How strict with Hide checks?

[SuperJebba]

Hey, guys! I'm curious how strict you guys are with hide checks with regards to having appropriate cover to hide behind.

Last night, one of my players made a move silently check to open a door into a room quietly and a hide check to hide and moved slowly into the room. The room was an empty 3x4 square room with a chest in the far corner and 6 dretches. They attacked him and he was kind of upset that he didn't get to hide.

IMO, he doesn't get the hide check because there is no cover to hide behind. He argues that an improved hide skill gives you the ability to hide behind next to nothing. He does not have HIPS.

So I'm just curious how strict you guys are about hide checks and having cover, or is that part of the rule you just ignore? Thanks.

 

[Dandu]

I'd allow it if he was carrying something that generated cover, like a tower shield or cardboard box.

 

[slwoyach]

I'm extremely strict, I don't even allow special abilities that allow characters to hide without cover. I don't check logic at the door.

 

[Dandu]

And magic?

 

[slwoyach]

And magic?

Magic is perfectly logical in the worlds in which they exist, so I don't see any consistency problems there. If you're talking about magic assisting hiding, well if you're invisible obviously you don't need to hide.

 

[Dandu]

Magic is perfectly logical in the worlds in which they exist, so I don't see any consistency problems there.

Magic is indeed perfectly logical in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, as is the ability to hide in plain sight.

After all, you are playing a game with monstrous spiders (how do they breath?), giant, flying, energybreathing lizards (can't even begin to point out everything wrong with that statement), and supernatural monsters some of whom can indeed hide in plain sight.

 

[Greenfield]

I try to run it by the book.

No cover or concealment? No hide possible.

Carrying a tower shield will keep them from seeing you, but I'm willing to bet somebody will get curious about why a tower shield is tiptoeing across the room.

More seriously, you can't hide behind your own gear, except under unusual circumstances. (for example, you could cut branches or a small bush to provide portable camo/concealment in a woodland setting. Of course, in a woodland setting you have real shrubbery to hide behind, so...

 

[Rhun]

No cover or concealment? No hide possible.

More seriously, you can't hide behind your own gear, except under unusual circumstances. (for example, you could cut branches or a small bush to provide portable camo/concealment in a woodland setting. Of course, in a woodland setting you have real shrubbery to hide behind, so...

What he said!

 

[AuraSeer]

When I DM, the players can't just say "I'm hiding." They have to specify where, how, or behind what. Given plausible excuse I will let them try, perhaps with appropriate situational modifiers.

Even if there's no cover or concealment, I'll allow an attempt if the character has some sort of camouflage or magical assistance, like a cloak of elvenkind. (After all, that's how Frodo and Sam hid, in plain view on a bare mountainside.) But again there's a big situational penalty.

In the situation you describe, I can't think of a plausible way for the PC to hide himself. Perhaps if he was truly exceptionally skilled, and the monsters were otherwise occupied, he could duck in while they were not looking and dive behind the chest. But if the dretches were just sitting there watching the door, hiding is probably not possible.

 

[irdeggman]

When I DM, the players can't just say "I'm hiding." They have to specify where, how, or behind what. Given plausible excuse I will let them try, perhaps with appropriate situational modifiers.

In the situation you describe, I can't think of a plausible way for the PC to hide himself. Perhaps if he was truly exceptionally skilled, and the monsters were otherwise occupied, he could duck in while they were not looking and dive behind the chest. But if the dretches were just sitting there watching the door, hiding is probably not possible.

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