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Message: <blockquote data-quote="xoth.publishing" data-source="post: 8047077" data-attributes="member: 6986003">Looking for clarification on how to handle the following scenario:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Party of four adventurers, fighter in the front carrying a torch (bright light in 20 feet radius, dim light in 20 feet radius)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Party enters a dark room via an open archway (no door)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Party is not actively looking for danger (no active Perception checks)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Kobold (darkvision 60 ft) is in the room</li> </ul>Are the following assumptions correct?<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The kobold can see the adventurers approaching (without making a check) because they are carrying a light source</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The adventurers can't see the kobold at all as long as it stays outside the 40 foot light radius from the torch</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The kobold can try to hide in the dim light of the torch (between 20 and 40 feet from the fighter, let's assume it's 30 feet away)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The kobold doesn't have a Stealth score, so uses its Dexterity bonus (+2) to hide</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The kobold's Dexterity (Stealth) check is opposed by the passive Perception scores of the PCs</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The passive Perception score is penalized by -5 because of the dim light</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Let's assume the fighter with the torch fails his passive Perception check, he is now surprised</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Let's assume the kobold wins initiative and goes first</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The kobold can now use its move (30 feet) to approach the fighter</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">After the first 10 feet of movement, the kobold enters the area of 20 feet bright illumination around the fighter, but does not need to make a new Stealth check</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The kobold still counts as an "unseen attacker" and can attack the fighter with advantage on the attack roll</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">After making the first attack, the kobold has now given away his location (regardless of whether he hits or misses), and is no longer unseen</li> </ol>Items 10-12 are the crux of the question: Will the kobold be able to attack with advantage, or is he no longer considered "unseen" as soon as he steps into the bright light? If so, how would a darkness-dwelling creature ever be able to attack a torch-bearer with advantage?Bonus question: Assume two PCs in the front row, each carrying a bullseye lantern (casts bright light in a 60-foot cone and dim light for an additional 60 feet) at a slight angle from each other, so it covers a 180-degree half-circle in front of the party (and perhaps the same for the two PCs in the back). While monsters would still be able to surprise this party (by hiding in the dim light, thus giving a -5 to the passive Perception of the PCs), "normal" monsters with 30 feet of movement would not be able to (melee) attack on the first round of combat, because they would need to take the Dash action in order to close the distance to the PCs? Apart from obviously giving away your position to every creature in the dungeon (and problems with using shields and two-handed weapons at the same time as carrying lanterns), why wouldn't a party of PCs always be carrying as many bullseye lanterns as possible? I guess if the room had features such as columns, statues, furniture, etc the monsters could use these to hide behind and be closer than 30 feet regardless of the level of illumination?</blockquote>

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