Rules FAQ How Does Stealth Work in D&D 5E?

Stealth is a complex skill. The rules can be found in the Player’s Handbook, largely on page 177. On the surface, it seems simple: it is a Dexterity (Stealth) check opposed by a Wisdom (Perception) check. But, there is more to it than that.

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So let’s break it down step by step. Using stealth generally means using the Hide action. Hiding is a 4 step process:

1. Are you sufficiently obscured from the creatures you're hiding from?
2. Use Hide action; this could be a bonus action if you have certain abilities, like the rogue’s Cunning Action or the Ranger’s Vanish.
3. Compare Dexterity (Stealth) check to the passive perception scores of any creature you are hiding from and against any active Wisdom (perception) checks to search for you
4. While you remain hidden, use the same Dexterity (Stealth) result until you are detected or are no longer hiding.

While Hidden
When you are hidden (which means you have used the Hide action and a creature has not noticed you with passive or active perception):

• You have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that can’t see you.
• When you make your attack, though, you reveal your position and are no longer hidden, whether the attack hits or misses.
• If a creature tries to attack you while you are hidden (and is able to guess the space you are in), it makes its attack roll with disadvantage.

Staying Hidden
You remain hidden until you are discovered, you stop hiding, circumstances no longer allow you to hide, or you make a noise or otherwise alert others to your presence.

You do not need to continually use the Hide action every round to remain hidden, but you will need to use it again to hide once you become detected or stop hiding (this could be complex to track, as being hidden is relative to each creature).

When Can I Hide?
According to the Player’s Handbook, you “can’t hide from a creature that can see you clearly”. The complicating factor is the line "The DM decides when circumstances are appropriate for hiding”.

• The book reminds DMs that they might allow a player character to sneak up on a distracted creature, even leaving their concealment to do so, if circumstances allow it.
• It goes on to say "An invisible creature can always try to hide", noting that being unseen does not mean you are undetected.
• The Player's Handbook reminds us that the "Lightly obscured' and "heavily obscured" lighting affect what one can see. Being lightly obscured imposes a -5 penalty on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, while being heavily obscured effectively blinds creatures to things in the obscured area and makes Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight automatically fail.

We still do not have a definition for “clearly”; it is left up to DM interpretation in this context.

• We know that being invisible counts. Being invisible makes one heavily obscured "for the purposes of hiding", so heavily obscured also counts.
• Full cover is not mentioned, but since it fully blocks line of sight, it is safe to assume full cover for an opaque object would be sufficient to hide behind.

This leaves the question "Can I hide when I am only lightly obscured" or "Can I use half or 3/4ths cover to hide?" The answer seems to be left up to the DM, as there are special abilities which interact with creatures who are lightly obscured.

• The skulker feat allows you to try to hide when you are lightly obscured" implying you couldn't otherwise do this.
• Wood Elves have the mask of the wild ability that lets them use the hide action "when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena''.
• Lightfoot halflings have the naturally stealthy ability, which lets them hide "even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you".

There are two ways to read this. The strict interpretation would be that you need these abilities in order to hide within lightly obscured areas. The loose way to interpret would be that these abilities allow you to use stealth to Hide in certain kinds of light obscurement even while being observed. As the Hide rules state you "can't hide from a creature that can't see you clearly" it depends on how the DM interprets “clearly. And, if a DM is going to allow lightly obscured areas to count as “not seen clearly”, then they may allow half cover or three-quarters cover as well.

Be sure to discuss with your DM how they intend to interpret when a creature can and cannot see you clearly.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Literally everything you wrote contradicts the rules:

/eyeroll

This is not the rule. To become hidden, the rule is:

1) You must first enter cover (or obscurement) sufficient to be able to 'not be seen clearly' by your opponent.
2) You must then take the Hide action with your Action (or bonus action for Rogues and the like)
3) Succeed on a Stealth check by your opponents Passive Perception score.

Then (and only then) are you hidden.

You forgot a step in the action resolution loop. If the player declares they are hiding, the DM can simply declare it an auto-success without a dice roll. I very explicitly said "this is how I would rule it", and was writing in the context of rogues using their bonus action to Hide. Rather than waste time rolling (at that point) I'll just grant them the success, assuming they have total cover.

That's not the rule either.

The rule is thaat when you're hidden, you can attack from your hiding spot and you retain the benefit of being hidden (advantage on your attack) for the entire attack (hit or miss) until after the resolution of your attack, at which point you are no longer hidden.

Not quite. The rules says that's how it works if you are hidden. But obviously if you are behind total cover you can't see your target, so in order to shoot you have to move, and if you come out from behind your cover, the DM can rule you are no longer hidden.

What I'm saying is that at that point, when they emerge from total cover, I'd be willing (in general) to let the rogue roll, to see if they can remain out of the target's view.

I realize that's not how most DMs (at least the ones I've played with) do this. Most people just let you pop out and shoot. And I'm not going to make any claims about whether or not that's RAW, RAI, or whatever. But what I'm describing does not contradict the rules.

This one is a bit more subjective.

By default you cannot approach a creature while hidden (unless you can do so without 'being seen clearly' as you approach, such as in a darkened room for example).

A DM could let a PC sneak up behind a creature, but that's entirely up to the DM.

Um, yeah. As I was saying above, I wrote "this is how I would rule it" not "what the rules say you must do".

I'd be happy to keep discussing this with you...I might be missing something. But please drop the arrogance.

 

[Asisreo]

If the PC's (as a group) move stealthily, then that's a group check surely?

Could be. Depends on the DM or the situation. I'd say so, but a DM might want to add tension by forcing the decision to either have only the stealthy party scout ahead (oh no, Splitting the party!) Or have the Paladin take the time to remove his loud armor. Or have the caster cast Pass Without Trace.

It's not necessarily bad either way.

 

[Flamestrike]

Could be. Depends on the DM or the situation. I'd say so, but a DM might want to add tension by forcing the decision to either have only the stealthy party scout ahead (oh no, Splitting the party!) Or have the Paladin take the time to remove his loud armor. Or have the caster cast Pass Without Trace.

It's not necessarily bad either way.

You can add tension with secret rolls.

 

[Flamestrike]

You forgot a step in the action resolution loop. If the player declares they are hiding, the DM can simply declare it an auto-success without a dice roll.

Where is that rule in the PHB?

Can you direct me to it?

I very explicitly said "this is how I would rule it", and was writing in the context of rogues using their bonus action to Hide. Rather than waste time rolling (at that point) I'll just grant them the success, assuming they have total cover.

Great, but that's not how the rules work.

You can rule however you want at your table though. I'm not stopping you.

Not quite. The rules says that's how it works if you are hidden. But obviously if you are behind total cover you can't see your target, so in order to shoot you have to move, and if you come out from behind your cover, the DM can rule you are no longer hidden.

No, you're wrong. This has been covered a billion times already, including by the dude that wrote the rules who clearly states you're wrong, in a tweet, sage advice and on a podcast.

What I'm saying is that at that point, when they emerge from total cover, I'd be willing (in general) to let the rogue roll, to see if they can remain out of the target's view.

You're not following the rules.

The Rogue remains hidden until the attack is resolved, hit or miss. Says so in the PHB, as confirmed by JC in multiple sources.

I realize that's not how most DMs (at least the ones I've played with) do this. Most people just let you pop out and shoot.

That's because those are the rules.

Bill, you're wrong by the Rules. That's all Im saying here.

Im not questioning your ruling (go crazy with how you do it at your table, I dont play at it). Im just pointing out that the rules as written do not support your interpretation, and what you posted are not the actual rules for how hiding works.

 

[Lyxen]

You can add tension with secret rolls.

Yes, we always do this for stealth, especially since they can (and IMHO should, as it speeds up play a lot and reduces metagaming) be kept for a very long time (until you are discovered or stop hiding).

Both VTTs and face to face there are very simple mechanics to do this, and it works really well.

 

[clearstream]

In my experience too many DMs are willing to give it to the ranged rogue, but when the melee rogue wants to approach they say you can’t.

Maybe I have a more cinematic view of rogues than most, but in the same way a magician (of the Penn and Teller ilk) can hide something in plain sight, using distraction and psychology, I’m fine with the image of rogues knowing how to stay in somebody’s blind spot.

Using a grid, I find that circumstances where hiding is clearly enabled do more often suit ranged attackers. One can certainly do as you do and allow an approaching rogue to stay hidden. Rogues are intended to frequently have advantage.

It can feel a bit unnatural if they repeatedly kite back into cover and then - surprise! - back again. The skulker feat and wood elf trait both can make a big difference. (I like to also be thoughtful of those in refereeing stealth.)

 

[Lyxen]

Where is that rule in the PHB?

It's not a PHB rule, it's a DMG resolution, check "The Role of Dice", it's a very interesting section. Basically, it's never the players who decide to roll, the DM can absolutely decide that an action auto-fails or auto-success based on declaration and circumstances. If Bill decides that, in his campaign, as long as you are out of sight, you are considered hidden, it's still absolutely in line with the rules (and, I might add, with all the advice from the Devs that say, basically, that stealth, even more than many areas of the rules, is under the jurisdiction of the DM).

The Rogue remains hidden until the attack is resolved, hit or miss. Says so in the PHB, as confirmed by JC in multiple sources.

On this, point, you are correct, the rules are actually fairly clear, although I might point out that all the elements in the rules, from "see you clearly" to " if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you" are subject to a DM's interpretation.

 

[Lyxen]

Using a grid, I find that circumstances where hiding is clearly enabled do more often suit ranged attackers. One can certainly do as you do and allow an approaching rogue to stay hidden. Rogues are intended to frequently have advantage.

No, they are intended to use their sneak attack frequently, which is very different. And using a grid is an option only, and a very undevelopped one in 5e, so I would not base anything on this, it's not the standard.

It can feel a bit unnatural if they repeatedly kite back into cover and then - surprise! - back again. The skulker feat and wood elf trait both can make a big difference. (I like to also be thoughtful of those in refereeing stealth.)

And everything here is very unnatural, which is why disadvantage on stealth and advantage on spotting (or even auto-failure / -success) are a DM's best friend in case of abuse.

 

[Asisreo]

Yes, we always do this for stealth, especially since they can (and IMHO should, as it speeds up play a lot and reduces metagaming) be kept for a very long time (until you are discovered or stop hiding).

Both VTTs and face to face there are very simple mechanics to do this, and it works really well.

Actually, the way I do it is that they don't roll stealth until they know there's someone nearby to detect them. If no one's there, I'll wait until someone appears.

If someone is hidden somewhere else such that neither might notice each other, I either roll secret rolls or use passive Stealth.

 

[Lyxen]

Actually, the way I do it is that they don't roll stealth until they know there's someone nearby to detect them. If no one's there, I'll wait until someone appears.

It's one way to do that, but the problem as I see it is that it alerts the player to the fact that there is someone, and his behaviour will be modified even with good players. By rolling secretly when someone goes stealthy, you can manage everything potentially using passives, and the suspense will be total for the player who will not know what to expect.

If someone is hidden somewhere else such that neither might notice each other, I either roll secret rolls or use passive Stealth.

Passive stealth is a good idea as well, I use it fairly often for these circumstances or just to see how discrete characters are, in case they are being observed when they don't know about it.