Stealth measures your ability to avoid detection through silence, concealment, and careful movement. This skill governs slipping through shadows, muffling your presence, hiding from pursuers, and predicting how others perceive their surroundings.
While Dexterity controls your body, Mind governs Stealth—awareness of angles, cover, timing, and sound travel is what keeps you hidden.
When You Use It:
Stealth applies when:
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Moving quietly past guards or sentries
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Hiding in cover or blending into shadows
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Following targets or groups without being noticed
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Eavesdropping while concealed
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Escaping pursuit without leaving a trail
Stat Used:
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Always Mind.
Untrained Use:
Anyone may attempt Stealth using their full Mind %.
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Basic caution and hiding are universal instincts.
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Without training, however, difficult or complex stealth attempts are much harder.
Passive vs. Active Stealth:
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Passive Stealth applies when remaining still, waiting in ambush, or hidden in good cover. No roll is needed unless circumstances change or someone searches directly.
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Active Stealth applies when moving through open or noisy areas, attempting to pass unnoticed, or interacting with the environment. These require rolls.
Opposed Rolls:
Stealth is most often contested by Vigilance:
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If you win, you remain hidden.
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If you fail, you are noticed or heard.
In cases without active observers (e.g., animals or traps), the GM may set a static difficulty instead.
Mechanical Effects:
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Success: You remain unnoticed and maintain your hidden state.
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Critical Success (01): You move or act with perfect silence, possibly gaining advantage or a surprise opportunity (GM discretion).
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Failure: You make noise or reveal yourself subtly; observers may grow suspicious.
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Critical Failure (00): You give yourself away openly—tripping, stumbling, or drawing immediate attention.
Situational Modifiers:
Apply the standard Difficulty Ladder (+50% to –50%) based on terrain, cover, light, and observer awareness:
+50% — Perfect cover, no observers, very low light
+40% — Dim lighting, targets distracted, quiet environment
+30% — Crowded street, ambient noise
+20% — Distracted guards or low vigilance
+10% — Partial cover or modest distraction
0% — Typical concealment and movement
–10% — Moving on noisy terrain or slight visual exposure
–20% — Poor cover, bright light, or alert observers
–30% — Guard on high alert, little cover available
–40% — Open ground in moonlight or torchlight
–50% — Moving silently in armor past vigilant observers in ideal conditions for detection
Companion Skills:
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Athletics: For climbing, vaulting, or moving quickly without breaking stealth
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Insight: Reading when a target is distracted or vulnerable to stealth
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Deception: Creating diversions or false trails
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Vigilance (opposing skill): Detecting and countering stealth attempts
GM Note:
Stealth rolls are not needed for routine travel or passive hiding when unnoticed. Use them when stakes are high—such as slipping past guards, hiding in dangerous areas, or staying concealed under active search. Armor, footing, and speed should all influence difficulty. Passive Stealth is secure until observers arrive or something changes.
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File Created: 05/01/2025 Last Modified: 05/01/2025