Stealth, doors, and attacks.

[Kzach]

I'm trying to build a monster that attacks through a concealed doorway in a purposefully set-up murder alley. Essentially it is inside a building and slides a door open and then attacks characters in the 1 square wide alley, and then slides the door back.

The point was that as lurkers they would move up and down the alley, attacking every other round from stealth through the panels, and then slinking back to their hiding spot.

It occurred to me, however, that they would have to use a minor action to open the door, attack the nearest target, and then use a move action to close the door.

So... do they retain stealth after opening the door since they no longer have superior cover once the action is completed? Or do they retain their hidden status until they make an attack?

 

[EP]

Could it be an ooze that simply creeps/slides under the door?

 

[Mort_Q]

It occurred to me, however, that they would have to use a minor action to open the door, attack the nearest target, and then use a move action to close the door.

So... do they retain stealth after opening the door since they no longer have superior cover once the action is completed? Or do they retain their hidden status until they make an attack?

NPCs don't have to follow the rules exactly... if these doors are specially designed to use this style attack, they can have a mechanism that allows it to be a free action, or whatever works...

Make it interesting and the PCs won't think they're getting screwed over...

 

[Kzach]

NPCs don't have to follow the rules exactly... if these doors are specially designed to use this style attack, they can have a mechanism that allows it to be a free action, or whatever works...

Make it interesting and the PCs won't think they're getting screwed over...

Well, this is for a module I wouldn't mind attempting to one day maybe publish, so it has to be kosher

That and I still found the question to be relevant to my regular gaming.

 

[the Jester]

Easy- give them something like this:

Ambush (standard; at will): The xxx opens its concealed door and attacks: +x vs. melee; x damage.

That way it's only one action to open the door and make its attack, leaving it both a minor (to close the door) and a move (to move away).

Perfect exception based design.

 

[stonegod]

Easy- give them something like this:

Ambush (standard; at will): The xxx opens its concealed door and attacks: +x vs. melee; x damage.

That way it's only one action to open the door and make its attack, leaving it both a minor (to close the door) and a move (to move away).

Perfect exception based design.

Slight mod:
Ambush (standard; at will; requires adjacent closed concealed door): The xxx opens its concealed door and attacks: +x vs. melee; x damage.

Just to make things explicit that the door is required.

 

[LostSoul]

Damn, I think you'd almost want to do a Skill Challenge here. First attack - oh crap! "Now what do you do?"

Perception: They could look for other doors.
Init: A readied action could go first.
AC or Ref: Prepare for the attack.
Athletics or attacks: Bash open the door.

No "3 strikes". Each attack is rolled like normal and does normal damage.

edit: Well, skill challenge may not be right - except for the extra XP. Freeform checks may be better here.

 

[Kzach]

Ok, as much as I appreciate the house rules input, there was a reason I posted this in the Rules forum and that was to get some clarity on the original question.

 

[sfedi]

So... do they retain stealth after opening the door since they no longer have superior cover once the action is completed? Or do they retain their hidden status until they make an attack?

Nope, they must still make a Hide check which is allowed at the end of a move action.

You could make the slits/doors be opened by just standing over a pressure plate, this could easily make the task a free action, or a minor and a free action per turn.

A Thievery check should be able to foil such maneuver.

Try to be fair to the players.

 

[Mengu]

So... do they retain stealth after opening the door since they no longer have superior cover once the action is completed? Or do they retain their hidden status until they make an attack?

Depends on how much you open the door. When you open the door, if you no longer have superior cover, and an enemy has line of sight to you, you are no longer hidden. However, if you open the door quietly only a crack, and make sure it still provides superior cover, then a stealth check could be made to remain hidden, but in this case opening the door would have to be a move action because you can't make a stealth check as part of a minor action.

So if you open the door using a move action, and succeed at a stealth check against the passive perception of all enemies that have line of sight to you, you are hidden for the attack. After the attack you are no longer hidden. Then you can proceed to spend a minor action to close the door.