Specific question: What happens when a PC is hidden in a square of heavy obscurement, and then an NPC enters that square?
Specific situation:
I had a 3rd level Tiefling Shadow Sorcerer stealth down a couple flights of stairs to the next lower level of a dungeon. The stealth check was 19. The bottom of the stairs lead to a large furnished waiting room 40'x40' with a door on the opposite side of the room. Near the door, there are 3 Human Guard NPCs sitting at a table together playing cards, joking, and drinking. They are not alert, and the stealth check beats their passive perception. The only illumination in the room is a torch burning in a sconce on the wall right near the door, providing bright light for the card game as well as about half the room. Dim light to the last half of the room towards the stairs. The stairs and the PC are in darkness.
The PC casts Control Flames which extinguishes the torch. I call for initiative at this point. The cantrip only requires a somatic component, so I rule that the PC still remains hidden from the 19 stealth check. In total darkness, the guards casually react like any modern person would when the power goes out. They do not suspect the torch went out by magic, assuming instead the torch was poor quality. In total darkness, they chide the last person who lit the torch to go upstairs and get a decent one this time. The other two rummage blindly around for candles and a tinderbox left on shelf, still joking about their new predicament. All 3 guards are making active Perception checks to locate items or find their way around in the dark. There is a risk that they might accidentally beat the PC's stealth check, which is why I called for initiative. The guards win initiative, and due to the lay out of the room, the guard making his way toward the stairs will coincidentally end his movement in the same square as the PC.
I'm not sure of the best way to rule this. None of the guards beat the stealth check with their search actions. I ruled that PC could remain hidden, being unseen, unheard, and in this case untouched by allowing the Guard to enter the square, and continue past upon the next round. The PC wanted to let the guard go upstairs first, and then ambush the remaining two in the room, before taking on the last one upstairs.
I know that's a bit of a long winded story over a simple situation. This kind of thing has come up before. It would help to know how other DMs would rule this.
I would rule it the same way you did. I would say PC stays hidden and the guard going upstairs won't notice him. Even though you have initiative order in which characters act, because it is not a combat (yet), I would let the PC to use a reaction to scoot up a bit to let the guard past. I find that in situations like this it is better to error in the players favor.
Personally, I wouldn't declare initiative in this situation. The guard leaving upstairs could take a single perception check when passing the PC to see if he notices him, and remaining guards would just stumble in darkness for a bit, giving the PC a chance to pounce them, before they manage to get some light. The guards in the room would still take only a single perception check to see if they notice the PC.
I wouldn't have used initiative yet either. I would have the player roll a new stealth check and allow them to change their position to let the guard by.
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Specific question: What happens when a PC is hidden in a square of heavy obscurement, and then an NPC enters that square?
Specific situation:
I had a 3rd level Tiefling Shadow Sorcerer stealth down a couple flights of stairs to the next lower level of a dungeon. The stealth check was 19. The bottom of the stairs lead to a large furnished waiting room 40'x40' with a door on the opposite side of the room. Near the door, there are 3 Human Guard NPCs sitting at a table together playing cards, joking, and drinking. They are not alert, and the stealth check beats their passive perception. The only illumination in the room is a torch burning in a sconce on the wall right near the door, providing bright light for the card game as well as about half the room. Dim light to the last half of the room towards the stairs. The stairs and the PC are in darkness.
The PC casts Control Flames which extinguishes the torch. I call for initiative at this point. The cantrip only requires a somatic component, so I rule that the PC still remains hidden from the 19 stealth check. In total darkness, the guards casually react like any modern person would when the power goes out. They do not suspect the torch went out by magic, assuming instead the torch was poor quality. In total darkness, they chide the last person who lit the torch to go upstairs and get a decent one this time. The other two rummage blindly around for candles and a tinderbox left on shelf, still joking about their new predicament. All 3 guards are making active Perception checks to locate items or find their way around in the dark. There is a risk that they might accidentally beat the PC's stealth check, which is why I called for initiative. The guards win initiative, and due to the lay out of the room, the guard making his way toward the stairs will coincidentally end his movement in the same square as the PC.
I'm not sure of the best way to rule this. None of the guards beat the stealth check with their search actions. I ruled that PC could remain hidden, being unseen, unheard, and in this case untouched by allowing the Guard to enter the square, and continue past upon the next round. The PC wanted to let the guard go upstairs first, and then ambush the remaining two in the room, before taking on the last one upstairs.
I know that's a bit of a long winded story over a simple situation. This kind of thing has come up before. It would help to know how other DMs would rule this.
I would rule it the same way you did. I would say PC stays hidden and the guard going upstairs won't notice him. Even though you have initiative order in which characters act, because it is not a combat (yet), I would let the PC to use a reaction to scoot up a bit to let the guard past. I find that in situations like this it is better to error in the players favor.
Personally, I wouldn't declare initiative in this situation. The guard leaving upstairs could take a single perception check when passing the PC to see if he notices him, and remaining guards would just stumble in darkness for a bit, giving the PC a chance to pounce them, before they manage to get some light. The guards in the room would still take only a single perception check to see if they notice the PC.
I wouldn't have used initiative yet either. I would have the player roll a new stealth check and allow them to change their position to let the guard by.