WotC CS answers some Stealth and Shadow Walk questions

[Hypersmurf]

No, it's the skill you use to perform an action without being noticed yourself.

So if you have concealment, and use the Stealth skill as part of the Open a Door action, then to an observer who doesn't beat your Stealth check, you suddenly vanish?

-Hyp.

 

[Kordeth]

So if you have concealment, and use the Stealth skill as part of the Open a Door action, then to an observer who doesn't beat your Stealth check, you suddenly vanish?

-Hyp.

No, you do not "suddenly vanish." You manage to perform the action without being seen. That might mean your observer looked away just long enough for you to pull a Batman and duck through the door while his attention is diverted, or that a particularly thick fog drift rolls by and covers you, or whatever other description fits the scenario. It's not an invisibility spell, and it's not WoW's "Stealth Mode" button.

 

[Hypersmurf]

No, you do not "suddenly vanish." You manage to perform the action without being seen.

But I'm becoming unseen as part of the Open a Door action. Before I open the door, I am in view, and after I open the door, I'm not.

-Hyp.

 

[Kordeth]

But I'm becoming unseen as part of the Open a Door action. Before I open the door, I am in view, and after I open the door, I'm not.

-Hyp.

Yes, but describing the action as "suddenly vanishing from sight" is probably not the most appropriate description, which is what I've been saying since the beginning. Unless you're playing a game where nonmagical means allow you to just vanish into thin air, in which case knock yourself out.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Yes, but describing the action as "suddenly vanishing from sight" is probably not the most appropriate description, which is what I've been saying since the beginning. Unless you're playing a game where nonmagical means allow you to just vanish into thin air, in which case knock yourself out.

Ahh, gotcha.

I thought you were drawing a distinction between Stealth-while-drawing-a-weapon (you become unseen) and Stealth-while-opening-a-door (you do not become unseen, but the fact that you are opening a door is unnoticed).

That's not where you were going after all, and my confusion is resolved.

-Hyp.

 

[Oompa]

A character who has a speed of 6 can move up to 6 squares (or 30 feet) on the battle grid by using a move action.

If you can move up to 6 squares, doesn't that also mean you can move less than 6 squares? Moving 0 squares is moving less than 6 squares...

No.. Move 0 means you move 0 squares, and standing in one square, does not count as movement.. The same as that damage is alway's 1 or more.. or attack rolls 1 or more.. never less..

But you could be standing still and use stealth as part of an action..

 

[essenbee]

Stealth is the skill used to hide yourself, not to perform an action without that action being noticed.

Well, it can also be used to move silently, thus move without being noticed.

 

[Kordeth]

Well, it can also be used to move silently, thus move without being noticed.

Right, which is just a type of hiding yourself aurally instead of visually. It's still you that's evading notice. When I said "perform an action without that action being noticed," I was referring to things like palming a dagger from your sleeve or discreetly signaling a friend that the merchant is cheating him, where you yourself remain in plain sight but are trying to do something without observers realizing what you're doing. That's the sort of thing Stealth isn't for.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The same as that damage is alway's 1 or more.. or attack rolls 1 or more.. never less..

Hmm? With penalties or resistance, damage can be 0... and an attack roll could even be negative.

-Hyp.

 

[essenbee]

Right, which is just a type of hiding yourself aurally instead of visually. It's still you that's evading notice. When I said "perform an action without that action being noticed," I was referring to things like palming a dagger from your sleeve or discreetly signaling a friend that the merchant is cheating him, where you yourself remain in plain sight but are trying to do something without observers realizing what you're doing. That's the sort of thing Stealth isn't for.

Agree 100%. I just am finding it very hard to understand, as an experienced DM, why everyone is having so much trouble with the very simple concepts covered by the Stealth skill, namely it being the equivalent of the Thief skills Hide in Shadows and Move Silently. With that equivalence and a dash of common sense (and the ability to say "No" to players), Stealth is a piece of cake. I have never had any issues running the skill in my games.