The ability to remain unseen can grant a huge advantage over your enemies. All it takes is one ambush to even the odds. This skill allows a character to hide themselves in cover to avoid detection. While in stealth, you cannot be seen. IC your character may have climbed a tree or dug themselves into a bolt-hole. No- one can find you without use of the Awareness skill, even if they saw you go into stealth. “Cover” is defined as significant stationary terrain or objects, which covers at least 50% of your size from at least one side when you are concealed by them. When you are inside a structure (building, tent, etc) the inside walls of the structure do not count as cover. Large bushes while you are crouched, or small bushes while you are prone, trees, a pile of logs, outside walls and the outside of tents are all valid cover.
People, bodies and shields are not valid cover. You must remain in a crouched stance or lower at all times while in stealth, and standing will break your stealth. You cannot move from the place where you entered stealth, and doing so will break your stealth. You can, however, move your upper body, and the higher tiers of the Stealth skill allow for limited movement.
Using any skill or performing any overt action (such as firing your gun) will break your stealth. Lining up a shot for the Marksman call is not a skill use, but making the call itself is. Noise caused as a result of movement in stealth cannot be heard. Speaking softly will not break your stealth, however speaking at a normal volume or louder will.
Once stealth has been broken, you cannot enter it again for 5 seconds. Stealth is denoted by holding one finger in the air for each tier of the Stealth skill you have. If the call “Awareness” is made within 10 metres (30 feet) of you, you must clearly state your Stealth tier so the caller can hear you. If the Awareness call is of a high enough tier to locate you in stealth, the caller will know you are there but cannot directly affect you unless they choose to break your stealth with the “Remove Stealth” call.
Below you will find diagrams to explain the correct methods for using the Stealth skill, defining exactly what does and does not count as cover.
sandbags, with their hand still clearly visible for the purposes of those using the Awareness skill.
The other two are not, as the cover does not hide 50% of their bodies.
their bodies are covered behind stationary objects, with their hands still clearly visible for the
purposes of those using the Awareness skill. The individual on the right, though well hidden, is not
in stealth, as you must crouch to be in stealth.