[Basic] Skill of the week: Stealth

[weby]

This is used a lot in my games, I do not recall any character ever who did not have at least minimal competence(1-2 points or insanely high IQ for default).

In the current fantasy campaign:

In a typical adventure of 7-14 of 8-10 hour sessions we see about 5-10 situations of stealth use with a total of maybe 20-30 total stealth rolls for each character. So it is used a lot and the character do reflect that.

Characters:
The sneak type character has stealth at only 30 (DX+12) from her Thief! skill due to a -3 from an artifact she wears... But can give up to -24 penalties to observers from spells and abilities.

The group wizard has attribute substitution so uses IQ for it 29 (IQ+6) with just 2 points in the skill, racial talent and super magic item. In addition access to invisibility spells helps often.

The group main tank has stealth 31 (DX+12) when not in tank mode(elf form) 10(DX-3) in tank mode(fire giant form).

The secondary tank/utility caster character has stealth 28(DX +13) and can give opponents up to -16 extra to be detected from spells and abilities.

The group gunslinger has only stealth 22(DX+3) and tends to try to stay bit behind others, though he can get +10 to stealth if he moves extremely slowly(<= 1/5 normal walking speed).

The gunslinger is the currently the generally limiting factor on group stealth though occasionally the main tank tries to do stealth in fire giant form... SM +2, 500lb plate armor and a two handed sword of flame is not the best possible combination for that...

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

I was more thinking of 'High' like 18-20 IQ and DX 10-11

Even so

DX 10 and IQ 20 you can still get Stealth (IQ-4)-16 [4] given Stealth (DX+5)-15 [20] and Stealth (DX+6)-16 [24] being an opposed roll the +1 worth it.

even Stealth (IQ-5)-15 [1] will allow you learn techniques for stealth in special terrains or things like Quickstep (Stealth)-5 [6] which Stealth (IQ-5)-15 [0] will not let you as you can't learn techniques for a skill you only know at default.

[though Quickstep probably needs to be terrain specialized, (it's meant to buy of the penalty for moving silently faster than move 1)]

[Kalzazz]

Unless your idea is specifically Captain Stealth spending 4pts to just get default +1 seems dubious to me

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

[though Quickstep probably needs to be terrain specialized, (it's meant to buy of the penalty for moving silently faster than move 1)]

Where is Quickstep from, please? I can't find it.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Where is Quickstep from, please? I can't find it.

It not from anything has why I used words like "probably" I just took the modifier for the stealth skill of -5 if to move silently while moving faster than move 1 [which on B222] and showed a possible techniques for it, as a reminder that techniques are not limited to combat skills. [B229-233] the specialization for terrain was due to the fact i was pricing it as a average instead of hard technique

[johndallman]

How's this?

Quickstep (Stealth). Hard, default Stealth-5, cannot exceed Stealth-2. This technique allows you to buy off part of the -5 penalty to Stealth for moving faster than Move 1. Specialisation by terrain type is required, but "indoors" is a valid specialisation, in addition to the list of terrain types from Survival.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Unless your idea is specifically Captain Stealth spending 4pts to just get default +1 seems dubious to me

4 points per level of skill is the standard cost at high levels.

It is, to be sure, also a cost where people tend to decline to pay unless very high levels of that particular skill are central to their concept.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by johndallman

How's this?

Quickstep (Stealth). Hard, default Stealth-5, cannot exceed Stealth-2. This technique allows you to buy off part of the -5 penalty to Stealth for moving faster than Move 1. Specialisation by terrain type is required, but "indoors" is a valid specialisation, in addition to the list of terrain types from Survival.

If your limit it to both terrain type AND not full penalty is really does need to be Average not Hard.

[johndallman]

I think buying off the whole penalty is a bit too good, by analogy with Targeted Attack. I also think it needs to be Hard, because you only get one try, and failing Stealth rolls often has dangerous side-effects. How about this?

Quickstep (Stealth). Hard, default Stealth-5, cannot exceed Stealth-2. This technique allows you to buy off part of the -5 penalty to Stealth for moving faster than Move 1. Specialisation by terrain type is not required.

[Kalzazz]

Unless my concept was Mr Stealth I can't see doing that yeah

Other than 'my favorite weapon skills, I just don't see people buy skills at 4 per +1 very much they just don't see it as worth it