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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Uller" data-source="post: 6536692" data-attributes="member: 413">I've seen a few threads struggling with this concept.  There seems to be some confusion on when you can hide, when you are spotted and when you can benefit from being hidden.   Here is what we have found works for us at our table.   When a character is out of sight of a creature he wishes to hide from (or otherwise in a situation where he can hide...a wood elf in foliage, for instance) he may take the hide action and become hidden (this happens automatically).The character can become spotted in three ways:  1) a creature moves to where it has line of sight on the hidden character.  At that point the hidden character must make a stealth check to remain hidden long enough for some effect.  If the character is at least lightly obscured and beats the creature's passive perception he can remain hidden.  If the character is not obscured, he'll be noticed regardless.*  But he might have a moment or two to get off a readied action or something.2) The hidden creature does something that will reveal itself (attacks, moves from it's hiding spot, casts a spell with V or S components, etc) but wants to briefly maintain it's hidden status during this action.  3) A creature takes an action to actively search for the hidden creature.  *If the situation warrants, the character can move a bit to remain hidden.  For instance, if he can slip around a nearby corner or move around a tree trunk/pillar he can remain hidden.So a couple of examples:  A rogue is being pursued by a guard.  He ducks down an alley, uses cunning action to hide behind some crates and readies a crossbow attack on the guard if he enters the alley.  When the guard enters the alley he has LOS on the rogue.  At that point the rogue gets a stealth check.  If he succeeds, he gets to make his crossbow attack while hidden.  If not then he gets to make the attack but without being hidden.  If the guard is being cautious (i.e. actively searching for a hidden rogue), then I'd let him make a perception or investigation check against the rogue's stealth check.  Otherwise, it's just passive perception.  If there are no good hiding places (the alley is empty) then the guard gets advantage on his perception (i.e. +5 on passive perception).  In the narration of this example, the guard turns the corner and (if the rogue's stealth succeeds) it takes him just a moment too long to notice the rogue to properly defend himself.Another: The guard moves past the alley.  Now the rogue wants to move 10' to the alley entrance then poke around the corner to shoot the guard from behind.  In this case, the rogue makes his stealth check to gain advantage on the attack (vs passive perception unless the guard is actively looking and being cautious or has good reason to think the rogue might attack from the alley).  If the rogue has to move a bit in the open to get a good shot, he might have disadvantage on his check.  He could move, attack from hidden (on a successful check), move back and use cunning action to hide again all in one round.This has worked well for us at our table.  YMMV.</blockquote>

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