I have a group of people that I normally play games with. In discussing how on of our games was being run, the incorporation of player tactics was mentioned. This led me to think about the possibility of slimming down the number of enemies before engaging in a mass conflict that could wipe the party. Are there any mechanics that allow players to stealth takedown or assassinate targets that are capable of being picked off without alerting all of the enemies in the area? Not like NPCs in video games that will get shot with an arrow, maybe die, alert other enemies, then forget about it. I mean more like picking off stragglers that aren't following the buddy system.
sort of if you have a wizard who can cast silence than the whole party could wipe them out without sounding a alarm or you could give a similar item that cast silence to the rogue. or if there alone you could allow the rogue or other sneaky character to attack someone and give them a surprise round to give a entire round to attack targets assuming the person wasn't expecting to be attacked. so they cant take a action to scream for help nd range character could take there action to shoot anyone who would scream as there reaction to stop them
As a DM, I usually allow players to auto-kill minion-level enemies if they successfully surprise enemies and manage to hit their targets. As monsters of higher levels have dramatically more hp, PCs are usually unable to kill them outright without some DM fiat. Stealth gameplay is less fun when players know that any attack they make will foil their plans.
Are there any mechanics that allow players to stealth takedown or assassinate targets that are capable of being picked off without alerting all of the enemies in the area?
Yes, it's called "Stealth" and "Perception". Just because a player attacks an enemy doesn't mean that all the enemies of the same faction are alerted. if the players do it quietly then there's a chance that people around it don't notice. Use their passive perception or let them roll to see if they notice. If the players do it stealthy and sneakily then the difficulty to percieve it will be higher. If they go in with clanging full plate and shooting fireballs from the hip, much easier.
My group has had four major battle where we attempted a stealth assault. Only one was mostly successful. Either due to someone's poor Stealth or Attack roll, we ended up in a messy battle. My advice is definitely do scouting missions before an attack. Catch them sleeping and it will grant advantage on attacks and criticals, or when they are out patroling to lessen detection by the main group of enemies..
If you have a rogue in your party, this is where they can certainly shine. Obviously the Assassin has built in mechanics for this kind of thing, but all Rogues have some abilities for steal and infiltration. Having the party support them in the best ways, depending on circumstances, can be a fun challenge.
If you don't have a rogue, lean into other options that avoid combat or allow for surprise attacks. Spells like invisibility, druid wildshaping, disguise kits, and other ways many characters have to mask their presence and identity. Talk with your DM before the game starts so you all have an idea of what kinds of options are available. If you are the DM, be open and flexible to your players options for tactics, especially if their party comp is not optimized for this kind of thing. If my players are trying to do the smart thing, and are really putting in a good effort to making a stealth mission work when none of them are really stealthy, I'll often not make them roll or make the DC super low to reward them for teamwork and smart tactics.
D&D is super flexible about these things. You could simply allow a stealth check and on a success they creep up behind and slit someone's throat. Or you can require additional checks for hit/damage/whatever. Maybe it's only combat rules if they fail the stealth. The full combat system is just a set of tools that you apply when you decide it's necessary. Often it might not be.
I like to handle group stealth as "you guys need to get the Paladin through here without being detected." Only the worst character has to roll stealth, but everyone else can try to help them in some way. Everyone helping the person with the lowest stealth makes it feel a lot more teamwork-y and there's a lot of opportunity for character interactions there.
What about stealth kills in a crowded place like a gathering, I once have a player that try to kill someone important NPC in a party, the mechanics can work the same with “perception” and “stealth” or theres any additional rules you guys know could work in this escenarios?
only 2 i can think of. first is weapon size, depending on how crowded it is. And the second is how they conceal the body. because the dead body can't make a stealth check. so they've either gotta carry it away in a crowd, or make it look like the body is passed out. unless they grab and pull them under a table or somewhere concealed and then kill them.
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I have a group of people that I normally play games with. In discussing how on of our games was being run, the incorporation of player tactics was mentioned. This led me to think about the possibility of slimming down the number of enemies before engaging in a mass conflict that could wipe the party. Are there any mechanics that allow players to stealth takedown or assassinate targets that are capable of being picked off without alerting all of the enemies in the area? Not like NPCs in video games that will get shot with an arrow, maybe die, alert other enemies, then forget about it. I mean more like picking off stragglers that aren't following the buddy system.
A great source for new DMs like me!
sort of if you have a wizard who can cast silence than the whole party could wipe them out without sounding a alarm or you could give a similar item that cast silence to the rogue. or if there alone you could allow the rogue or other sneaky character to attack someone and give them a surprise round to give a entire round to attack targets assuming the person wasn't expecting to be attacked. so they cant take a action to scream for help nd range character could take there action to shoot anyone who would scream as there reaction to stop them
As a DM, I usually allow players to auto-kill minion-level enemies if they successfully surprise enemies and manage to hit their targets. As monsters of higher levels have dramatically more hp, PCs are usually unable to kill them outright without some DM fiat. Stealth gameplay is less fun when players know that any attack they make will foil their plans.
Yes, it's called "Stealth" and "Perception". Just because a player attacks an enemy doesn't mean that all the enemies of the same faction are alerted. if the players do it quietly then there's a chance that people around it don't notice. Use their passive perception or let them roll to see if they notice. If the players do it stealthy and sneakily then the difficulty to percieve it will be higher. If they go in with clanging full plate and shooting fireballs from the hip, much easier.
My group has had four major battle where we attempted a stealth assault. Only one was mostly successful. Either due to someone's poor Stealth or Attack roll, we ended up in a messy battle. My advice is definitely do scouting missions before an attack. Catch them sleeping and it will grant advantage on attacks and criticals, or when they are out patroling to lessen detection by the main group of enemies..
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InsiderIf you have a rogue in your party, this is where they can certainly shine. Obviously the Assassin has built in mechanics for this kind of thing, but all Rogues have some abilities for steal and infiltration. Having the party support them in the best ways, depending on circumstances, can be a fun challenge.
If you don't have a rogue, lean into other options that avoid combat or allow for surprise attacks. Spells like invisibility, druid wildshaping, disguise kits, and other ways many characters have to mask their presence and identity. Talk with your DM before the game starts so you all have an idea of what kinds of options are available. If you are the DM, be open and flexible to your players options for tactics, especially if their party comp is not optimized for this kind of thing. If my players are trying to do the smart thing, and are really putting in a good effort to making a stealth mission work when none of them are really stealthy, I'll often not make them roll or make the DC super low to reward them for teamwork and smart tactics.
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D&D is super flexible about these things. You could simply allow a stealth check and on a success they creep up behind and slit someone's throat. Or you can require additional checks for hit/damage/whatever. Maybe it's only combat rules if they fail the stealth. The full combat system is just a set of tools that you apply when you decide it's necessary. Often it might not be.
I like to handle group stealth as "you guys need to get the Paladin through here without being detected." Only the worst character has to roll stealth, but everyone else can try to help them in some way. Everyone helping the person with the lowest stealth makes it feel a lot more teamwork-y and there's a lot of opportunity for character interactions there.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Hi!,
What about stealth kills in a crowded place like a gathering, I once have a player that try to kill someone important NPC in a party, the mechanics can work the same with “perception” and “stealth” or theres any additional rules you guys know could work in this escenarios?
only 2 i can think of. first is weapon size, depending on how crowded it is. And the second is how they conceal the body. because the dead body can't make a stealth check. so they've either gotta carry it away in a crowd, or make it look like the body is passed out. unless they grab and pull them under a table or somewhere concealed and then kill them.