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It lasts until the user unfastens the clasp. It is an item bonus from a worn item. They generally last as long as the worn item is worn and invested. It is usable in exploration, encounter, and downtime modes.
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Is there any sort of official guidance on how long the stealth bonus from the Cloak lasts? Here is the relevant rules text: "When you adjust the cloak’s clasp (an Interact action), the cloak transforms to match the environment around you and muffles your sounds, granting you a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks."
If it only lasts a turn that doesn't seem very combat useful, but could be good for exploration. Then again, do things that only last a turn even count during exploration? Can you assume to have the bonus if you are using the Avoid Notice activity?
If it doesn't list a duration, Item bonuses from invested items last as long as the item is worn and invested.
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That is so that it can be used in a combat or other encounter measured in rounds.
I'm thinking a social encounter where you don't want to be obviously wearing camouflage, but have it available for a quick getaway if something bad goes down.
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That sounds good, but it seems rather pointless to include the one action activation if it lasts until removed.
While the text mentions an interact action, there is no one-action activated ability for the Cloak of Elvenkind. It grants an Item Bonus to Stealth as long as it is worn and invested, and it has a two-action activation to cast Invisibility.
All activated abilities of items have an Activation entry with the word "Activation" in bold, the action cost, activation action, frequency, triggers if any, and the effect. No entry exists on that item for gaining a Stealth bonus.
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It lasts until the user unfastens the clasp. It is an item bonus from a worn item. They generally last as long as the worn item is worn and invested. It is usable in exploration, encounter, and downtime modes.That sounds good, but it seems rather pointless to include the one action activation if it lasts until removed.
In this case that might be a thematic thing. It makes sense that constantly blending into your environment is something you might want to turn off when you're not using it.
Really? How else do you describe the text "When you adjust the cloak’s clasp (an Interact action), the cloak transforms to match the environment around you and muffles your sounds, granting you a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks." if not as an activation? It describes the action required and the result. It certainly reads that you don't get a stealth bonus until you spend an interact action to start that. If it just requires being worn, that sentence makes no sense and is in conflict. Either it just needs to be worn while invested, or it needs an additional interact action to adjust the clasp.
The “activation” ability is listed last in the description which allows the user to become invisible as the 2nd level spell. The interact action to apply the +1 item bonus to stealth is for people who don’t always want the effects that cause the bonus to occur. As the description of the cloak states that the wearer is camouflaged and muffled when the item bonus is being used, some players may opt to not have that be the case when it isn’t needed. That is the reason (I presume) as to why that interact action exists. Being an interact action also means that it can have consequences when being used in encounter mode in that it can trigger reactions. However, the invisibility power is the only actual “activation” ability.
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Really? How else do you describe the text "When you adjust the cloak’s clasp (an Interact action), the cloak transforms to match the environment around you and muffles your sounds, granting you a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks." if not as an activation?
I would characterize that text as bad writing on the author's part as it does not conform to the Rules and standards of either constant item abilities or activated item abilities to whit...
Chapter 11: Crafting & Treasure, Activating Items:
Some items produce their effects only when used properly in the moment. Others always offer the same benefits as their mundane counterparts when worn, but have magical abilities you can gain by further spending actions. Either case requires you to use the Activate an Item activity. Activating an Item works much like Casting a Spell, in that the activity takes a variable number of actions and can have different components depending on how you Activate the Item. This information appears in the item’s Activate entry.
If an item is used up when activated, as is the case for consumable items, its Activate entry appears toward the top of the stat block. For permanent items with activated abilities, the Activate entry is a paragraph in the description. Activations are not necessarily magical—for instance, drinking an alchemical elixir isn’t usually a magical effect...
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Additionally, Chapter 11: Crafting & Treasure, Reading Items (Item Name):...
Activate The number of actions needed to Activate the Item appear here, followed by the components in parentheses. You can find activation rules on page 532. This entry appears ... lower in the stat block for permanent items that can be activated. This section might also have Frequency, Trigger, or Requirements entries as necessary...
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Activated abilities of permanent items are described with Activate entries listed in a separate paragraph(s) lower in the description. I cannot readily identify any exceptions, but it looks like the Activate entries are always the last paragraph(s).For reference, let's look at the Cloak of Elvenkind. I'll try to replicate it as closely as I can in this format:
Cloak of Elvekind Item 7
[Illusion][Invested][Magical]
Usage worn cloak; Bulk LThis cloak is deep green with a voluminous hood, embroidered with gold trim and symbols significant in elven culture. The cloak allows you to cast the ghost sound cantrip as an arcane innate spell. When you adjust the cloak’s clasp (an Interact action), the cloak transforms to match the environment around you and muffles your sounds, granting you a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks.
Activate {two-action icon} Interact; Frequency once per day; Effect ou draw the hood up and gain the effects of invisibility, with the spell's normal duration or until you pull the hood back down, whichever comes first. If you're also wearing boots of elvenkind, you can activate this ability twice per day.
Regardless of the inclusion of the "When you adjust the cloak's clasp (an Interact action)" phrase, there is only one Activate entry (two actions, interact, cast invisibility once per day).
IF interacting to adjust the clasp was an activation, it would have it's own Activate entry that would look a lot like:
Activate {one-action icon} Interact; Effect you gain a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks...Since there is no such Activate entry for adjusting the clasp for a +1 bonus to Stealth it is not an activated ability and instead falls under Chapter 11: Crafting & Treasure, Constant Abilities:
Some magic items have abilities that always function. You don’t have to use any actions to do anything special (beyond wearing and investing a worn item or wielding a held item) to make these abilities work...
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I believe that, if it were actually meant to be an item bonus that can be turned on and off, then it would have been described like the Goggles of Night (Greater) where the darkvision is activate until/or something.