Stealthy Deeds

About Stealthy Deeds

In the shadowed alleys of treacherous cityscapes, criminals, spies, daredevils, and desperate nobodies practice the art of subterfuge and stealth. They are known for their ability to slip past guards and commit the most nefarious of deeds with finesse.

The guidelines in this section provide structure for Storytellers to mediate actions that may be taken during a heist, scouting mission, or precarious venture into enemy territory. Often when characters plan to undertake a dangerous mission, they make educated guesses about their odds of success. Providing rules to mediate stealthy deeds enables both players and characters to understand the relative difficulty of the feats they undertake.

Stealthy Deeds are for Everyone

Any character can attempt to perform the stealthy deeds in this section, whether or not they are a typical lowlife or paragon of virtue. Such deeds require no particular level or Attribute investment. However, characters with greater Dexterity will find it easier to perform stealthy deeds.

Improvising

Storytellers and players are encouraged to improvise, and use these rules as guidelines. One can never be too certain that the imperial guards at a heavily fortified castle don't have a Background Passive, Tactic, or Skills that allow them to be hyper vigilant, resilient, or otherwise less of a sucker for a nasty deed than an unsuspecting merchant.

List of Stealthy Deeds

Administering Poisons

Administering a poison without notice is a simple Sleight of Hand check opposed by the target's Perception check. Poisons applied via needle or blowdart incur a -10 penalty to the Sleight of Hand check.

Should the poison be prepared out of sight of the target-- for instance, mixed into food or drink-- the target makes a Perception check with a DC determined by the Storyteller when they imbibe it. Most poisons are remarkably difficult to detect if properly administered.

Brewing Poisons

Brewing poisons requires intimate knowledge of herbs and plants, deft and careful reflexes, and alchemist's equipment. Should characters have all three, Storytellers may ask for a Wilderness Survival check (to ensure they prepare the plants properly), Sleight of Hand check (to ensure they handle them well), and consult the list of Poisons in the Item Compendium to determine what can be crafted. Storytellers should set a DC that makes sense for their setting and the relative rarity or danger of poisons.

Silent Execution

Attacking a sleeping enemy? Creeping up behind an oblivious guard and slitting their throat? If you can successfully sneak up on a target and attack while they're unaware of your presence, you have a chance of instantly killing them. A Silent Execution cannot be performed in combat when foes are alert and on guard.

Resolving Silent Executions

The attacker rolls a Stealth check, and the target rolls a Perception check.
If the Stealth check is greater and there is appropriate cover, the attacker can approach quietly and quickly without the target's notice. If the target's Perception check is greater, they notice the attacker approaching and may no longer be silently executed.
After a successful Stealth check and a quiet approach, the attacker automatically critically strikes the target for maximum damage.
The target rolls a Stamina check. If their check is greater than the sum of damage dealt to them, they do not die, and initiative is rolled. If their Stamina check is less than the sum of damage dealt to them, the Storyteller chooses if they begin Dying or simply perish outright.

Silent Knockout
For those who prefer not to severely harm others, but still need to get past a pesky sentry, Silent Knockouts are a less gruesome alternative to a Silent Execution. Silent Knockouts require a bit of finesse and involve choking a grappled target. They are typically somewhat difficult for those who don't specialize in performing them. Silent Knockouts cannot be performed in combat.

Resolving Silent Knockouts

The attacker rolls a Stealth check, and the target rolls a Perception check.
If the Stealth check is greater and there is appropriate cover, the attacker can approach quietly and quickly without the target's notice. If the target's Perception check is greater, they notice the attacker approaching and may no longer be silently knocked out.
After a successful Stealth check and a quiet approach, the attacker automatically grapples the target and silences them.
The target can make a Dexterity or Strength check with a relevant skill to try and get free, while the attacker rolls a Strength or Dexterity check to choke them out*.
If the target's roll is higher, they break the grapple and may no longer be silently knocked out. If the attacker's roll is higher, they immediately render the target unconscious.

*Characters who know the Stealth Takedown Tactic automatically succeed at choking out their targets.

Stealth

The Stealth skill embodies the art of moving silently and unseen, allowing characters to blend into the shadows, avoid detection, and gain the element of surprise. Quiet footsteps will not ruin a Stealth check, but talking or making noises louder than a whisper will. Masters of Stealth can slip past vigilant guards and approach adversaries unnoticed. Those with a character backstory involving urban areas may also use Stealth to blend into crowds and remain inconspicuous, disappearing into throngs of people like a fieldmouse in tall grass.

Stealth checks may only be attempted if there is a reasonable place for a character to hide from notice. Any place that has thick foliage or dark shadows qualifies. So do crowded streets. Large objects that provide cover, such as crates, barrels, wagons, pillars, or boulders qualify as well. In some rare circumstances, a very large person can be used as cover. Most average-sized humanoids cannot use each other as cover. In general, use common sense to identify situations where it would be reasonable for your character to effectively hide from sight or notice.

Thieving

Stealing something from a person in arm's reach typically involves a Perception check opposed by a Sleight of Hand check by the thief. If the Sleight of Hand check is greater than the target's Perception, stealing is successful. Thieves may sometimes use their Charisma-based skills to distract a target before attempting a Sleight of Hand check. Creative distractions may hinder the target's Perception check depending on the Storyteller's judgement.