Hide (Dex) Armor Penalty
Check: A character’s Hide check is opposed by the Spot check of anyone who might see the character. The character can move up to half his or her normal speed and hide at no penalty. At more than half and up to the character’s full speed, the character takes a –5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (–20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running, or charging.
The hide check is also modified by the character’s size:
| Size | Modifier | Size | Modifier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine | +16 | Large | –4 | |
| Diminutive | +12 | Huge | –8 | |
| Tiny | +8 | Gargantuan | –12 | |
| Small | +4 | Colossal | –16 | |
| Medium-size | +0 |
If people are observing the character, even casually, he or she can’t hide. The character can run around a corner so that he or she is out of sight and then hide, but the others then know at least where the character went.
Cover and concealment grant circumstance bonuses to Hide checks, as shown below. Note that a character can’t hide if he or she has less than one-half cover or concealment.
| Cover or Concealment | Circumstance Bonus |
|---|---|
| Three-quarters | +5 |
| Nine-tenths | +10 |
Creating a Diversion to Hide: A character can use the Bluff skill to help him or her hide. A successful Bluff check can give the character the momentary diversion needed to attempt a Hide check while people are aware of the character. While the others turn their attention from the character, he or she can make a Hide check if the character can get to a hiding place of some kind. (As a general guideline, the hiding place has to be within 1 foot for every rank the character has in Hide.) This check, however, is at a –10 penalty because the character has to move fast.
Tailing: A character can use Hide to tail a person in public. Using the skill in this manner assumes that there are other random people about, among whom the character can mingle to remain unnoticed. If the subject is worried about being followed, he or she can make a Spot check (opposed by the character’s Hide check) every time he or she changes course (goes around a street corner, exits a building, and so on). If he or she is unsuspecting, he or she generally gets only a Spot check after an hour of tailing.
Special: A character can take 10 when making a Hide check, but can’t take 20.
A character with the Stealthy feat gets a +2 bonus on all Hide checks.
Time: A Hide check is an attack action.