How does Stealth work in D&D 5th Edition?
- Summary:
- Use cover to hide and beat their passive Perception.
- While hidden, attackers have disadvantage on attacks and must guess your location. If the location is wrong they miss automatically.
- You have advantage on attacks if the enemy can't see you.
- Work with the DM on specific circumstances like sufficient cover and whether the enemy is distracted enough.
- Facing rules help determine if the enemy is looking at you.
In a combat situation, you may want to hide from an enemy to gain advantage on an attack. There must be cover available in the environment like overturned tables, rubble, low walls, etc. that you can put between you and the enemy.
On your turn, you can move behind one of these objects to conceal yourself, if the DM deems the cover sufficient. You then make a Stealth check to try to beat the enemy's passive Perception and become Hidden from it. Normally this is an Action, but level 2+ Rogues with Cunning Action can do it as a Bonus Action. You can move and remain hidden, so long as you remain in cover.
The DM decides when circumstances are appropriate for hiding. When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until you are discovered or you stop hiding, that check's total is contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature that actively searches for signs of your presence.
You can't hide from a creature that can see you clearly, and you give away your position if you make noise, such as shouting a warning or knocking over a vase. An invisible creature can always try to hide. Signs of its passage might still be noticed, and it does have to stay quiet.
In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, so if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you. However, under certain circumstances, the DM might allow you to stay hidden as you approach a creature that is distracted, allowing you to gain advantage on an attack roll before you are seen.
When you hide, there's a chance someone will notice you even if they aren't searching. To determine whether such a creature notices you, the DM compares your Dexterity (Stealth) check with that creature's passive Wisdom (Perception) score[...]
To be hidden, you need to be both unseen and unheard. Without magic or darkness, this generally requires total cover that completely blocks line of sight. If you only have cover, enemies know your location but cannot see you. The Stealth check represents your ability to be unseen AND unheard, allowing you to move without being detected.
A target with total cover can't be targeted directly by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach such a target by including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.
If the enemy wants to attack you while you are hidden, it must guess where you are (usually the last spot it saw you). If it guesses wrong, the attack automatically misses. The enemy can take the Search Action (PHB 193) on its turn to make an active Perception check (d20+Perception) to try to detect your location.
Combatants often try to escape their foes' notice by hiding, casting the invisibility spell, or lurking in darkness.
When you attack a target that you can't see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. This is true whether you're guessing the target's location or you're targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn't in the location you targeted, you automatically miss, but the DM typically just says that the attack missed, not whether you guessed the target's location correctly.
When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it.
If you are hidden—both unseen and unheard—when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.
While hidden from the enemy, you have advantage on your own attack rolls against it. To gain this advantage, you likely need to pop out from cover when the enemy is not looking in your direction, which is up to DM discretion. Usually the enemy is not paying attention to you without reason, but work with your DM to make sure the enemy is distracted enough (by your allies fighting it, etc.). Once you make an attack, hit or miss, you are no longer hidden.
The facing rules (DMG 252) are optional. If your DM does not use facing, it may be harder to utilize the benefits of hiding. You may need to request your DM uses facing rules if you want to reliably hide and attack with advantage.
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