How to handle Invis Creature stalking the party

[Stalker0]

Here's the situation. A creature is invisibly walking with the party about 60 feet from their location for over an hour.

How should I rules as far as the party hearing them. Should I giving the creature take 10 on its move silently and the party take 20's on their listen checks?

And how precise can a person location an invisible creature with listen.

 

[Corsair]

Can you even take 20 on opposed checks?

 

[wedgeski]

Per the RAW, the DC of any one PC's Listen check for your creature is its Move Silently roll +6 (+1 per 10 feet of distance). Also:

A successful check lets a character hear an invisible creature “over there somewhere.” It’s practically impossible to pinpoint the location of an invisible creature. A Listen check that beats the DC by 20 pinpoints the invisible creature’s location.

Unless you want to roll every round (!) I'd just let everyone take 10 to represent the time in question. Anyone who beats the invisible creature's Move Silently DC knows there's something stalking them but can't see it, anyone who beats it by 20 or more is keen enough to locate the creature.

 

[Henrix]

Taking 10 for both parties is a good way to handle it, or just roll every now and then.

Taking 20 requires that you are not distracted, and walking around not suspecting anything is definetely being distracted.

The DMG has good info on Invisisbility and Listen on p.295. (As does the SRD, of course, but the DMG probably goes into more detail.)

 

[Shin Okada]

I think wedgeski is right about basic RAW for DC of opposed roll. The stalker has +6 due to distance.

I think the stalker cannot take 10. Because he is stalking a hostile group and they are threats.

On the other hand, IMHO, unless they are facing immediate threat, it is reasonable to assume that PCs can just take 10 while travelling.

So, if PCs agree with that, if PC's Listen check modifier + 10 can beat the stalker's Move Silently modifier + 1 +6, someone will eventually notice "something is there".

Or, maybe your players will claim that they are not usually taking 10 and rolling different number for each round. In that case, they will eventually roll 20 when the stalker rolls 1.

 

[Stalker0]

Or, maybe your players will claim that they are not usually taking 10 and rolling dif

I guess that's my big question, how often can you make listen checks if you don't know anything's out there.

If you can make one every round, then I might as well assume that the players will eventually get a 20 when the creature gets a 1.

But that would mean that in order for a creature to trully stalk another, he needs a +20 move silently over the creature's listen, modified for distance....that's a pretty big amount.

 

[Henrix]

Well, given that the listeners are distracted, i.e. just walking along unsuspectingly, that's a -5 penalty to listen, and that the invisible opponent stalks them at 60 feet away, then that is a -11 penalty to listen.

Anybody trying to stalk someone at so close range as 60 feet for an hour had better be fairly good at moving silently.

I would not allow listen checks every round, but just every now and then when it would be appropriate.
Presumably there are a lot of small noises going on around the PCs that the DM does not tell them about.

 

[Shin Okada]

But that would mean that in order for a creature to trully stalk another, he needs a +20 move silently over the creature's listen, modified for distance....that's a pretty big amount.

200 fts. of distance gives +20 to the DC. If he is following the PCs in open field, 200 ft. (or more) will not be a problem. In urban area, he can close distance as PCs may suffer circumstance penalty to their Listen checks.

 

[Nail]

But that would mean that in order for a creature to trully stalk another, he needs a +20 move silently over the creature's listen, modified for distance....that's a pretty big amount.

Possibly. Look: following someone that closely, while moving a full speed (-5 to the Move Silently check; don't forget!) is pretty difficult, even when invisible!

The "Stalker" does have some advantages. He/she/it can chose a longer follow distance. The Stalker may have a Move Silently skill that is several points higher than those in the party. And the party is likely "distracted" (-5), in the sense that they are not listening for people following them.

Keep in mind that only some of the PCs will have a decent Listen score. If the stalker's Mv. Silently score is higher by even a few points, and he puts a bit more distance between himself and the party, they've got virtually no chance to hear him.

Also keep in mind the party is likely a bit spread out, so only the back person is as close as the distance you've set. From experience I know that the PC Rogue is often near the front....making him even further from the Stalker.

As for "when to roll": Just do it once in a while, rather than every round. Do it when there's a change in the action of some sort. Otherwise assume the Stalker is giving the PCs some extra room, and there's no chance to hear him.

 

[William_2]

I favor opposed checks each round, because I think that is what the rules include, and also because it seems like a good system. It will make following a group that close for an hour quite improbable, but I think that it IS quite improbable unless the follower is extremely stealthy. The follower cant’s take 10, in my view, while the followed should not want to, so I think the DM should just keep rolling until the stalker is heard, and then proceed from there with the rest of the encounter.
If the timing is not crucial, then I agree that the DM could simply accept that someone’s check will eventually detect the stalker, and just pick a person and time for it to occur.