Rogue hiding where there isn't anywhere to hide

[Broken Fang]

Hey...that worked for the Spy vs. Spy dudes!

 

[Tewligan]

I once ordered the funniest book ever off of amazon. It was called something like "Secrets of Ninja Invisibility."

It wouldn't be "Secrets of the Ninja Revealed", would it? I think that's the name of a book I bought years-n-years ago because, y'know, ninjas are totally sweet and awesome. Anyway, this book had the black vs. white ninja illustrations, with helpful illustrated advice such as how to secretly approach an enemy encampment, scale walls, hide behind doors, and kick multiple opponents' asses at once. That was awesome. It always made me laugh to think of a guy in full ninja costume furtively buying the book at Waldenbooks, and then practicing at home with the book propped open with shuriken.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

It wouldn't be "Secrets of the Ninja Revealed", would it? I think that's the name of a book I bought years-n-years ago because, y'know, ninjas are totally sweet and awesome. Anyway, this book had the black vs. white ninja illustrations, with helpful illustrated advice such as how to secretly approach an enemy encampment, scale walls, hide behind doors, and kick multiple opponents' asses at once. That was awesome. It always made me laugh to think of a guy in full ninja costume furtively buying the book at Waldenbooks, and then practicing at home with the book propped open with shuriken.

I think it might be by the same author. He has a dozen or so books, and he claims to be one of the eight or so surviving ninja on the planet. I think my friend has the book right now, I'll ask him what the title is.

 

[Christian]

The ninja comments call to mind (to get back to the topic of the thread) the movie Enter the Dragon. Doesn't anybody remember the scene where Bruce Lee sneaks through the guarded room? Of course, he did take advantage of cover at times, but the basic principle should be valid, in heroic fantasy at least ...

There may not be facing in D&D, because everyone is presumed to be looking around over the course of a round. But still, at any given instant, a particular character must be looking in some direction. The rogue just needs to make sure that, at each instant, wherever the guard is looking, the rogue is someplace else.

 

[LokiDR]

If you are in a completely lit, featureless, clean walls which provide high contrast, you aren't in any dungeon, room, or area I have ever seen or heard of in a game or life. There is always dust, shadows, and the omni-present cloak. If you look like a bunch of crap with a blanket thrown over it, you are hidden. Of course, others might attept to check this strange bundle, but they should be surprised when you pop out (assuming you made a good hide check and they didn't spot you) You should reasonably be able to hide most anywhere, but there has to be an excuse why you are not seen as a person. A cloak ussually works.

 

[dcollins]

From the SRD, under HIDE: "the character can attempt a Hide check if the character can get to a hiding place of some kind. "

You snipped off the fact that this is only given as a specific exception to the "people are observing you" situation. Here's a more full version of the text:

If people are observing you, even casually, you can't hide... If your observers are momentarily distracted (as by a Bluff check; see below), though, you can attempt to hide. While the others turn their attention from you, you can attempt a Hide check if you can get to a hiding place of some kind... This check, however, is at -10 because you have to move fast.