[CONAN] Hide & Seek Question

[Supplement Four]

OK, here's a question fer ye....

It's 90' to the mouth of a cave. The PC's have spotted a human sentry with a dog at the opening. The PC's want to two characters to sneak around the right perimeter to stealthly approach the guard.

The sneaking PC's speed is 30 for both characters. So, that's 3 Hide checks, one per 30 foot, vs. the sentry's and the dog's Spot roll. It's very windy, so I'm eliminating the chance that the dog will pick up a scent early, and the wind is so loud (rushing through the caves makes a loud, whistling sound), that I've eliminated the guard hearing the two PC's approach early.

We're just dealing with the Hide and Spot checks.

The Spot check is at a -1 penalty per 10' of distance, right?

So, on the first Hide check the PC's make, scooting from boulder to tree for concealment, does the Spot check come with a -9 (for 90'), -8 (for 80') or -7 (for 70') penalty?

In other words, with the sneaking PC's moving 30' in a round, the Spot check penalty can vary for as much as 3 points.

Which modifier do you use?

How do you handle this in your game?

 

[Supplement Four]

Here's a cleaner example of what I'm asking...



The first sneaking PC breaks cover, moves 10' to a boulder for cover, then moves another 10' behind a tree, and finally uses his last 10' of movement to skoot from the tree to a pile of rocks, which modifier would you use?

Breaking cover to the rock is a -9 modifier.

From behind the rock to the tree is a -8 modifier.

From behind the tree to the pile of rocks is a -7 modifier.

The PC breaks cover three times, moving from original position to rock, then from the rock to the tree, then from the tree to the pile of rocks.

How do you determine which of the three times the PC is out from cover that the guard will throw and possibly spot him?

 

[Mach5RR]

The first sneaking PC breaks cover, moves 10' to a boulder for cover, then moves another 10' behind a tree, and finally uses his last 10' of movement to skoot from the tree to a pile of rocks, which modifier would you use?

Breaking cover to the rock is a -9 modifier.

From behind the rock to the tree is a -8 modifier.

From behind the tree to the pile of rocks is a -7 modifier.

The PC breaks cover three times, moving from original position to rock, then from the rock to the tree, then from the tree to the pile of rocks.

How do you determine which of the three times the PC is out from cover that the guard will throw and possibly spot him?

Why not use them all? By this, I mean you're actually using the smallest mod (-7) but for every + he made it by determines the success. Say, you're guard needed a 21 (with a -7 penalty) to spot in this thirty range increment. Him rolling a 21 spots the PC at the 70', a 22 would spot him at the 80', and a 23+ would spot him at the 90'. That way, where he fails answers the question of where initiative starts.

Also, don't forget that your players can aid each other for a +2. Say, they take turns moving. One moves, and the other directs him from cover (i.e. acting as a lookout, motioning to move when the guard is looking elsewhere)

 

[Supplement Four]

Why not use them all? By this, I mean you're actually using the smallest mod (-7) but for every + he made it by determines the success. Say, you're guard needed a 21 (with a -7 penalty) to spot in this thirty range increment. Him rolling a 21 spots the PC at the 70', a 22 would spot him at the 80', and a 23+ would spot him at the 90'.

Nice. I like it. Good call.

 

[Mach5RR]

Hey S4, have you re-read the Hide rules lately? I only ask this as I just re-read them, which clarified a couple of things I "thought" I knew. Attempting to move greater than 1/2 speed imposes a -5 penalty to a hide check. Moving at normal speed or greater imposes a -20 penalty (Ouch). All of this requires some form of partial (or greater) cover/concealment.

Makes sneaking up on your guard + mutt a LOT harder

 

[Supplement Four]

Makes sneaking up on your guard + mutt a LOT harder

I did re-read them after I posted and discovered that.

The funny part is that the scenario comes from a 3E beginner's D&D scenario I adapted to my game called Scourge of the Howling Horde. It's supposed to be for beginners with notes to teach them about the rules, yet it allowed a character to move 30 foot with no penalty.

Unless that was something that changed between 3.0 and 3.5.