Stealth

This page goes into detail about the stealth skill in this TTRPG system.  This page also covers how stealth is handled in combat.

Stealth is the art of going undetected or unnoticed.

The stealth skill falls broadly into 4 categories of use: infiltration, exfiltration, disguise, shadowing, and palming.  Most powers linked with stealth fit into one of these 4 categories.

Infiltration

This is grown-up Hide & Seek.

Test: (Physical + Stealth) vs (Mental + Physical Awareness)

Infiltration & Time

Sneaking through a place without being noticed takes both skill and time.

In this system, the GM dictates the amount of time it takes to sneak through a place.  The GMs ruling on this should usually be in favor of good pacing for the game & story.  If the GM wishes to create some additional tension, he may indicate that timing will be influenced largely by the number of net successes made on the opposed stealth roll; more net hits means less time taken.

Infiltration Difficulty

It is important for the GM to know that a task is made much more difficult if it requires multiple rolls.  Even if the number of hits needed on each individual roll is low, requiring multiple rolls substantially raises the chance of failure.  In light of this, many stealth actions should be limited to a single opposed roll.

Example Modifiers

Modifiers are entirely on the side of the infiltrator.  This is designed to make the spotter’s roll provide the player with less information about what is going on.

Exfiltration/Escape

Escaping from situations in which you are captive is most easily handled via the stealth skill.  There are other methods for escaping which don’t include stealth: social engineering, pure might to shatter shackles & break bars, outside friends coming to the rescue, etc.

Exfiltration & escape are nearly always extended actions, taking time depending on the interval the GM sets, and the skill of the escapee.  As a reminder, the GM must set the following parameters when making an extended action test:

• Difficulty – the minimum number of hits needed before you generate net hits.
• Goal Number – The total number of net hits needed before the test ends in success.
• Interval – The amount of time each individual roll of the dice takes within your fictional world.
• Terminus – The number of rolls that can be made before the extended test ends in failure.
  • Terminus is determined by the narrative
    • For example, if they plan your execution in 10 days, the terminus is 10 days.

Escape Personal Restraints

Use this to get out of handcuffs, zip ties, shackles, and similar.

Test: (Physical) + (Stealth) vs Difficulty

Difficulty

Personal restraints can range from 0 to 6 difficulty, depending on how well secured you are.  For example, an improvised restraint using bed sheets might be difficulty 0.  Shackles that connect your ankles, arms, and neck might be difficulty 6.

Interval

Personal restrains interval is usually between 1 complex action & 15 minutes.

Goal Number

Personal Restraints goal number is usually between 3 to 6.

Escape Secure Facility

Use this to get out of prisons, dungeons, jails, etc.

Test: (Physical) + (Stealth) vs Difficulty

Difficulty

Escaping a facility can range from 5 to 10 difficulty, depending on how good the security is.

Interval

Escaping a facility usually has an interval between 1 day & 1 year.

Goal Number

Escaping a facility usually has a goal number between 10 & 25.

Palming

Sleight of hand, “magic” tricks, pick-pocketing, planting evidence, dosing a drink, and more.

Test: (Physical + Stealth) vs (Mental + Physical Awareness).

Shadowing

Follow a person without them noticing you.

Test: (Physical OR Social) + (Stealth) vs (Mental OR Social) + (Physical Awareness)

Disguise

Conceal your identity.

Test: (Social + Stealth) vs (Mental+ Physical Awareness).

It is important to note that a disguise may fool someone completely, but they might be suspicious based on behavior.  They may also detect that something isn’t right with a Sense Motives roll.

It is relatively easy to conceal your own identity, but taking on another person’s identity is far more difficult, and requires the Stolen Face power.

Disguise: Organization Member

Disguising yourself to look like a member of an organization you don’t belong to is relatively easy – you just need one of their uniforms.  Anyone can disguise themselves as a member of an organization, without needing the Stealth skill.  Note that other security measures may still catch you; passwords, credentials, etc.  A successful Sense Motives action against you may reveal that you don’t belong to the organization.

Test: No roll is required unless you lack one of their uniforms, and must create it from scratch. (Social + Stealth) vs (Mental + Physical Awareness)

Time to don: A few minutes

Time to create: 1 day

Materials/Equipment needed: Organization’s uniform, or materials to create a copy of their uniform.  The No-Materials Disguise power removes the need for materials.

Disguise: Conceal Your Identity

The goal of this disguise is to look like anyone but yourself.

Test: (Social + Stealth) vs (Mental + Physical Awareness)

Time to don: Simple Action

Time to create: 1 hour.  If more time is spent creating & perfecting a disguise, the GM may award a positive modifier for the roll.

Materials/Equipment needed: articles of clothing, hats, scarfs, wigs, glasses, etc.  The No-Materials Disguise power removes the need for materials.

Disguise: Imitate An Individual

The goal of this disguise is to steal someone’s identity by copying their appearance.  This is impossible without the use of the Stolen Face power.

Time to don: Many hours

Time to create:  This is an extended action with a 1 day interval.

Materials/Equipment needed: images of the subject, prosthetic facial equipment, make-up, dye, scissors, clothing, perfume, wigs, etc.  The No-Materials Disguise power removes the need for materials.

Stealth In Combat

Ambush

Initiating combat from stealth, where the enemy was unaware that hostiles might be present, confers several benefits:

• +6 to the ambusher’s initiative.
  • This is a flat amount added to their final initiative score, not merely a +6 bonus to their initiative roll.
• If the ambush victim has a higher initiative than the ambusher, they are forced to hold their action until after the ambusher has attacked.
• The ambush victim’s defense dicepools are -half or -6, whichever is greater.

Some powers may mitigate or remove these benefits.

Concealment

If the enemy is aware that hostiles are nearby, they will be on their guard, and cannot be ambushed.  However, being concealed in combat still offers some benefits:

• A concealed combatant cannot be directly attacked
  • They can get hit by area attacks that strike the same space that they are occupying
    • This includes attacks from troops who are attacking enemies in the same space as you.
• Defenders suffer a -3 modifier to their defense dicepools against attackers in concealment.

Losing Stealth In Combat

A stealthed attacker loses their concealment as soon as they attack, unless they have special powers that change this.

Re-establishing Stealth In Combat

This is impossible without the use of a specific power.