“While traveling at a slow pace, the characters can move stealthily.”
A chart in an earlier section defines slow as 200 feet per minute, but this whole section is about travel, not combat. The chart has no slow pace per round, although it would equate to 20 feet.
Suppose you use the Hide action during or before combat and succeed on your Stealth check. Can you now move and Dash as normal while remaining undetected, as long as you remain out of sight? Seems implausible, since you would make a lot of noise Dashing about.
I’d propose a house rule that your movement speed is halved. You can still use your Dash action, effectively moving your full movement distance if you forgo another action. Rogues can still be pretty zoomy.
@SporkKeeper Stealth movement speed continues to be a question; is it 2/3 speed per overland movement, or full speed during combat?@JeremyECrawfordStealth imposes no movement reduction in combat.
Stealth is one of those things where the in-game circumstances are always specific to the situation. A character that hides behind a tree might lose being hidden the moment it steps out from behind the tree, for instance, whereas if you hide behind a wall and the ground is soft mud, you might well be able to creep around behind it. If the floor behind the wall is broken glass, then any movement on it probably calls for a Stealth check, even if you're invisible. As with most things it's usually best to just rule it on the fly when you feel that something might break the character's Hidden status.
Stealth is one of those things where the in-game circumstances are always specific to the situation. A character that hides behind a tree might lose being hidden the moment it steps out from behind the tree, for instance, whereas if you hide behind a wall and the ground is soft mud, you might well be able to creep around behind it. If the floor behind the wall is broken glass, then any movement on it probably calls for a Stealth check, even if you're invisible. As with most things it's usually best to just rule it on the fly when you feel that something might break the character's Hidden status.
I kind of agree, but it helps for players to understand the rules before they take actions or make tactical plans. If you spring, "That will reveal you to the enemy," at the last minute, they might be like, "What? I built my whole strategy around sneaking past them."
Stealth is one of those things where the in-game circumstances are always specific to the situation. A character that hides behind a tree might lose being hidden the moment it steps out from behind the tree, for instance, whereas if you hide behind a wall and the ground is soft mud, you might well be able to creep around behind it. If the floor behind the wall is broken glass, then any movement on it probably calls for a Stealth check, even if you're invisible. As with most things it's usually best to just rule it on the fly when you feel that something might break the character's Hidden status.
I kind of agree, but it helps for players to understand the rules before they take actions or make tactical plans. If you spring, "That will reveal you to the enemy," at the last minute, they might be like, "What? I built my whole strategy around sneaking past them."
I find that those kinds of situations come up a lot in my games, and it's common in my game that if a player says "I want to start moving this way" then I'll say "You'll be moving over a lot of broken twigs, you'll need to make another stealth check not to make noise if you do" and they might then decide on a different course of action. I've yet to encounter a player having a problem with that, but different situations for different tables.
I guess I'd wonder what a player who was that concerned over a stealth check would make of a tripwire that they didn't know was there due to passive perception, or who encountered a homebrew monster, would react. In my session zero it's made clear that we follow the DM Guide's advice that you should change or abandon rules whenever it makes sense to do so, but I have learned from this forum that some players wouldn't enjoy that kind of game. Horses for courses!
The rules don't require a hidden creature to make another stealth check when it moves.
Not requiring one is not the same as a DM not being able to ask for one; you only remain hidden so long as the enemy remains unaware of/unable to see you, but it's up to your DM to determine if an enemy is aware of or can see you. If you're dodging between cover for example then an enemy has a chance to spot you or hear you moving, it's not enough just to be behind cover at the start and end of the turn, as movement is not instantaneous.
Personally I'm not sure if a house-rule is really needed; speed of movement, quality of cover etc. should all be factors in whether the DM asks for a stealth check and/or gives the enemy any bonuses to perception to counteract it. Moving quickly means risking making more noise, and if that makes an enemy aware of where you are then they can try to attack, or move around to see you.
I also just wanted to add for interest, the Thief sub-class for Rogue has a Supreme Sneak 9th level ability which grants advantage on stealth when moving at half speed or slower.
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“While traveling at a slow pace, the characters can move stealthily.”
A chart in an earlier section defines slow as 200 feet per minute, but this whole section is about travel, not combat. The chart has no slow pace per round, although it would equate to 20 feet.
Suppose you use the Hide action during or before combat and succeed on your Stealth check. Can you now move and Dash as normal while remaining undetected, as long as you remain out of sight? Seems implausible, since you would make a lot of noise Dashing about.
I’d propose a house rule that your movement speed is halved. You can still use your Dash action, effectively moving your full movement distance if you forgo another action. Rogues can still be pretty zoomy.
During combat Stealth doesn't limitm movement whatsoever.
PHB p.177:
As long as you remain out of sight, and made your stealth check successfully, you can move around and remain hidden.
I would require a separate stealth check when a circumstance changes. For example, when you begin moving, I'd require a new stealth check.
The rules don't require a hidden creature to make another stealth check when it moves.
A Dev also confirmed it on Twitter https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/729775135163437056
@SporkKeeper Stealth movement speed continues to be a question; is it 2/3 speed per overland movement, or full speed during combat?@JeremyECrawford Stealth imposes no movement reduction in combat.
Yeah. I think I'll be generous and allow you to not need a new Stealth check if you move slowly.
Also, if the DM rules that Dashing is inappropriate circumstances for hiding, then you would require a Hide action to earn another Stealth check.
Stealth is one of those things where the in-game circumstances are always specific to the situation. A character that hides behind a tree might lose being hidden the moment it steps out from behind the tree, for instance, whereas if you hide behind a wall and the ground is soft mud, you might well be able to creep around behind it. If the floor behind the wall is broken glass, then any movement on it probably calls for a Stealth check, even if you're invisible. As with most things it's usually best to just rule it on the fly when you feel that something might break the character's Hidden status.
I kind of agree, but it helps for players to understand the rules before they take actions or make tactical plans. If you spring, "That will reveal you to the enemy," at the last minute, they might be like, "What? I built my whole strategy around sneaking past them."
I find that those kinds of situations come up a lot in my games, and it's common in my game that if a player says "I want to start moving this way" then I'll say "You'll be moving over a lot of broken twigs, you'll need to make another stealth check not to make noise if you do" and they might then decide on a different course of action. I've yet to encounter a player having a problem with that, but different situations for different tables.
I guess I'd wonder what a player who was that concerned over a stealth check would make of a tripwire that they didn't know was there due to passive perception, or who encountered a homebrew monster, would react. In my session zero it's made clear that we follow the DM Guide's advice that you should change or abandon rules whenever it makes sense to do so, but I have learned from this forum that some players wouldn't enjoy that kind of game. Horses for courses!
Not requiring one is not the same as a DM not being able to ask for one; you only remain hidden so long as the enemy remains unaware of/unable to see you, but it's up to your DM to determine if an enemy is aware of or can see you. If you're dodging between cover for example then an enemy has a chance to spot you or hear you moving, it's not enough just to be behind cover at the start and end of the turn, as movement is not instantaneous.
Personally I'm not sure if a house-rule is really needed; speed of movement, quality of cover etc. should all be factors in whether the DM asks for a stealth check and/or gives the enemy any bonuses to perception to counteract it. Moving quickly means risking making more noise, and if that makes an enemy aware of where you are then they can try to attack, or move around to see you.
I also just wanted to add for interest, the Thief sub-class for Rogue has a Supreme Sneak 9th level ability which grants advantage on stealth when moving at half speed or slower.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Of course DM fiat can always rule beyond RAW.