D&D (2024) Stealth Errata


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I am kind of wondering if this is a good fix after all...
Take a halfling (just for the D20 test reroll and naturally stealthy options) illusionist: they override the need to supply V components to illusion spells, so spells that do not need attack rolls are a go (not breaking the hide condition) (e.g., Fear, Hypnotic Pattern, Phantasmal Killer), meaning that if they are hidden (and thus invisible) inside some container/vehicle, this may be a rather game breaking strategy - how would an enemy find a source of something that they cannot see (e.g. behind solid cover with just a tiny slit left for them to see what's outside) apart from blindsight, tremorsense and such - see invisibility and true sight should not help in this case (imho)?
 


But there's nothing (other than distance) that prevents the target from just moving to a location where the boulder no longer provides heavy obscurement and thereby breaking the rogue's stealth.

I kind of hate this because turns in D&D are a simplification of combat that narratively is supposed to be happening all at once, right. Or do we think the actors are literally all standing perfectly still while one person does their entire turn? Why wouldn't the rogue see/hear someone circling around the boulder and take steps to stay out of their notice? Either moving around the boulder as the opponent does or slipping into another hiding spot.

The hide check is an abstraction that takes into account that enemies may be trying to find them. The perception check (or passive perception) is also an abstraction that determines how good you are at finding someone hidden. Moving around a boulder to see the rogue is breaking this abstraction with a "gotcha" that the rogue has no defense against. I don't like it. Let the abstractions stand, because I-go then you-go turns don't really support hiding behind things at all which is silly.
 

I kind of hate this because turns in D&D are a simplification of combat that narratively is supposed to be happening all at once, right. Or do we think the actors are literally all standing perfectly still while one person does their entire turn? Why wouldn't the rogue see/hear someone circling around the boulder and take steps to stay out of their notice? Either moving around the boulder as the opponent does or slipping into another hiding spot.
I know, right? Unfortunately, it's just one of those things ... how would you run simultaneous combats in a game like D&D?

I think where the turn-based initiative mechanic really breaks down is with chases. Inch worming your way through a chase scene is not fun, but I'm really not too sure how else to do it.


 
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I think "finding you" would include situations where you are hidden but it's bloody obvious where the hidden person is.
I would too, but since the rules don’t actually say that anywhere even after getting errata’d, I can only assume that is not actually the intended functionality. WotC has had no shortage of opportunities now to just write into the rules that you can stop being hidden if the DM decides your position is obvious, and they still haven’t done it.
 



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