3.5 D&D Stealth, Skill - New Skill combines Hide & Move Silently
Players Handbook
| Shadow d20 Notes: After many years of DMing games I have come to the conclusion that having a player make both a Hide and Move opposed check is almost like punishment. Basically where every other skill has only one opposed check trying to be Stealthy for some reason causes two opposed rolls. With this in mind we are merging Hide & Move Silently into one skill called Stealth(or simply Hide for character sheets that can't be changed). Stealth is opposed by either a Perception check with the important part being that it will be only opposed once. |
Stealth (Dex; Armor Check Penalty)
Move Silently: Characters use the Stealth skill to tread softly and move silently. The character’s Stealth check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone who might hear him. He can move up to half his normal speed at no penalty. At more than one-half speed, and up to his full speed, he suffers a -5 penalty to Stealth checks. It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to sneak around while running or charging.
Hiding: Characters can also use Stealth to hide. A character’s Stealth check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone who might see him. The character can move up to half normal speed and hide at no penalty. At more than one-half speed, and up to his full speed, he suffers a -5 penalty on the check. It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide while running or charging.
Creatures larger or smaller than Medium get size bonuses or penalties to Stealth checks made to hide as follows: Fine +16, Diminutive +12, Tiny +8, Small +4, Large -4, Huge -8, Gargantuan -12, Colossal -16.
If others are observing the character, even casually, he can’t hide. He can run around a corner to get out of sight and then hide, but the onlookers know at least where he went. However, if the onlookers are momentarily distracted (as by a Bluff check; see below), the character can attempt to hide. While the onlookers turn their attention from the character, he can attempt a Stealth check if he gets to a hiding place of some kind. (As a general guideline, the hiding place must be within 1 foot for every rank he has in Stealth.) However, the character makes this check at a -10 penalty, because he has to move fast.
As mentioned above, a character can use Bluff to help him hide. A successful Bluff check can create the momentary diversion he needs to attempt a Stealth check to hide in the midst of people aware of his presence.
Total Stealth: Characters trying to move silently and hide at the same time make only one Stealth check, which is opposed by a single Perception check.
Notes
- The Stealthy Feat is changed do to the above enhancement.
- Magic items that give a bonus to hide or move silently, like a cloak of elven kind, are not being changed. These items or size bonuses will only affect some of your stealth checks. Think of it as having Stealth(Hide) and Stealth(Move), but only having to pay for ranks in one skill called Stealth.
- If you can't change your character sheet then simply use the Hide skill to represent the Stealth skill.
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