Stealth Actions Flow
From the stealther’s perspective — how detection states change based on actions you take
Observed
Hidden
Undetected
Unnoticed
Action / Roll
%%{init: {'theme':'dark','themeVariables':{'background':'#161210','primaryColor':'#193a14','primaryTextColor':'#e8d5b0','primaryBorderColor':'#3a7c32','lineColor':'#9a7e56','secondaryColor':'#3e2e06','tertiaryColor':'#1a2840','edgeLabelBackground':'#211a13','clusterBkg':'#211a13'}}}%%
flowchart LR
classDef obs fill:#193a14,stroke:#3a7c32,color:#b8e8b0,rx:30
classDef hid fill:#3e2e06,stroke:#a07a10,color:#f0e060
classDef und fill:#3e1a06,stroke:#a04010,color:#f0a868
classDef unn fill:#300c0c,stroke:#8a1010,color:#f07070
classDef act fill:#1a2840,stroke:#4080b0,color:#90c0e8
classDef roll fill:#201828,stroke:#6040a0,color:#c0a0e8
OBS(["OBSERVED"]):::obs
HID(["HIDDEN"]):::hid
UND(["UNDETECTED"]):::und
UNN(["UNNOTICED"]):::unn
HIDE["HIDE
- needs cover or concealment
- secret Stealth roll vs Perception DC
- Standard cover +2
- Greater cover +4"]:::act
SNEAK["SNEAK
- cover at START and END
- move ≤ half Speed
- secret Stealth roll vs Perception DC"]:::act
OBS --> HIDE
HIDE -->|"✓ Success"| HID
HIDE -->|"✗ Failure"| OBS
HID --> SNEAK
HID -->|"Non-stealthy action
or STRIKE"| OBS
HID -->|"STEP
with cover / concealment"| HID
HID -->|"Unobtrusive action
GM may require Stealth"| HID
SNEAK -->|"✓ Success"| UND
SNEAK -->|"✗ Failure"| HID
SNEAK -->|"✗✗ Crit Failure
(not invisible)"| OBS
UND -->|"SNEAK ✓ Success"| UND
UND -->|"Speak or
make loud noise"| OBS
UNN -.->|"may also be"| UND
UNN -->|"Speak, loud noise
or non-stealthy action"| OBS
Key Rules
- HIDE only rolls against creatures that are currently observing you. If a creature already considers you hidden or undetected, you simply retain that condition — HIDE does not improve your state from undetected.
- SNEAK requires cover or concealment at both the start and end of your movement. You move up to half your Speed.
- Taking any non-unobtrusive action while hidden immediately makes you Observed.
- A STRIKE from a hidden or undetected position makes you Observed after the attack (target now knows your location).
- An Invisible creature that critically fails a Sneak roll becomes Hidden rather than Observed, since it cannot be seen.
- AVOID NOTICE (Exploration): Roll Stealth to start an encounter Hidden or Undetected rather than Observed.
Detection & Targeting Flow
From the detector’s perspective — how to determine a creature’s condition and what you can do about it
Observed
Hidden
Undetected
Unnoticed
Action / Roll
Decision
%%{init: {'theme':'dark','themeVariables':{'background':'#161210','primaryColor':'#193a14','primaryTextColor':'#e8d5b0','primaryBorderColor':'#8b6914','lineColor':'#a08060','secondaryColor':'#3e2e06','tertiaryColor':'#1a2840','edgeLabelBackground':'#211a13','clusterBkg':'#211a13'}}}%%
flowchart TD
classDef obs fill:#193a14,stroke:#3a7c32,color:#b8e8b0
classDef hid fill:#3e2e06,stroke:#a07a10,color:#f0e060
classDef und fill:#3e1a06,stroke:#a04010,color:#f0a868
classDef unn fill:#300c0c,stroke:#8a1010,color:#f07070
classDef act fill:#1a2840,stroke:#4080b0,color:#90c0e8
classDef dec fill:#2a2010,stroke:#806040,color:#d0c0a0
START(["What can you perceive?"]):::dec
Q1["Can your precise sense detect it?"]:::dec
Q2["Do you know it is nearby?"]:::dec
Q3["Do you know which space?"]:::dec
OBS(["OBSERVED
Target normally
If concealed: DC 5 flat check"]):::obs
HID(["HIDDEN
You know the space
You are off-guard to it
DC 11 flat check to target"]):::hid
UND(["UNDETECTED
You do not know the space
You are off-guard to it
Guess a square - GM rolls secretly"]):::und
UNN(["UNNOTICED
No idea it exists
Cannot target at all"]):::unn
SEEK_HID["SEEK from Hidden
Perception vs Stealth DC
rolled secretly by GM"]:::act
SEEK_UND["SEEK from Undetected
Perception vs Stealth DC
rolled secretly by GM"]:::act
START --> Q1
Q1 -->|YES| OBS
Q1 -->|NO| Q2
Q2 -->|NO| UNN
Q2 -->|YES| Q3
Q3 -->|YES| HID
Q3 -->|NO| UND
HID -->|Use SEEK| SEEK_HID
UND -->|Use SEEK| SEEK_UND
SEEK_HID -->|Critical Success| OBS
SEEK_HID -->|Success precise sense| OBS
SEEK_HID -->|Success imprecise or invisible| HID
SEEK_HID -->|Failure| HID
SEEK_UND -->|Critical Success| OBS
SEEK_UND -->|Success| HID
SEEK_UND -->|Failure| UND
Targeting Summary
- Observed: Attack normally. If also concealed, attempt a DC 5 flat check before rolling — fail means no effect.
- Hidden: Attempt a DC 11 flat check before rolling. On a fail, your actions (and spell slots, resources) are wasted. You remain off-guard to the creature regardless.
- Undetected: Declare a square to attack. The GM secretly rolls both the flat check and your attack roll. The GM will not say whether you missed due to the flat check, the attack roll, or choosing the wrong square.
- Unnoticed: You cannot target the creature directly. Area effects still work normally against undetected creatures.
- Invisible creature starts as Hidden if you were already observing it when it turned invisible (you last know where it was). It can then Sneak to become Undetected.
- Off-guard: When a creature is hidden or undetected from you, you are off-guard to it — you take a −2 circumstance penalty to your AC against its attacks. The hidden/undetected creature is not automatically off-guard to you.
Situation Simulator
Step through detection state changes interactively — choose an action to see what happens next
Start as:
Current State
Observed
What happens?
History