Rogue and stealth

[vhailor]

I am new to D&D and have the following questions:

1. I have cover and have made a successful stealth check against
an enemy:
a. I move closer to the enemy (using Move Action) to attack (melee).
Do I lose the Combat Advantage?
Do I make a new stealth check?
b. I use Deft strike and attack (melle or range). Do I need to make a
stealth check?

2. If I don't have visual contact with the enemy (standing behind a pillar)
do I make a stealth check, so I can gain Combat Advantage?

3. As what action count drawing a weapon (dagger for rogue)?

4. If I have a Hand crossbow (main hand), can I load the crossbow as a
free action (free load), while having the dagger in the off-hand?

 

[deleteme123456]

First, make sure you have the updated rules on stealth from D&D Insider. You need superior cover or total concealment to start stealth.
1a. If you move, you must still have cover or concealment (but not superior/total) and then make another stealth check. This cover/concealment check is relative to the enemy you're trying to hide from. If you move more than 2 squares, take a -5 penalty to the check, unless you have the Rogue Utility 2 power "Fleeting Ghost" or otherwise have a power / feature that says not to. If you run, take a -10 penalty. If you pass, you remain hidden. You have combat advantage if at the time of the attack, you are still hidden.
b. In my campaign, no, you must have already been hidden (see above), then deft strike. You still have stealth and therefore combat advantage until after the attack, at which point you need a new move action to rehide. Some DMs might say you need a new stealth check after the two squares.

2. Yes. Although the rules for cover are a little weird , and technically if you're standing directly on opposite sides of the same 5-foot (one square) pillar, you don't have superior cover.

3. Minor, unless you have the quick draw feat.

4. Up to your DM. I've let enemies get away with things like it, but in general, low-level enemies need all the help they can get, so I didn't feel too bad.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

I think:

1a) If you move such that you were not in at least partial cover or partial concealment during the move, you lose CA. You have to make a Stealth check for the move if you are at any point not in complete cover or complete concealment, remembering the -5 penalty if you go more than 2 squares.
1b) The same rules apply for the shifting as the move action in (1a). If you remain in some cover/concealment then you can attack at range for CA, or melee (if you're close enough) also for CA.

2) If you don't have Line of Sight then you are in complete cover and you need a Stealth check to get CA in a subsequent attack (which we will assume is ranged to avoid discussion of movement covered in (1)). You have to 'surprise' the enemy from behind the pillar, not just appear and attack - Stealth covers this.

3) It's a minor action to draw a weapon, unless you have the feat Quick Draw, when it's a free action as part of an action that uses it (like a standard action attack).

4) I can't remember what action reloading a crossbow is. If you have a dagger in your other hand I'd allow you to reload without putting it away though (you could always hold it in your teeth). I'm not so sure if you were holding a larger weapon though - does the PHB not mention something about reloading under the crossbow weapon entries?

 

[WalterKovacs]

I am new to D&D and have the following questions:

1. I have cover and have made a successful stealth check against
an enemy:
a. I move closer to the enemy (using Move Action) to attack (melee).
Do I lose the Combat Advantage?
Do I make a new stealth check?
b. I use Deft strike and attack (melle or range). Do I need to make a
stealth check?

Assuming you are hidden before moving [this requires more than just cover, there has been errata so the rules in the PHB aren't accurate anymore] you need to have cover or concealment along the path you take to continue being hidden [there is a rogue utility to deal with this]. You do need to make a new stealth check to remain hidden after moving, and this includes the penalty for moving more than 2 squares [again, there are rogue utilities to help with that].

In the second case though, if you are hidden, then use deft strike, you get the benefit of the combat advantage. Basically, if you do an action that causes you to no longer remain hidden, you stay hidden until the end of the action [although you can't become hidden again as part of the same action].

2. If I don't have visual contact with the enemy (standing behind a pillar)
do I make a stealth check, so I can gain Combat Advantage?

In this situation you have total cover relative to the enemy. You can make a stealth check [at the end of the move action that put you there] opposing his passive perception to become hidden.

3. As what action count drawing a weapon (dagger for rogue)?

Minor action. If you have quick draw, you can draw it as part of the attack.

4. If I have a Hand crossbow (main hand), can I load the crossbow as a
free action (free load), while having the dagger in the off-hand?

It requires two hands to load any ranged projectile weapon. So you would no be able to load the hand crossbow while holding a dagger in the other hand.

 

[vhailor]

| | | | |
| A1 | A2 | A3 | A4 |
|______|______|______|______|
| | | | |
| B1 |enemy| | B4 |
|______|______|______|______|
| | | | |
| C1 | pillar | | |
|______|______|______|______|
| | | | |
| D1 |rogue | | D4 |
|______|______|______|______|
| | | | |
| ... | | | |
|______|______|______|______|

1. Let's say I move from square D1 to D2. Now I have Superior cover, right? I make the stealth check when I move to D2?

2. Moving to D2 I lose visual contact with the enemy. Is he aware of my posotion? Does he also make a stealth check against me?

3. I am in D2 and have made a successful stealth check.
a. Can I use my Deft Strike to go to D4, make the attack (even at -2 beacause he has cover), and then use my move action to return to D2? Returning to D2 do I make another stealth check?
b. The enemy moves to C1 or C3. Since he wasn't aware of my presence, is his movement interrupted? What happens next?

4. Fleeting Ghost (Rogue Utility 2) allows me to make a stealth check.
a. If I am in square B4, can I move to B3, make the stealth check,
and attack having combat advantage?

 

[vhailor]

Sorry for meess above. I thought it would remain intact.

I have the squares in the txt.

 

[deleteme123456]

Sorry for meess above. I thought it would remain intact.

I have the squares in the txt.

Wrap it in {code} tags, using square brackets instead of curly.

 

[vhailor]

[| | | | |]
[| a1 | a2 | a3 | a4 |]
[|______|______|______|______|]

 

[vhailor]

 ___________________________
|          |         |          |         |
|   A1    |   A2  |  A3     |  A4    |
|______|______|______|______|
|          |         |          |         |  
|    B1   |enemy|          |   B4   | 
|______|______|______|______|
|          |         |          |         |
|   C1   |  pillar  |         |          |
|______|______|______|______|
|          |         |          |         |
|  D1     |rogue |          |    D4  |
|______|______|______|______|
|          |         |          |         |
|  E1     |         |          |         |
|______|______|______|______|

1. Let's say I move from square D1 to D2. Now I have Superior cover, right? I make the stealth check when I move to D2?

2. Moving to D2 I lose visual contact with the enemy.
Is he aware of my posotion? Does he also make a stealth check against me?

3. I am in D2 and have made a successful stealth check.
a. Can I use my Deft Strike to go to D4, make the attack
(even at -2 beacause he has cover), and then use my move action
to return to D2? Returning to D2 do I make another stealth check?
b. The enemy moves to C1 or C3. Since he wasn't aware of my
presence, is his movement interrupted? What happens next?

4. Fleeting Ghost(Rogue Utility 2) allows me to make a stealth check.
a. If I am in square B4, can I move to B3, make the stealth check,
and attack having combat advantage?

5. In the book in the skills chapter says:
Stealth: Part of whatever action you are trying to perform stealthily.
If I start my turn in D2, not having stealth, do I make a check before I
use Deft Strike?

 

[vhailor]

I quit!!!!!

I finaly found the <wrap

 tags> button and that came up.
 
If someone can watch the .txt file I'd appreciate it.
 
I guess I'll try once more.