Simple question.

[Rykin666]

does a successful hide check(s) in combat grant total concealment?

if no, please explain why.

thanks in advance,
Rykin

 

[Tilenas]

I'd say no. Being hidden and having total concealment have similar effects, but are different mechanics altogether.
If you hide, you are discovered by anyone who beats your check result with a spot-check, or who moves into a square from which you have no cover (or concealment).
If you have total concealment, you are not within line of sight to the target. There is no way to discern your location visually without getting rid of the source of concealment first. Even if someone pinpoints the square you're in, you benefit from a 50% miss chance on all attacks.
I hope you see how a hide check cannot provide you with total concealment. As soon as someone beats your hide check, you're out in the open (although you probably still have the defense bonus from whatever cover/concealment you used to hide in the first place)

 

[FEADIN]

Hiding is always behind something unless you have the hide in plain sight ability and may be it's what you're asking, in this case the two can be compared but you can also get total or partial cover if you hide behind something solid.
I always liked the "Hide in shadows" name ability from earlier editions even if you needed shadows to hide in.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Also taken into account is that hiding isn't exactly invisibility, which grants 50% concealment even if the foe knows what square to attack. With hide, people either spot you or they don't. There aren't any See Invisibility spells or the like. Blindsense, tremorsense, etc... AFAIK just completely foil hide if the foe has the range and line of effect to you.

Short answer, in my opinion: With hide if the opponent doesn't see you, there shouldn't be any need for a miss chance, because he shouldn't be attacking your square (save for as part of an area attack, where miss chance won't help anyway). If he has a means of knowing you're there, the entire hide's just ruined.

 

[irdeggman]

Rules Compendium pg 92

If you've successfully hidden with respect to another creature, that creature is flat-footed with respect to you. That creature treats you as if you were invisible.

Note that in addition to the denying Dex mod (I think it is misleading to say "flat-footed" since that technically only applies in the beginning of combat - being invisible grants you a +2 to your attack rolls against the target.

Invisibility grants you total concealment also.

 

[Herzog]

yes, with the following restrictions:

-you cannot hide while observed unless you have the Hide In Plain Sight ability.
-you need something to hide behind/in.
-The hide check is only 'successfull' when the opposing spot check(s) fail to beat it.
-If you move, attack, etc. you need to make new hide checks, and hiding requires an action (move equivelant, i think, but I'm not sure)

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

"Action
Usually none. Normally, you make a Hide check as part of movement, so it doesn’t take a separate action. However, hiding immediately after a ranged attack (see Sniping, above) is a move action."

Also, your hide check is successful against anyone whose spot check you beat. If some people spot you, you are still hidden to those who did not AFAIK. At least for a short amount of time, enough to sneak attack. If you're just like...hiding from the big scary dragon and his kobold minions in some boxes hoping they're go past you, that's a different story.

 

[Rykin666]

okay, so what ive gathered..... is that a succesful hide check (yes i know the opponents ALL get spot checks..... but my character has a ridiculous bonus to hide...) will grant my ranged based rouge a sneak attack...
and apparently i can shoot then hide... didnt know that.

thanks for the help guys

uhm StreamOfTheSky, if possible could you site where you got that info for me?

and irdeggman, what is the rules compendium? id like to look at that.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

It's right in the Hide skill description in the PH. Also in the SRD: Hide :: d20srd.org