Hide

Typically used with: Cunning.

Quick, hide, someone's coming! A character with ranks in hide knows the best place to stick him or herself when the chips hit the fan. You cannot use the Hide skill unless there is an actual place to hide; barring supernatural or racial camouflage, one cannot hide in plain view. A shadow will do as a place to hide, but if the opponent attempting to Spot you can see in the dark or in low light, it’s just as useless as if you were in the middle of a room.

You can attempt to move up to half your allowed speed while hiding at no penalty. A character can move his or her full speed while hiding taking a −10 penalty on the check (keep in mind that penalties would apply on a Sneak check also). While hiding, any directional attack or ability (an arrow, a beam spell, etc.) will reveal your location. You can perform such a maneuver and attempt to hide again.

You cannot hide while being directly observed. It would take a distraction or Bluff ("What in the world could that be?!") to get your onlookers to give you an opportunity to hide.

Difficulty

Hide attempts are usually opposed by a Spot, so there are no set difficulties. Below are some situational penalties and bonuses to the Hide check:

Situation	Check
Moving full speed	−10
Running	−20
Invisible	+30

Opposed Rolls

Hide attempts are opposed by a Spot or Search check.