How to Hide in Combat: A Comprehensive Guide to D&D Stealth
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The battlefield is a chaotic place, filled with clashing steel and the roar of battle. But what if you could slip through the fray unnoticed, a silent phantom weaving in and out of the chaos? That’s the power of hiding in combat in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) 5th Edition. It’s a crucial tactic for classes like rogues, rangers, and even some monks, but understanding how to hide effectively can be tricky.
The short answer is: To hide in combat, you must use your action to attempt a Dexterity (Stealth) check against the passive Perception of anyone who might notice you. You also need a valid place to hide. If successful, you can gain a strategic advantage. It may seem straightforward, but there are numerous nuances and restrictions, which often leads to confusion for new players. Let’s dive deeper into the process and explore how to maximize your stealth in the heat of battle.
The Mechanics of Hiding
Breaking Line of Sight
The cornerstone of hiding in D&D is breaking the line of sight. You cannot attempt to hide if an enemy can clearly see you. This means you typically need to find some form of cover or obscurement. This could be anything from ducking behind a crate or a pillar, slipping into a dark shadow, or even using another creature (if you have the Naturally Stealthy trait) as a barrier. Essentially, if they could see you a moment before, you need to use some tactic to be no longer seen.
The Dexterity (Stealth) Check
Once you are out of direct view, you take the Hide action on your turn. This requires an action (unless you have a feature like the Rogue’s Cunning Action, that allows for bonus action hides). As part of this action, you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Your DM will ask for this check. This check is a d20 roll with your Dexterity modifier, plus your proficiency bonus if you are proficient in stealth. This total is what you will then use to beat the creatures’ passive perception.
Passive Perception as the Target Number
Your Stealth check is compared against the passive Perception scores of all potential observers. Each creature has a passive Perception score that is 10 + their Wisdom modifier, plus any proficiency bonus or other applicable modifiers. The DM determines if your Stealth check exceeds the relevant passive Perception scores. If it does, then you are considered hidden from those creatures who failed to spot you. Note that the enemies do not have to be actively looking for you to spot you; if your check is lower than their passive perception, they spot you regardless if they were staring at you or at their feet.
The Limitations of Hiding
It is important to note that while hidden, you must remain silent and cannot move out into the open. Any loud action or significant movement will usually give away your position. Hiding is not an invisibility cloak; it’s about being undetected, and that requires conscious effort and restraint. You are hidden only from the creatures whose passive perception you succeeded against, other creatures might still be aware of your presence, or might have spotted you before you tried to hide.
Advantages of Being Hidden
So, why bother with all this hiding business? The benefits are significant:
- Advantage on Attack Rolls: If you are hidden from a creature and then attack it, you gain advantage on your attack roll. This significantly increases your chance of landing a hit.
- Sneak Attack: For rogues, being hidden is a primary trigger for their potent Sneak Attack damage, which can devastate enemies.
- Strategic Positioning: Hiding allows you to move into advantageous positions without being detected, enabling you to flank enemies, set traps, or gain the element of surprise.
- Defense: While hidden, your enemies attack you with disadvantage as long as they have to try to guess your position.
- Setting Up Ambush: Hiding is crucial for setting up effective ambushes and starting encounters on your own terms.
Losing Your Hidden Status
Maintaining your hidden status is a balancing act. Certain actions will automatically reveal your location:
- Making an Attack: As the rules state, if you are hidden when you make an attack, you give away your position after the attack hits or misses. This is because of the noise you make, the visual of your weapon moving, or your enemy simply noticing you. It is important to note that one attack is enough to lose the hidden condition, even if your attack is multi attack, you are no longer hidden.
- Moving into the Open: If you move out of your hiding spot and into clear view, you will automatically lose your hidden status. You will need to rehide to be hidden again.
- Loud Actions: Making significant noise (such as shouting or moving a large object) is often enough to give away your location. Your DM will make that call.
The Skulker Feat
For those who want to extend their hiding advantage, the Skulker Feat is worth considering. With Skulker, when you make a ranged attack from hiding, a miss does not reveal your location and you get advantage on a follow up attack. This allows for repeat attacks from hiding, which can greatly extend your hidden advantage.
How to Apply This to Combat
- Assess Your Environment: Start by carefully evaluating the battlefield for potential hiding places. Look for cover, shadows, or obscuring objects.
- Move to Cover: Take advantage of any movement, such as by dashing, to reach a place to hide.
- Use your Action to Hide: When you have gotten somewhere, use your action on your turn to attempt a Dexterity (Stealth) check.
- Attack from Hiding: If successful, your next attack against an unaware creature will gain the advantage bonus.
Hiding in combat is not a foolproof strategy, but with careful planning and a good understanding of the rules, you can transform the battlefield into your personal playground. It is a key feature to play certain classes, and to help your team win encounters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is hiding an action or bonus action?
Hiding is typically an action. However, Rogues gain the ability to use Cunning Action at 2nd level, allowing them to hide as a bonus action. Some classes like Ranger at 14th level also gain the ability to hide as a bonus action.
2. Can you hide and attack in the same turn?
Yes, you can hide using your action, and then on a subsequent turn, you can attack, taking advantage of being hidden for an advantage on the attack. However, after that attack, you lose your hidden status.
3. What is the “Unseen Attackers and Targets” section?
This section of the D&D 5e rules explains that when you are hidden from a creature (both unseen and unheard), your attacks against it have advantage, and if you are targeted by attacks by creatures who can’t see you, those attacks have disadvantage.
4. What is a Passive Perception check?
Passive Perception is a skill check made when the creature is not actively looking or listening. It is equal to 10+ wisdom modifier + proficiency if proficient. It serves as the “DC” (Difficulty Class) for hiding.
5. Can you hide in melee combat?
Yes, you can attempt to hide in melee combat, but you will usually need some form of cover or obscuration. You might try to move behind a larger ally to take advantage of the “Naturally Stealthy” option.
6. How does “Naturally Stealthy” work?
“Naturally Stealthy” allows you to hide even if the only cover is a creature at least one size larger than you.
7. Can you move while hidden?
Yes, but moving out into the open will reveal you. You can move between cover while remaining hidden but moving into clear view will make you seen.
8. Does the environment affect stealth checks?
Yes, your DM may impose advantage or disadvantage on your stealth check based on environmental factors like darkness, heavy rain, or other conditions.
9. What is a good stealth modifier?
A good stealth modifier depends on your level. Usually a +5, +7, or even +10 are achievable at higher levels with the proper stats, proficiency and other modifications.
10. How does being invisible help with hiding?
Invisibility doesn’t make you hidden, but it can grant you advantage on stealth checks, making it easier to successfully hide. When invisible, you can more easily sneak around and break line of sight.
11. Do I have to use cover to hide?
Yes, you need cover or some kind of visual blocker to hide. The only exception is the naturally stealthy option.
12. Does a missed ranged attack reveal your location if you are hiding?
Usually, yes, your position will be revealed. However, the Skulker feat allows you to make ranged attacks without revealing your position when you miss.
13. Can I hide behind another party member?
Yes, with the Naturally Stealthy option, you can hide behind another party member, provided that they are at least one size larger than you.
14. Does taking cover count as hiding?
No, taking cover doesn’t make you hidden. It does give you defense against attacks, but it does not grant advantage on attacks against enemies.
15. Can you hide more than once per round?
If you have the action economy, and are able to move back out of the line of sight, you can hide multiple times. If you have the rogue class, it will allow you to hide once each turn. If you are a Ranger with the appropriate level, you also will be able to hide multiple times.