A lot of people had issues with the Stealth rules in 5e. The designers tried to fix that in 2024 by more tightly codifying the rules and introducing the Invisibility condition. In my opinion, they made things much worse! As a DM and adventure designer, I never had a problem with adjudicating stealth. I just used common sense. Because the new 2024 rules for Stealth and Hiding have sparked a lot of debate and discussion, I tried to make the rules better, clearer, and more useful by giving them a complete overhaul. Here's what I came up with:
Common sense rules for Stealth, Hiding, and Invisibility in fifth edition D&D
This house rule augments, and in some instances replaces, the rules in the 2014 and 2024 version of D&D. It clarifies how hiding and sneaking work, makes changes to the Invisibility condition, and adds the Hidden condition. It also disregards the (in my opinion absurd) rule that creatures are generally aware of everything happening around them in combat, often making it impossible to sneak up on them.
Skill: Dexterity (Stealth)
The DM always decides if conditions are appropriate for hiding and sneaking. When in doubt, remember the Rule of Cool and do whatever is most fun for everyone! Err on the side of the player characters.
You make a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you want to hide from someone, or if you want to sneak up on them or past them.
Hide: You can hide if you are heavily obscured or if you are behind an object that gives you at least ¾ cover. To hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. If your check exceeds the passive perception of creatures you are hiding from, you have the Hidden condition with respect to those creatures. As long as you do not directly enter their line of sight, you remain hidden from them until the condition ends (see Hidden condition for details).
Sneak: You do not have to be hidden to sneak; the creature or creatures you are trying to sneak up on or past simply must be unaware of you. They may be unaware of you because you have the Invisible condition, because they are distracted (such as in melee with one of your allies, absorbed in a book, deep in conversation, sleeping, etc.) or simply because they are looking in another direction. To sneak, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. If your check exceeds the passive perception of creatures you are trying to sneak up on or past, you succeed. At the DMs discretion, you may have to make additional checks for extended sneaking, or if conditions change.
Hidden (Condition)
While you have the hidden condition, creatures from whom you are hiding are either completely unaware of your presence, or they know you are nearby but do not know your exact location and cannot perceive you. The condition breaks against creatures from whom you are hiding if you enter their line of sight, make a noise louder than a whisper, or if they find you by taking an action and succeeding on a Wisdom (Perception) check. While you have this condition, you have the following benefits against creatures from whom you are hidden:
You have advantage on Initiative rolls
You cannot be directly targeted by attacks
You have Advantage on your first attack roll. Whether you hit or miss, you reveal your location and are no longer hidden.
Invisible (Condition)
You can obtain this condition only through a spell, class feature, or other magical effect. While you have this condition, you are truly invisible. This means that no creature can perceive you by sight unless they have a special sense that allows them to see invisible creatures and objects. If they do have such a sense, none of the benefits given by this condition are effective against that creature.
While Invisible, you gain the following benefits:
You are heavily obscured.
You can make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to Hide as a bonus action. If a creature is aware of your current location, you must move at least 10 feet away from your current location before you can attempt to hide.
Attacks made against you have disadvantage
Any attack automatically misses you unless the attacker knows your approximate location (such if they can hear or smell you) or if they correctly guess your approximate location.
If you can see a creature you are attacking, you have advantage on your attack roll.
I think these rules are mostly great. My only issue is with the bonus action hide in the invisible condition. This is over powered to me and doesn't make much sense. Imagine this combined with Greater Invisibility cast on a Fighter. It's also a Nerf to a Rogue who gains nothing extra. I'm my opinion giving advantage on Stealth rolls while invisible makes more sense. It gives a bonus to everyone and it makes more sense that it's easier to hide while invisible.
A lot of people had issues with the Stealth rules in 5e. The designers tried to fix that in 2024 by more tightly codifying the rules and introducing the Invisibility condition. In my opinion, they made things much worse! As a DM and adventure designer, I never had a problem with adjudicating stealth. I just used common sense. Because the new 2024 rules for Stealth and Hiding have sparked a lot of debate and discussion, I tried to make the rules better, clearer, and more useful by giving them a complete overhaul. Here's what I came up with:
Common sense rules for Stealth, Hiding, and Invisibility in fifth edition D&D
This house rule augments, and in some instances replaces, the rules in the 2014 and 2024 version of D&D. It clarifies how hiding and sneaking work, makes changes to the Invisibility condition, and adds the Hidden condition. It also disregards the (in my opinion absurd) rule that creatures are generally aware of everything happening around them in combat, often making it impossible to sneak up on them.
Skill: Dexterity (Stealth)
The DM always decides if conditions are appropriate for hiding and sneaking. When in doubt, remember the Rule of Cool and do whatever is most fun for everyone! Err on the side of the player characters.
You make a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you want to hide from someone, or if you want to sneak up on them or past them.
Hidden (Condition)
While you have the hidden condition, creatures from whom you are hiding are either completely unaware of your presence, or they know you are nearby but do not know your exact location and cannot perceive you. The condition breaks against creatures from whom you are hiding if you enter their line of sight, make a noise louder than a whisper, or if they find you by taking an action and succeeding on a Wisdom (Perception) check. While you have this condition, you have the following benefits against creatures from whom you are hidden:
Invisible (Condition)
You can obtain this condition only through a spell, class feature, or other magical effect. While you have this condition, you are truly invisible. This means that no creature can perceive you by sight unless they have a special sense that allows them to see invisible creatures and objects. If they do have such a sense, none of the benefits given by this condition are effective against that creature.
While Invisible, you gain the following benefits:
I think these rules are mostly great. My only issue is with the bonus action hide in the invisible condition. This is over powered to me and doesn't make much sense. Imagine this combined with Greater Invisibility cast on a Fighter. It's also a Nerf to a Rogue who gains nothing extra. I'm my opinion giving advantage on Stealth rolls while invisible makes more sense. It gives a bonus to everyone and it makes more sense that it's easier to hide while invisible.
Good point, BigJohn! Thank you for your feedback :)