← Updates

The hide and perception system

This update introduces a hide and perception system, giving both players and monsters the ability to conceal themselves and adding a corresponding role for the thief class.

Hiding

A hidden character is not visible to monsters unless those monsters are adjacent or succeed at noticing them. A hidden character can still act, which allows a thief to remain concealed while attacking from cover.

Attacking does not end concealment; taking damage does. To keep concealment legible to the player, a hidden character displays a subtle effect at their feet, so the player always knows their own concealment is active.

The thief class gains Cloak of Shadows, a self-cast ability that applies concealment for a limited number of turns, replacing an earlier placeholder ability. Thieves also conceal more effectively than other classes.

Hidden monsters

Monsters can also be hidden. A common example is a ranged attacker that keeps its distance and attacks from concealment. Unlike players, hidden monsters do not lose concealment when damaged; a player must close the distance or successfully perceive them. A group of monsters is treated as a single unit for concealment: perceiving one member reveals the whole group.

The perception contest

Whether one party sees another hidden party is a graded contest rather than a fixed outcome. Each side has a hide rating and a perception rating derived from level and attributes. The larger the advantage in perception over hide, the higher the chance of detection each turn, and nearer targets are easier to detect than distant ones. Adjacent targets are always revealed.

Two adjustments keep the result stable in play. A target that has been detected remains visible for a short grace period to avoid flickering in and out of view, and a monster struck by an attacker it cannot see becomes alerted, temporarily increasing its perception.

  • Equipment bonuses. Items can now grant hide and perception bonuses, shown in the item tooltip, allowing a stealth-focused character to build toward it through gear.
  • Configurable tuning. The system’s parameters — the weight of level and attributes, the falloff with distance, and the duration of the detected and alerted states — are data-driven and adjustable through the content tools.