 to attack and denying the target its dex bonus to AC?

Usually, yes.

If not, does the hidden character deny the target its dex bonus to AC implicitly, perhaps without the +2 modifier?

No Dex bonus for the defender.

If not, is a hidden character at least considered 100% concealed for defensive purposes?

Not seen=100% concealed, unless the attacker has blindsight.



Skip Williams
RPG R&D

IceBear

 

[WaterRabbit]

Blind-Fight

Or the defender has the Blind-Fight feat and the attacker is using a melee attack.

 

[Barcode]

Thanks all. Wow, what a great board!

-B-

 

[Alphar]

My email to the Sage and his response

My email, on May 11, 2001:

> Skip (or Mr. Williams, whichever you prefer), I am sure that you > may have already had to this issue before, but we have
> recently had a spirited discussion with our DM about hiding
> characters and missile attacks. I know that the DM is always
> right, but according to the rules laid out in the PHB, I was
> hoping you could answer a few questions. If a character/NPC
> passes his Hide check verses anothers
> Spot check, is he considered to be invisible for purposes of
> attacking with a bow using the modifiers from PHB table 8-8
> page 132? In other words, do opponents lose their Dex against successfully hidden characters/NPC's attacking with
> missile weapons, and does the attacker receive a +2 to hit
> against them? Are successfully hidden characters
> considered to be "invisible" per the definition in the glossary in > the back of the PHB? Do successfully hidden characters receive
> a concealment bonus as though they were invisible?

Skip's Response (on May 14, 2001):

This whole subject is handled in some depth in the Upcoming Song and Silence book. (A - See how old this is?)

In short, a hidden opponent gets all the benefits of being unseen, just as an invisible opponent does.