D&D 5E Noticing an unseen hidden character by touching?

[Redthistle]

If the hidden character can see, they should be able to move out of the way before being run into, unless severely distracted (DM's discretion). If the hidden character is blind (i.e. darkness), then they wouldn't be able to do so, and running into them would end being hidden.

Exactly.

Some years ago, there was something going around where the question was: if you had a choice of being able to fly or to turn invisible, which would you prefer?

I'm firmly in the "flying" camp. The major problem with invisibility is other creatures unwittingly entering the space of the invisible creature. We're not just talking about hostile opponents bumping into you. A bird could slam into you. That stirge hanging in the air having followed your pheromone trail, its belly visibly swelling: that might just be a bit of a tell-tale.

In the RW, crossing the road while invisible could be considered suicidal.

A hidden, invisible creature may well have to pay attention to multiple factors, depending on the situation, and reacting/responding to those can easily be disadvantageous to remaining hidden.

Getting bumped? That's a biggy.

 

[neogod22]

Reroll* I hate when they cchange my words on me

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

 

[jgsugden]

Assuming the same size and the invisible/concealed target can 'see' the other being, I'd have the invisible/concealed target make an acrobatics check with a DC between 5 (if they anticipate the situation and let me know they are preparing for it before it comes up) and 15 (totally not expecting the enemy will enter the area) depending upon circumstances to avoid bumping the other being, and then repeat their stealth roll with a DC equal to the other creature's passive perception to avoid being detected.

If the invisible/concealed can't see the other creature, the acrobatics roll would have the same DC, but be a flat d20 roll. Stealth roll would still need to be rerolled (assuming they were trying to be stealthy).

 

[Imaculata]

I don't think additional dice rolls are the answer here. If a character is actively trying to stay hidden, then they can just step aside to avoid people from running in to them. No dice roll required, they already did the hide action after all.

 

[jasper]

Bump.
"zoinks! There nothing there Scobby!"
Scobby, " un oh Jasper!"
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6F5A80BD7FC359763F3F6F5A80BD7FC3597&FORM=VIRE

Sudden, Ron, Harry, and Hermine are knock to the ground as their new defense against the dark art teacher flees.

 

[BookBarbarian]

If I had a dime for every time my character in Skyrim was perfectly hidden until some mook bumped into me, I'd have several dimes at least!

I mean, why can't they just think I am a stump or a barrel or something! A well armored, well armed stump!

...Or barrel!

 

[Rod Staffwand]

A couple of points:

1. You're on pretty safe ground if you just go ahead and replace 'see' in the sections on hiding with 'sense'. See is the more natural term and the most common sense involved so they emphasized they, but there's no good reason to negate the use of other senses. If an invisible stalker is so close you can taste it, you know where it is.

2. If a creature moves into the space or square of a hidden creature, they know that creature is there. I wouldn't allow the hidden creature to move, even as a reaction, to remain hidden any more than I would allow them to use a reaction to avoid a fireball or shove (special abilities excepted). Instead, that seems like a good use for a readied action. If you want to stay hidden in close quarters you need to think ahead. Also, deodorant.

 

[Jester David]

Generally I've ruled that you run into the invisible character (RAW you can't enter an enemy's space) and discover where they are.
But this ruling really comes out of my time playing Pathfinder/3.5e where being invisible was super advantageous and meant you were almost impossible to discover. So one of the best solutions was running around, seeing if you bumped into anyone.