Stealth Initiative 3.0
What is Stealth Initiative?
Stealth Initiative is a way to allow for a more forgiving and interesting stealth mission experience. Instead of relying on one stealth check to determine if the party fails or not, the party will enter Stealth Initiative with any creatures nearby. Depending on how well or poorly the characters do on their stealth checks, creatures will move up and down the Awareness Track.
Group stealth check will be the average stealth of all members of the party. This will be used when the party is together at the top of initiative every round.
Awareness Track
| Track | State | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Unconscious | An unconscious creature is unaware of its surroundings. |
| 1 | Distracted | Perception checks are made with disadvantage. Passive perception takes a -5 modifier. |
| 2 | Unaware | Normal. Apply passive perception. |
| 3 | Cautious | Spends an action each round to make a Perception check, but does not actively search. |
| 4 | Alert | Actively searches. Will alert others if available. |
| 5 | Aware | Aware of your exact location. Will alert others if available. |
If you fail a Stealth check, the creature will move +1 on the Awareness Track.
Line of Sight
Players outside of direct line of sight of the creature they are trying to search for will make Perception checks with disadvantage and take a -5 modifier to passive perception checks. Players ending their turn in a creatures line of sight increases the creatures awareness by +2. If the creature ends their turn with a player in their line of sight, the player must make an individual stealth check and succeed the DC or creature will increase their awareness by +1.
Waking Someone
A creature that is naturally sleeping, as opposed to being in a magically or chemically induced sleep, wakes up if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake or slap the creature awake. A sudden loud noise — such as yelling, a ringing bell, or crack of thunder from teleporting — also awakens someone that is sleeping naturally.
Whispers do not disturb sleep, unless a sleeper’s passive Perception score is 20 or higher and the whispers are within 10 feet of the sleeper. Speech at a normal volume awakens a sleeper if the environment is otherwise silent (no wind, birdsong, crickets, street sounds, or the like) and the sleeper has a passive Perception score of 15 or higher.
Turns
Players receive their typical 3 Action (Bonus Action, Movement and Standard Action). They will also have to make a Stealth check as a Free Action after their movement each turn if needed. The following are available as Standard Actions in Stealth Initiative:
Hide
Using the Hide action as your Standard Action will give you +2 to your next Stealth check.
Distract
Using the distract action allows players to roll a Deception check against a creatures Insight. The target must not be aware of the player's current location.
Using at least one free hand , you may make a Deception check against the target's Insight check. If you succeed, you can cause the target to immediately move -1 up the Awareness Track. down to distracted. You can also cause the target to immediately move up to lOft in any direction (the target avoids any plainly dangerous areas). The target then temporarily gains the distracted condition until the end of its next turn.
If the Deception check fails, the player will get -2 to their next Stealth check and the target gains a +1 on the Awareness Track
Dash
Any player that takes the dash action will roll their next Stealth check with disadvantage.
Running Stealth Initiative
Playing NPCs
Each opponent will act differently based on their Awareness
Unaware – NPC moves half their speed in a random direction (1d4 for North, East, South, West) OR NPC follows a predetermined patrol route.
Cautious – NPC moves 3/4 of their speed, rounded up to 5 feet, towards the sound they heard.
Alert – NPC moves their speed towards the sound they heard OR NPC calls for help.
Aware – NPC will attack the party OR NPC will move their dash speed towards the alarm bell.
Sneak Attack
All players will deal extra damage from all sources. This will stack on top of Rouge Sneak Attacks
Unconscious - Target takes an additional 5d8 damage
Distracted - Target takes an additional 5d6 damage
Unaware - Target takes an additional 3d6
Cautious - Target takes an additional 2d6 damage
Alert - Target takes an additional 1d6 damage
Aware - Target takes no addition damage