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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 8200226" data-attributes="member: 6677017">To add to my above post, the purpose of a Dexterity (Stealth) check is to be hidden in an imperfect situation. If you have perfect stealth conditions it doesn't even make sense.When you are crouching behind crates, peeking over a roof or around a corner, or otherwise occasionally visible, whether or not you will be noticed by someone is in doubt. This is why you make a check. If you beat their Wisdom (Perception) they don't notice you and you can attack once while you are in peeking mode if you choose (after which you give away your position and are no longer hidden).Hidden doesn't mean you are impossible to notice--it means that character doesn't know where you are, because they can't hear or clearly see you--both adjudicated by that Dexterity (Stealth) versus their individual (usually passive) Wisdom (Perception).If their Wisdom (Perception) check beats your Dexterity (Stealth) check, they do notice you when you are peeking out (and because of the way 5e does it, they never lost track of you in the first place)! At that point, even if you completely duck behind that same cover and stop peeking, they know where you are unless you move somewhere else and make the check again. This creates another imperfect situation (technically you don't make the check until you get to the new place, so how could you really hide if they actually knew where you went--but the game says you can) which allows you to again test your Stealth versus their Perception.Other than as the aftermath of an attack while hidden, you can give away your position by moving out somewhere where you are clearly seen, where no amount of Stealth check would help. While fully leaving an area of cover to go out in the open does this by default, the DM is encouraged to adjudicate even such complete lack of cover based on potential distractions like the opponent mostly having their attention fixed on another area of the battle, despite combatants normally staying alert to the battle in general.If the DM decides to say there is a potential distraction to allow you to do something like dart 20 feet in the open between one stack of crates or corner to another (potentially remaining hidden after), or sneak up on the distracted opponent and stab at them (automatically revealing your position and losing the hidden state after resolving the attack) then there is doubt as to whether your skill exceeds their distraction, and, you guessed it, that's where your Stealth versus their passive Perception comes in.Before the changes to the PHB, it seemed like Stealth checks were only about staying quiet when you might be heard, but the revisions removed the ambiguity and made known that the intent was that it is also about being unseen when you might be seen.</blockquote>

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