Hiding places and cover
Hiding places and cover
Where there is much light, the shadow is deeper. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
The opponent doesn’ **t always appear in front of us; often they might be hidden or even invisible.
They might be hidden behind a low wall or barrels, if not covered by a muscular and gigantic familiar. What if they were behind us and we haven’ **t even noticed?
Cover
If the target is known to be present but is somehow concealed, then they are said to have cover.
- If the target has more than half (but not total) of its surface visible, then the cover is defined as light, giving +2 to Defense. This might be the case of a creature behind another creature of the same size or 1 size larger.
It could be the case of an archer standing behind a 1-meter wall.
- If the target has less than half (but at least a third) of its surface visible, then the cover is defined as medium, giving +4 to Defense. This might be the case of a creature behind another creature 2 sizes larger.
It could be the case of an enemy armed with a crossbow who leans out just enough to keep the crossbow resting on the wall and shoot (chest, shoulders, arms, and head visible).
- If the target’ **s location is known but they hide completely, only peeking out occasionally to check or shoot an arrow, behind a wall, window, door, table, or a creature much larger than them (at least 3 sizes larger)… then the cover is defined as complete, giving +8 to Defense.
Half of the cover bonus also applies to Saving Throws against Spells that have an area effect (e.g., Fireballs that explode around…).
Ranged combat with Cover
When making ranged attacks (bow, crossbows, daggers, javelins…) against opponents with cover, it’ **s necessary to carefully check the line of fire and control how many creatures are in it.
Each creature of the same size as the opponent in the line that covers the target increases the cover provided by one degree.
Example. The fourth creature in the line of fire, in the case of creatures all of the same size, benefits from Complete Cover. The first creature will provide light cover (+2 Defense), the second medium cover (+4 Defense), and the third complete cover (+8 Defense). Each additional creature of the same size adds a further +6 to the Defense from cover, and an additional +6 for each size difference.
Example. If the third creature in the line of fire is covered by a medium creature and then by a small creature, it will enjoy Light Cover. The small creature does not provide a cover bonus if the target is medium-sized.
If the target is larger than the creatures involved in the cover, it won’ **t benefit from any cover.
Cover provided by a creature larger than the target counts as one more creature per size difference for the protection given by cover.
Example. If the creature to be hit is small in size and is covered by a large creature, it will have a cover bonus equal to Complete +8 (+2 for one cover, +4 for the first size difference, +8 for the second size difference).
Example. If the creature to be hit is medium in size and is covered by a large-sized creature, the cover provided will be +4. Normally it would be light cover because there’ **s only one creature covering, but being one size larger, it counts as 2 creatures providing cover.
See also the Perfectionist Shot Feat (page ).
Invisibility
If an opponent is invisible or their location is unknown, follow the rules for Invisibility.
Even if you are invisible, that doesn’ **t mean you can’ **t be perceived differently through other senses, such as smell, hearing, or touch. Invisibility makes a creature undetectable by sight but does not in itself make a creature imperceptible or immune to Critical Hits or Damage Explosions.
A blinded creature, or one fighting against an invisible creature, or fighting in complete darkness without darkvision, can make a Awareness check, 1 Action, at difficulty 20, or 2 Actions at Difficulty 15, to detect a creature if it is within 6 meters of them.
The Awareness check can be made at the same time as the Movement Action to approach the creature at difficulty base of DC 25.
Depending on the distance of the invisible creature or what it did in the previous round, there are various modifiers to the Awareness check to detect it.
Invisibility: The Awareness check has a high difficulty for a low-level character. Be careful to consider all the applicable modifiers, otherwise, characters will hardly be able to detect them and will attack random squares…
Table: Modifiers to Awareness DC for Detecting Invisible Creatures
| The Invisible Creature… | Mod. |
|---|---|
| Has moved | -4 |
| Has thrown a projectile | -4 |
| A companion who sees it guides you | -4 |
| Has run or charged | -8 |
| Uses Stealth | check+10 |
| Is still and makes no noise | +4 |
| For each meter beyond 6 meters | +2 |
| Has Light/Medium/Complete cover | +4/8/12 |
These modifiers are cumulative with each other.
If the invisible creature has attacked in melee and has not moved, it is considered automatically detected.
If the check to detect succeeds, the observer has the feeling that something is there but cannot see it or target it accurately with an attack.
Anyone attacking a creature that is invisible but detected has a -1d6 penalty to the Attack Roll; the creature attacking someone who cannot see it has +1d6 to the Attack Roll.
A Blinded creature suffers a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity-based Basic Skill Checks and automatically fails any Awareness checks that depend on sight.
Attacking an undetected target means attacking a random square on the map. Always allow the Attack Roll, whether there is an opponent in that square or not. If the target is in that square, modify its Defense by +8; if the square is empty, the Attack Roll will not hit anyone, and you will inform the character that nothing was hit.
Notes on invisibility
If an invisible character picks up a visible object, the object remains visible. An invisible creature can pick up a small visible object and hide it on their person (putting it in a pocket or under a cloak, closing it in their fist) and effectively make it invisible.
Someone might sprinkle flour on an invisible object to at least keep track of its position (until the flour falls off completely or is blown away).
Invisible creatures leave footprints. Their tracks can be followed without problems. Footprints on sand, mud, or other soft surfaces can give enemies indications of the invisible creature’ **s position, making it detected.
An invisible creature in water moves the liquid, revealing its position. The invisible creature still remains difficult to hit and enjoys the benefits of medium cover (+4 to Defense).
An invisible lit torch still emits light (as does an invisible object subject to a light spell).
Invisible creatures cannot use gaze attacks. Invisibility does not affect being the target of a Divination spell.