- You use the Sneak power to try and hide from people. When doing so, you make a Stealth Check, where your result becomes your Stealth Value, which replaces the Base DC for a searcher’s Perception check to notice you (usually 0). Your Stealth Value is modified by Stealth Actions. When you become Hidden, the GM “takes 1” (or 3 for those with the Standing Guard power), and this becomes their Perception Value. The base visual range is usually a 60 meter radius around the character, but could be smaller or larger depending on their size. (See Perception Skill)
- The Perception Value is further modified through circumstances and Attention Modifiers due to the actions the stealther undertakes. Successive Stealth Actions provide cumulative penalties to your Stealth Value that stack with each other without end. You cannot pass time without taking a Stealth Action.
- When a creature’s Perception Value is within 3 points of your Stealth Value and they would normally be aware of you if you weren’t Hidden, they become mildly suspicious, but not enough to begin searching for you – usually just enough to let you know they aren’t completely unaware of you.
Let’s compare 2 scenarios: One where a Medium person is trying to sneak past a guard, and one where that same person is simply walking past them without attempting to hide.
The Guard has 4d6 Perception, and the stealther has 4d6 Stealth.
- Scenario 1: The guard is standing in front of a building, undistracted. He is Taking 1 on his Perception checks, and thus has a result of 4. He can see someone’s details with a Perceive DC of 1, clearly sees them with a DC of 4, and is aware of them with a DC of 7.
The guard becomes aware of the walker when they are (DC 0 = 60 m + (DC 7 x 15) = 105; 60 + 105 = 165) 165 meters away, can see them clearly when they are 120 meters away, and he can make out the walker’s details when they come within 75 meters.- Alt Scenario: The creature is now a Joltik, which is Tiny size.
The guard becomes aware of the Joltik when it is (DC 0 = 10 m + (DC 7 x 2.5) = 27.5 meters away, can see it clearly when it is within 20 meters, and can make out its details when it’s within 12.5 meters. - Alt Scenario 2: The creature is now Gigantamax, which is Gigantic size.
The guard becomes aware of the Gigantamax when it is (DC 0 = 1 km + (DC 7 x 250 m = 2.75) 2.75 km away, can see it clearly when it is within 2 km, and can make out its details when it’s within 1.25 km.
- Alt Scenario: The creature is now a Joltik, which is Tiny size.
- Scenario 2: The guard is unchanged, but now a Medium person is trying to sneak past them. They make an average Stealth roll of 12, which becomes their Stealth Value and replaces the Base DC to Perceive them. They become Hidden.
The guard takes 1 on his Perception checks, making his Perception Value 4. He requires an 11 in order to at least be aware of our stealther, meaning he cannot spot them if they are within range unless they have an Attention Modifier or undertake a Stealth Action besides moving.
The stealther is trying to pick the lock on a particularly difficult door, and has to undergo 10 Minutes of Waiting while doing so, decreasing his Stealth Value by 3, to 9. He fails to pick the lock and spends another minute on the attempt (-1), then decides to just grab the key from the table near the guard (-5) decreasing his Stealth Value to 3, which is below the guard’s Perception Value. Given that our stealther is completely out in the open while grabbing the key, he is immediately spotted and no longer Hidden.
However, if he had some conveniently placed barrels serving as Rough Terrain in between him and the guard, he makes a Stealth Check, opposed by the guard’s Perception check. He gets lucky this time and rolls a 15 to the guard’s 11. The guard now gains a 90 degree field in which he knows the stealther is hiding, and knows he is within 1d4 meters of the square he is actually in, and begins walking over to the barrels to investigate – but the stealther is still technically Hidden.- Alt Scenario: The creature is now a Joltik, which is Tiny size and still has 4d6 Stealth. Their Stealth Value is also 12, but now the guard is taking 3, giving them a Perception Value of 12. The guard’s Perception Value exceeds the Joltik’s Stealth Value if it comes closer than 10 meters of him or if it wastes any time, and Joltik is spotted if it is not hiding behind anything.