Read this over and tell me if the idea works:
In maptool, we have the ability to create a colored radius around a creature token. The numeric value of the radius can be set, via a function, with a skill roll.
Let's say that each round, each creature rolls its Perception skill. The DC to detect a character in sight who isn't hiding is zero, and there's a +1 modifier per ten feet, this means that a radius equal to the perception check times 10 will be the distance at which an observer will notice a creature out in the open. If a creature isn't hiding, and it is visibly within the Perception radius, that creature is noticed.
Now let's say that a creature wants to move through your Perception radius while hiding. That creature has a Stealth radius surrounding it equal it its Stealth check times ten. As long as some part of its Stealth radius does not overlap with your Perception radius, you will not see the creature.
Of course, this is not very realistic, but it works if you're going for a Tenchu-like "stealth meter" which assumes that every person knows how close they are to being spotted.
Are other there technical problems with this system, or is it a fairly faithful depiction of the rules as written?
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As long as some part of its Stealth radius does not overlap with your Perception radius, you will not see the creature.
This part confuses me a bit.
"As long as some part of its Stealth radius does not overlap with your Perception radius, you will not see the creature."
means
"If some part of its Stealth radius does overlap with your Perception radius, you will see the creature."
Let's presume I have a guy standing by himself, not moving, with a Perception of 20. It is an open plane with some tall grass that can provide concealment (so the other guy can stealth). The guard's radius goes out to 200' all around him.
The sneaky guy rolls 15 for his stealth check. So long as he stays over 50' away from the Guard, the guard should not see him.
By your statement though, this is off. The 'ninja' will get a radius of 150' around him, and to not be seen he *can't* let his radius touch the Perception radius? So he has to stay 150' away from the 200' radius of the guard, or over 350' away?
In that case, it actually hurts to have a higher Stealth check since this 'pushes' the ninja farther away from the guard.
What I think you mean to say is:
"The perceptive guy will spot the stealthy guy if at any time the stealthy guy is within the perception radius and the perceptive guy is not within the stealth radius. The stealthy guy will remain stealthed so long as he is either: A. not within the Perception radius or B. within the Perception radius but not enclosing the perceptive guy within the stealth radius." But even this doesn't really work (see below).
So if we use your bubbles, ninja has a radius of 150'. Guard has a radius of 200'. The ninja should, by the rules, remained stealth as long as he stays over 50' away from the guard (making the guard's modified perception for distance dip below 15, the ninja's stealth check). So he can enter the guard's perceptive bubble, and so long as he stays 50' away, he's fine. Since Ninja has a radius of 150' and Guard has a radius of 200', this means he can't let his bubble encapsule the guard. Otherwise the guard spots him.
Hopefully this makes sense. Overall it seems pretty complicated though. Like if the ninja has a stealth check of 20 and the guard has a Perception check of 5, what then? The ninja could go right up next to the guard, encapsulating him within both their circles, and still not be seen.
:S
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That's a cool idea, TR. :)
This really belongs on the RPTools forum, but can the sight auras be made visible to the GM only? If so, this could be a huge advantage in determining the whole "I sneak past the guard" thing.
Of course, it assumes that the Perception check is Take 10, which would be the normal case, but perhaps a macro that rolls a new Perception check on-demand and resizes the aura? (Hmm, not possible currently, though.)
I should have said:
So long as some point of the Stealth aura is not covered by the perception aura.
So unless the observer's aura completely overlaps the stealth aura, he doesn't see the stealthed character.
Yeah, Az, we would need a GM-only aura to make it fair. But I'm fine with it being unfair, since it would be unfair both ways — it's a staple of the video game sneaking trope to have players be aware of how close to being noticed they are.
It would suit a certain kind of game/player/gm quite well, mainly for rogues who really want to feel the "stealth kill" like from a video game.