Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage.
Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up against a solid surface, such as a tree or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you are. You gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks as long as you remain there without moving or taking actions. Once you move or take an action or a reaction, you must camouflage yourself again to gain this benefit.
The DM decides when circumstances are appropriate for hiding. When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until you are discovered or you stop hiding, that check's total is contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature that actively searches for signs of your presence.
You can't hide from a creature that can see you clearly, and you give away your position if you make noise, such as shouting a warning or knocking over a vase. An invisible creature can always try to hide. Signs of its passage might still be noticed, and it does have to stay quiet.
In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, so if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you. However, under certain circumstances, the DM might allow you to stay hidden as you approach a creature that is distracted, allowing you to gain advantage on an attack roll before you are seen.
Passive Perception. When you hide, there's a chance someone will notice you even if they aren't searching. To determine whether such a creature notices you, the DM compares your Dexterity (Stealth) check with that creature's passive Wisdom (Perception) score, which equals 10 + the creature's Wisdom modifier, as well as any other bonuses or penalties. If the creature has advantage, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5. For example, if a 1st-level character (with a proficiency bonus of +2) has a Wisdom of 15 (a +2 modifier) and proficiency in Perception, he or she has a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 14.
What Can You See? One of the main factors in determining whether you can find a hidden creature or object is how well you can see in an area, which might be lightly or heavily obscured, as explained in chapter 8.
Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
Hide in plain sight breaks the general rule of needing to be unseen to be able to hide. This works in the same way the halfling and wood elf abilities work. Hide in plain sight is also a two-part ability. First you spend the minute making the camouflage. Then at some point later you can hide by only pressing yourself up against a flat surface that is bigger than you with an amazing bonus.
Anyone can make a survival or nature check to make camouflage. A level 10 ranger can do it unfailingly and very much better.
Do the lightfoot halfling and wood elf hiding racial traits allow them to hide while observed? The lightfoot halfling and wood elf traits—Naturally Stealthy and Mask of the Wild—do allow members of those subraces to try to hide in their special circumstances even when observers are nearby. Normally, you can’t hide from someone if you’re in full view. A lightfoot halfling, though, can try to vanish behind a creature that is at least one size larger, and a wood elf can try to hide simply by being in heavy rain, mist, falling snow, foliage, or similar natural phenomena. It’s as if nature itself cloaks a wood elf from prying eyes—even eyes staring right at the elf! Both subraces are capable of hiding in situations when most other creatures can’t, but neither subrace’s hiding attempt is assured of success; a Dexterity (Stealth) check is required as normal, and an observant foe might later spot a hidden halfling or elf: “I see you behind that guard, you tricksy halfling!”
If designer “intent” or RAI is a thing, based on the TCoE optional variant of hide in plain sight, I feel my interpretation is even more solidified and powered correctly.
Sadly, indeed. I still find it a very underrated ability with this interpretation. Keeping watch, resting, ambush, etc. I also don't 100% agree.
"Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up against a solid surface..."
This reads very open ended to me. What if you are NOT standing right next to a large tree the moment you are done applying camouflage for 60 seconds? Like, within a second of applying. Does it not work? In my fantasy adventure mind's eye I see a ranger making camouflage, ghillie suit, what have you, and then being able to hide very well (+10 bonus) in the immediate area for the foreseeable future.
I can't believe I missed this one. However, I will add jc's response still allows for the interpretation of camo to become a match for a specific surface. specifically your time is spent making you match that specifc location giving you a camouflage action. (As the "object" still exists and the verb "camouflage" means to use the object) "moving" or taking action are very specific game terms that cause the bonus to end but reapplied bonus may still be possible in the exact same place.
But even with the strictest interpretation it's still super useful for a ranger to "camouflage" before every long rest.(its the Best start to a camp ambush encounter). Plus there are other rarer use cases.I still think that's as valuable as the tasha's options.
The other bit, and often not used/thought of/understood, is how this ability completely supersedes the normal rules for hiding, in the same way the wood elf and halfling abilities do. Meaning you can literally hide in plain sight, and not be restricted by the standard rule of "can't hide while being seen".
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Hide in Plain Sight
Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage.
Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up against a solid surface, such as a tree or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you are. You gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks as long as you remain there without moving or taking actions. Once you move or take an action or a reaction, you must camouflage yourself again to gain this benefit.
HIDING
The DM decides when circumstances are appropriate for hiding. When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until you are discovered or you stop hiding, that check's total is contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature that actively searches for signs of your presence.
You can't hide from a creature that can see you clearly, and you give away your position if you make noise, such as shouting a warning or knocking over a vase. An invisible creature can always try to hide. Signs of its passage might still be noticed, and it does have to stay quiet.
In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, so if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you. However, under certain circumstances, the DM might allow you to stay hidden as you approach a creature that is distracted, allowing you to gain advantage on an attack roll before you are seen.
Passive Perception. When you hide, there's a chance someone will notice you even if they aren't searching. To determine whether such a creature notices you, the DM compares your Dexterity (Stealth) check with that creature's passive Wisdom (Perception) score, which equals 10 + the creature's Wisdom modifier, as well as any other bonuses or penalties. If the creature has advantage, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5. For example, if a 1st-level character (with a proficiency bonus of +2) has a Wisdom of 15 (a +2 modifier) and proficiency in Perception, he or she has a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 14.
What Can You See? One of the main factors in determining whether you can find a hidden creature or object is how well you can see in an area, which might be lightly or heavily obscured, as explained in chapter 8.
Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
Hide in plain sight breaks the general rule of needing to be unseen to be able to hide. This works in the same way the halfling and wood elf abilities work. Hide in plain sight is also a two-part ability. First you spend the minute making the camouflage. Then at some point later you can hide by only pressing yourself up against a flat surface that is bigger than you with an amazing bonus.
Anyone can make a survival or nature check to make camouflage. A level 10 ranger can do it unfailingly and very much better.
Same for this feat.
SKULKER
Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher
You are expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits:
You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding.
When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position.
Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.
And from the sage advice compendium...
Do the lightfoot halfling and wood elf hiding racial traits allow them to hide while observed? The lightfoot halfling and wood elf traits—Naturally Stealthy and Mask of the Wild—do allow members of those subraces to try to hide in their special circumstances even when observers are nearby. Normally, you can’t hide from someone if you’re in full view. A lightfoot halfling, though, can try to vanish behind a creature that is at least one size larger, and a wood elf can try to hide simply by being in heavy rain, mist, falling snow, foliage, or similar natural phenomena. It’s as if nature itself cloaks a wood elf from prying eyes—even eyes staring right at the elf! Both subraces are capable of hiding in situations when most other creatures can’t, but neither subrace’s hiding attempt is assured of success; a Dexterity (Stealth) check is required as normal, and an observant foe might later spot a hidden halfling or elf: “I see you behind that guard, you tricksy halfling!”
If designer “intent” or RAI is a thing, based on the TCoE optional variant of hide in plain sight, I feel my interpretation is even more solidified and powered correctly.
When using Hide in Plain Sight, does the Ranger have to hide immediately after creating their camouflage? (sageadvice.eu)
sadly has to hide instantly after that 1 min.
Sadly, indeed. I still find it a very underrated ability with this interpretation. Keeping watch, resting, ambush, etc. I also don't 100% agree.
"Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up against a solid surface..."
This reads very open ended to me. What if you are NOT standing right next to a large tree the moment you are done applying camouflage for 60 seconds? Like, within a second of applying. Does it not work? In my fantasy adventure mind's eye I see a ranger making camouflage, ghillie suit, what have you, and then being able to hide very well (+10 bonus) in the immediate area for the foreseeable future.
I can't believe I missed this one. However, I will add jc's response still allows for the interpretation of camo to become a match for a specific surface. specifically your time is spent making you match that specifc location giving you a camouflage action. (As the "object" still exists and the verb "camouflage" means to use the object) "moving" or taking action are very specific game terms that cause the bonus to end but reapplied bonus may still be possible in the exact same place.
But even with the strictest interpretation it's still super useful for a ranger to "camouflage" before every long rest.(its the Best start to a camp ambush encounter). Plus there are other rarer use cases.I still think that's as valuable as the tasha's options.
The other bit, and often not used/thought of/understood, is how this ability completely supersedes the normal rules for hiding, in the same way the wood elf and halfling abilities do. Meaning you can literally hide in plain sight, and not be restricted by the standard rule of "can't hide while being seen".