I'm quite new to D&D and was interested in opinions about using the optional Facing Rule- DMG p.252 - to Hide and Stealth.
Facing rule states that 'a creature can't see in its rear arc', therefore does it mean that a PC could have Advantage in hiding & stealth while in plain view, provided it is trying to do so while in the rear arc his/her enemy?
I'm particularly interested in the topic as I'm about to start WaterDeep DragonHeist and I see a lot of opportunity of infiltration/stealth while going on some of the heists.
Thanks for your opinions and do not hesitate to point me in another thread,
I would absolutely not grant advantage to stealth checks made to hide while behind the creature someone is hiding from. Rather, I would allow the check to made, which is something that’s normally impossible when creatures are assumed to have 360° vision.
That is, assume two creatures A and B who are in a bare room, empty aside from themselves (nothing to hide behind, etc.). A wants to hide from B.
Under the standard rules, A flat out can’t. There is nowhere A can be where B can’t see them, so hiding is quite impossible.
With facing rules, if A were in B’s “rear arc,” I would let A roll stealth (just a normal roll) to become hidden. If their stealth roll exceeds B’s passive perception, A is hidden and gains all the benefits thereof. However, A immediately loses hidden status and its benefits the moment B turns such that A is no longer in their “rear arc.”
Keep in mind that this is a highly idealized example situation, and in the real world there would likely be factors preventing the hiding (e.g. B is probably already aware of A and isn’t going to allow A to get behind them).
I would absolutely not grant advantage to stealth checks made to hide while behind the creature someone is hiding from. Rather, I would allow the check to made, which is something that’s normally impossible when creatures are assumed to have 360° vision.
That is, assume two creatures A and B who are in a bare room, empty aside from themselves (nothing to hide behind, etc.). A wants to hide from B.
Under the standard rules, A flat out can’t. There is nowhere A can be where B can’t see them, so hiding is quite impossible.
With facing rules, if A were in B’s “rear arc,” I would let A roll stealth (just a normal roll) to become hidden. If their stealth roll exceeds B’s passive perception, A is hidden and gains all the benefits thereof. However, A immediately loses hidden status and its benefits the moment B turns such that A is no longer in their “rear arc.”
Keep in mind that this is a highly idealized example situation, and in the real world there would likely be factors preventing the hiding (e.g. B is probably already aware of A and isn’t going to allow A to get behind them).
I agree with this and i plan on using this.
In the idealized situation, if my players can draw the attention of an enemy, the rogue can try to hide and get another sneak attack in. It also opens up for reinforcements to get a surprise attack on the party, or the party can join the fray of an already active fight. Leaving and rejoining like a drive-by crew as long as someone remains in the fight, drawing aggro.
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Hello all,
I'm quite new to D&D and was interested in opinions about using the optional Facing Rule- DMG p.252 - to Hide and Stealth.
Facing rule states that 'a creature can't see in its rear arc', therefore does it mean that a PC could have Advantage in hiding & stealth while in plain view, provided it is trying to do so while in the rear arc his/her enemy?
I'm particularly interested in the topic as I'm about to start WaterDeep DragonHeist and I see a lot of opportunity of infiltration/stealth while going on some of the heists.
Thanks for your opinions and do not hesitate to point me in another thread,
best,
a.
I would absolutely not grant advantage to stealth checks made to hide while behind the creature someone is hiding from. Rather, I would allow the check to made, which is something that’s normally impossible when creatures are assumed to have 360° vision.
That is, assume two creatures A and B who are in a bare room, empty aside from themselves (nothing to hide behind, etc.). A wants to hide from B.
Under the standard rules, A flat out can’t. There is nowhere A can be where B can’t see them, so hiding is quite impossible.
With facing rules, if A were in B’s “rear arc,” I would let A roll stealth (just a normal roll) to become hidden. If their stealth roll exceeds B’s passive perception, A is hidden and gains all the benefits thereof. However, A immediately loses hidden status and its benefits the moment B turns such that A is no longer in their “rear arc.”
Keep in mind that this is a highly idealized example situation, and in the real world there would likely be factors preventing the hiding (e.g. B is probably already aware of A and isn’t going to allow A to get behind them).
Thanks for the answer, this helps me a lot!
I agree with this and i plan on using this.
In the idealized situation, if my players can draw the attention of an enemy, the rogue can try to hide and get another sneak attack in. It also opens up for reinforcements to get a surprise attack on the party, or the party can join the fray of an already active fight. Leaving and rejoining like a drive-by crew as long as someone remains in the fight, drawing aggro.