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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 7027101" data-attributes="member: 58197">Lots of good thoughts. Thanks, all!I absolutely agree that the Hide action needs to be a defined, specific thing. I thought I had made it so with this sentence: "You can use the Hide action to shelter behind something that impedes vision (a bush, a crowd of people, etc.)." However, re-reading it, I see that could be read as "There is a general-purpose Hide action and this is one specific use of it." I'll rewrite my OP to make that clearer: The Hide action means hiding behind some sort of cover, nothing more, nothing less. Specifically, it means taking cover behind a partial obstruction, such that it is possible an enemy might spot you.Regarding the Batman scenario, I think that is better covered by expanding the distraction rules rather than trying to add multiple modes to Hide. I'll put that in too.Again, this is the intent of the rules; I'll tweak them to clarify. If you're behind cover that completely blocks a creature's vision, then by definition it can't see you and you don't have to hide. Hiding is only relevant if you might be seen.This is more or less the goal. You'll note that becoming hidden does not involve a Stealth check. You only roll when a creature might see or hear you. If you blow the roll, you stop being hidden to that creature (but might remain hidden to other, less perceptive creatures).The danger here is rules creep: Trying to create a system with precise rules for every possible scenario. That way lies madness (or 3E). I decided that the Stealth rules should be limited to sight and hearing, which are the things a Dex-based skill would reasonably affect. Thus:"If you succeed, the creature doesn’t see or hear you."Notice that this is the limit of what Stealth can do for you (I'll update the text to call that out explicitly). If you're being pursued by a creature with the nose of a bloodhound, or you just got done fighting an otyugh, no amount of sneakiness will prevent your enemy from smelling you. Likewise, you can't Stealth your way past an alarm spell. You must come up with other means to evade those.Covering your tracks is in a gray area. I would be inclined to roll normal track-covering into the Hide action; however, if you're walking across a black floor covered in flour--or a clean floor when you just got done fighting an otyugh--you may need to go to lengths not covered by Stealth. That's the sort of thing I feel should be left to the DM's judgement.</blockquote>

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