There are many issues regarding the 2024 rules for sight, hiding, etc. I’ve tried to come up with a minimum set of rule changes and/or new house rules that I can share with my table to clean this up and create an intuitive and fun experience while maintaining as much RAW/RAI as possible. The main issues I’m trying to address are:
Blinded wasn’t fixed like Invisible was, so Blindsight doesn’t technically negate the Attacks Affected effect from also having the Blinded condition. A person in Fog Cloud with Blindsight still has the Blinded condition due to Heavily Obscured and thus has Disadvantage on their attack rolls and attack rolls against them have Advantage.
Attacking when unseen gives you Advantage even if you can’t see your target. The dragon is beyond normal range? Just step into Fog Cloud and shoot normally. Everyone attacks normally if no one can see each other. And so on.
Normal Darkness is opaque and thus can’t be seen through.
A hidden creature can leave hiding and walk around in Bright Light and remain hidden until an enemy chooses to take a Search action to find it.
When and how do you know a creature’s location when you can't see it and when do you need to guess? How do you guess a creature's location without meta-gaming?
Making a spell with a Verbal component ends being hidden even if no one hears you.
So, without further ado, here are some proposed rules changes. Many of these rules have been proposed or described in various places and forms online. I'm simply trying to put it all together and hoping that the wider community here can help me refine these as needed. Thanks!
Blinded [Condition]
While you have the Blinded condition, you experience the following effects.
Can’t See. You can’t see and automatically fail any ability check that requires sight.
Attacks Affected. Attack rolls against you have Advantage if the attacker can see you, and your attack rolls have Disadvantage.
You don’t suffer from these effects in areas and against creatures you can somehow see.
Darkness
An area of Darkness is Heavily Obscured. You can see through areas of normal Darkness and such areas do not break line of sight. You can see creatures or objects in normal Darkness if they are directly between you and a light source you can see. See also “Heavily Obscured” and chapter 1 (“Exploration”).
Heavily Obscured
You have the Blinded condition while trying to see something in or through a Heavily Obscured space, unless specified otherwise. See also “Blinded,” “Darkness,” and chapter 1 (“Exploration”).
Hide [Action]
With the Hide action, you try to conceal yourself. To do so, you must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check while you’re Heavily Obscured or behind Three-Quarters Cover or Total Cover, and you must be out of any enemy’s line of sight; if you can see a creature, you can discern whether it can see you.
On a successful check, you have the Invisible condition while hidden. Make note of your check’s total, which is the DC for a creature to find you with a Wisdom (Perception) check.
You stop being hidden immediately after any of the following occurs: you make a sound louder than a whisper, an enemy finds you with a Perception check, an enemy can somehow see you using its special sense or spell effect,an attack you make an attack rollhits or misses, or you cast a spell with a Verbal component that an enemy hears. It is up to the DM to determine when an enemy hears a spell’s Verbal component.
Hiding in Plain Sight. You stop being hidden immediately if you end your turn in an area that is in an enemy’s line of sight but is not Heavily Obscured or behind at least Three-Quarters Cover. If an enemy moves into line of sight of you while you are in such an area but not moving, you are subject to their Passive Perception check but do not provoke an immediate Perception check roll. An enemy may still take an Action to Search for you.
Sneaking. When you move into an enemy’s line of sight, you are immediately subject to their Passive Perception check. Moving while in an enemy’s line of sight for more than a total of 10 ft on a single turn provokes an immediate Perception check by that enemy. Every 5ft of additional movement on that turn through that enemy’s line of sight provokes an additional Perception check by that enemy. This effect applies for every enemy with line of sight to you. You stop being hidden immediately when any enemy successfully finds you in this way. Movement through areas that are Heavily Obscured or behind at least Three-Quarters Cover do not provoke such checks and do not count towards this movement total. Perception checks made in this way have Disadvantage when you are in a Lightly Obscured area or behind only Half-Cover.
Location (new)
You learn the location of objects and other creatures in one of the following ways.
Sighted. You know the location of creatures and objects you can see using any form of sight if they are not otherwise hidden or concealed. If you subsequently lose sight of them, you no longer know their location but may be able to otherwise perceive them or guess their location.
Pinpointed. You know the location of a creature or object when you pinpoint it using a special sense or effect. See Tremorsense.
Heard. Unless they are hidden, you hear creatures within 5 ft of you and know their locations. You can hear any effect when you are within its stated range, but you only know the direction from which it came, not its location. For all other noises, the DM determines if you hear it and if you know its location or simply perceive the direction from which it came. You do not benefit from this effect when Deafened.
Attacked. You know the location of any attacker that targets you or your location after their attack hits or misses, unless that attack specifies otherwise.
When you don’t know the location of a creature or object, you cannot target it directly and instead must guess a location to target. Roll as directed by the DM to choose a location to target based on what your character has perceived and knows. Then make your attack and apply any modifiers as applicable, such as for the Blinded condition.
For example, you are fighting a monster you see that is 20 ft from you and someone casts Fog Cloud on it, blocking your sight. On your next turn, the DM may determine that you still know the monster’s location because it hasn’t had an opportunity to move yet and allow you to target its location without guessing. The monster attacks another party member on its turn and then moves within the fog. On your next turn, the DM determines you only know the monster’s location to within a 10 ft square. When you make your ranged attack, the DM asks you to also roll 1d4 to determine if you correctly guessed its location. If your roll does not meet the DM’s criteria, it automatically misses. You then Action Surge and run into the cloud to where you think the monster is and stop once you are within 5 ft of it and can thus hear it. Now you make a melee attack against the monster without guessing as you know its location again. Remember to also apply Advantage and/or Disadvantage for the Blinded condition and any other effects as applicable.
Chapter 1: Playing the Game
Exploration
Obscured Areas
An area might be Lightly or Heavily Obscured. In a Lightly Obscured area—such as an area with Dim Light, patchy fog, or moderate foliage—you have Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
A Heavily Obscured area—such as an area with magical Darkness, heavy fog, or dense foliage—is opaque. You have the Blinded condition (see the rules glossary) when trying to see something there, in or through it, unless specified otherwise.
Combat
Unseen Attacker and Targets
When you make an attack roll against a target you can’t see, you have Disadvantage on the roll. This is true whether you’re guessing the target’s location or targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn’t in the location you targeted, you miss.
When a creature can’t see you, you have Advantage on attack rolls against it if you can see it.
If you are hidden when you make an attack roll, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.
There are many issues regarding the 2024 rules for sight, hiding, etc. I’ve tried to come up with a minimum set of rule changes and/or new house rules that I can share with my table to clean this up and create an intuitive and fun experience while maintaining as much RAW/RAI as possible. The main issues I’m trying to address are:
So, without further ado, here are some proposed rules changes. Many of these rules have been proposed or described in various places and forms online. I'm simply trying to put it all together and hoping that the wider community here can help me refine these as needed. Thanks!
Blinded [Condition]
While you have the Blinded condition, you experience the following effects.
You don’t suffer from these effects in areas and against creatures you can somehow see.
Darkness
An area of Darkness is Heavily Obscured. You can see through areas of normal Darkness and such areas do not break line of sight. You can see creatures or objects in normal Darkness if they are directly between you and a light source you can see. See also “Heavily Obscured” and chapter 1 (“Exploration”).
Heavily Obscured
You have the Blinded condition while trying to see something in or through a Heavily Obscured space, unless specified otherwise. See also “Blinded,” “Darkness,” and chapter 1 (“Exploration”).
Hide [Action]
With the Hide action, you try to conceal yourself. To do so, you must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check while you’re Heavily Obscured or behind Three-Quarters Cover or Total Cover, and you must be out of any enemy’s line of sight; if you can see a creature, you can discern whether it can see you.
On a successful check, you have the Invisible condition while hidden. Make note of your check’s total, which is the DC for a creature to find you with a Wisdom (Perception) check.
You stop being hidden immediately after any of the following occurs: you make a sound louder than a whisper, an enemy finds you with a Perception check, an enemy can somehow see you using its special sense or spell effect, an attack you make
an attack rollhits or misses, or you cast a spell with a Verbal component that an enemy hears. It is up to the DM to determine when an enemy hears a spell’s Verbal component.Hiding in Plain Sight. You stop being hidden immediately if you end your turn in an area that is in an enemy’s line of sight but is not Heavily Obscured or behind at least Three-Quarters Cover. If an enemy moves into line of sight of you while you are in such an area but not moving, you are subject to their Passive Perception check but do not provoke an immediate Perception check roll. An enemy may still take an Action to Search for you.
Sneaking. When you move into an enemy’s line of sight, you are immediately subject to their Passive Perception check. Moving while in an enemy’s line of sight for more than a total of 10 ft on a single turn provokes an immediate Perception check by that enemy. Every 5ft of additional movement on that turn through that enemy’s line of sight provokes an additional Perception check by that enemy. This effect applies for every enemy with line of sight to you. You stop being hidden immediately when any enemy successfully finds you in this way. Movement through areas that are Heavily Obscured or behind at least Three-Quarters Cover do not provoke such checks and do not count towards this movement total. Perception checks made in this way have Disadvantage when you are in a Lightly Obscured area or behind only Half-Cover.
Location (new)
You learn the location of objects and other creatures in one of the following ways.
Sighted. You know the location of creatures and objects you can see using any form of sight if they are not otherwise hidden or concealed. If you subsequently lose sight of them, you no longer know their location but may be able to otherwise perceive them or guess their location.
Pinpointed. You know the location of a creature or object when you pinpoint it using a special sense or effect. See Tremorsense.
Heard. Unless they are hidden, you hear creatures within 5 ft of you and know their locations. You can hear any effect when you are within its stated range, but you only know the direction from which it came, not its location. For all other noises, the DM determines if you hear it and if you know its location or simply perceive the direction from which it came. You do not benefit from this effect when Deafened.
Attacked. You know the location of any attacker that targets you or your location after their attack hits or misses, unless that attack specifies otherwise.
When you don’t know the location of a creature or object, you cannot target it directly and instead must guess a location to target. Roll as directed by the DM to choose a location to target based on what your character has perceived and knows. Then make your attack and apply any modifiers as applicable, such as for the Blinded condition.
For example, you are fighting a monster you see that is 20 ft from you and someone casts Fog Cloud on it, blocking your sight. On your next turn, the DM may determine that you still know the monster’s location because it hasn’t had an opportunity to move yet and allow you to target its location without guessing. The monster attacks another party member on its turn and then moves within the fog. On your next turn, the DM determines you only know the monster’s location to within a 10 ft square. When you make your ranged attack, the DM asks you to also roll 1d4 to determine if you correctly guessed its location. If your roll does not meet the DM’s criteria, it automatically misses. You then Action Surge and run into the cloud to where you think the monster is and stop once you are within 5 ft of it and can thus hear it. Now you make a melee attack against the monster without guessing as you know its location again. Remember to also apply Advantage and/or Disadvantage for the Blinded condition and any other effects as applicable.
Chapter 1: Playing the Game
Exploration
Obscured Areas
An area might be Lightly or Heavily Obscured. In a Lightly Obscured area—such as an area with Dim Light, patchy fog, or moderate foliage—you have Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
A Heavily Obscured area—such as an area with magical Darkness, heavy fog, or dense foliage—is opaque. You have the Blinded condition (see the rules glossary) when trying to see something
there,in or through it, unless specified otherwise.Combat
Unseen Attacker and Targets
When you make an attack roll against a target you can’t see, you have Disadvantage on the roll. This is true whether you’re guessing the target’s location or targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn’t in the location you targeted, you miss.
When a creature can’t see you, you have Advantage on attack rolls against it if you can see it.
If you are hidden when you make an attack roll, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.