• Registered: 2010-08-28
  • Posts: 86

Topic: Stealth: When to Roll, When Not to Roll?

LotFP explains stealth, in summary, where if a character wants to run into a room and hide behind some furniture, they have to roll for it.  If they fail, then whomever enters the room will see them.  If they succeed, then they wont be immediately spotted, but if their pursuers try to search the room then they will be found.

I don't particularly like this method.  I feel like if any character, regardless of skill, hides behind some furniture, then they are hidden; no roll necessary, though again they will be found if the room is searched (okay, I might call for a Stealth roll to see if they can hide quickly enough; depends on how tense the situation is).

Now, if that character wants to slip past after their pursuers enter, or pick their pockets as they pass, then I would call for a Stealth check.

I am aware that there is some difference of opinion when it comes to whether thief abilities should be mundane or superpowers.  Now, personally, I always interpreted thief abilities as being semi-supernatural (I can stand in a shadow and remain unseen, no furniture needed!), but that's just my own interpretation.

Please tell me, what's your interpretation?  Where do you draw the line between "automatic success" / "roll for it" / "no way, that's impossible"?

  • From: Merritt, BC, Canada
  • Registered: 2012-02-07
  • Posts: 213

Re: Stealth: When to Roll, When Not to Roll?

It would depend on the furniture/cover used, imho. If the hiding spot is good enough, I don't require a roll, but if it's an open back chair, it's not gonna be so nice. However, unless the hiding spot is very effective (floor length curtains, inside a full-sized armoire, etc) I WILL require a roll if the person that entered the room stays for more than 30 seconds (5 rounds).

I'll take other things into consideration too: armor (hiding in anything heavier than leather? good luck!), oversized items (that longbow might become awkward), encumbrance if the situation warrants it (tight spaces, hurried hiding. I'll make every encumbrance point beyond 2 count against stealth skill).

  • Registered: 2012-08-02
  • Posts: 37

Re: Stealth: When to Roll, When Not to Roll?

With stealth working on the 1d6 scale, it is a bit tough to apply any modifiers.

Easier to simply say "No" when the conditions are unfavourable.

  • Registered: 2012-11-12
  • Posts: 75

Re: Stealth: When to Roll, When Not to Roll?

I've only ever used stealth to represent sneaking past someone or moving through a crowd without drawing attention or laying in wait as in an ambush. If the player is hiding behind the curtains in a room I would give the NPC entering the room a perception check to intuit that something was not normal; and if they search the room they will find the PC.

As for bonuses on d6 skill checks: I'm going to swap the DC modifier type of ability increase with a skill dice add . So a specialist with a stealth of 3 will roll 3d6, he must get a 1 on any of those dice to succeed  (maybe I'll do it roll-high instead, I wont get to a table for another month or so).

This makes contest's nicer imo. Take the above example; the specialist will get to roll 3d6 and compare his highest die to the 1d6 rolled by the NPC looking for him. And the odds never actually reach 100%, I love that.

And you can still alter the DC # to adjust difficulty; a ver easy task might be accomplished if any die rolls a 1 or a 2, while a very difficult task might require 2 dice to come up with one's.