Time: Reaction or Quick Action Target: Self
Trigger: *see description
Test: *Covert Skill

When one of the Reaction Triggers occurs, the triggering creature(s) will gain one stack of Alert and know your location, regardless of if you choose to use this Reaction. Also, if a creature takes any Damage at any time, they gain two stacks of Alert.

Which Covert Skill you use for the Test depends on the activity that triggered this Ability:

• Sneaking Skill:
  • Trigger: You use Move to move within Shooting Distance(16u) or True Spitting Distance(4u) of one or more non-allies.
    • This trigger includes improvised movement or performing feats that are primarily about movement, like vaulting over a wall or crossing a patch of broken glass without making any noise.
• Subtlety Skill:
  • Trigger: You started an Ability, other than Move and Silent Abilities, within Shooting Distance(16u) or True Spitting Distance(4u) of one or more non-allies.
    • This trigger includes using improvised abilities that would not be Silent. All Abilities and actions are Noisy unless otherwise stated by the Ability or GM. Acts that require Skill Tests may also count as improvised abilities. Acts of dexterity that primarily involve your hands - like pick-pocketing someone or performing a card trick - may also count as triggers of Subtlety.
• Hiding Skill:
  • Trigger: When a non-ally starts or enters into Shooting Distance(16u) or True Spitting Distance(4u) of you on their Turn.
    • You can attempt to hold still and magically ward yourself from the awareness or notice of others even without cover.

You can also use this Ability as a Quick Action. When you do, you can choose which Covert Skill to use for the Test and no creatures nearby will gain stacks of Alert.

Your Score determines how many and which Stealth Condition you gain stacks of (Sneaky for Sneaking, Subtle for Subtlety, and Hidden for Hiding.) Each triggering creature will gain 1 Stack of Alert unless you immediately spend your Stealth Condition Stacks to prevent them from gaining Stacks of Alert:

• [!0] Gain no stacks of any Stealth Conditions. All triggering creature(s) gain 2 Stacks of Alert instead of 1.
• [..6] Gain 1 Stack of the related Stealth Condition.
• [7..9] Gain 2 Stacks of the related Stealth Condition.
• [10..] Gain 2 Stacks of the related Stealth Condition and another Stack of a Stealth Condition of your choice.
• [!10] Gain 4 Stacks of any Stealth Conditions of your choice. The triggering creatures(s) gain no Stacks of Alert.
  NOTE: You may spend a stack of a Stealth Condition to prevent a single target from gaining a stack of Alert. You can do so repeatedly and at any time.
  Bonuses:
• Quiet Act. Gain an Advantage if the triggering activity was Quiet or the area is Loud.
  Penalties:
• Close. Gain a Disadvantage if you were within Spitting Distance(4u) of one or more non-allies during the trigger or the triggering Ability.
• Loud Act. Gain a Disadvantage if the triggering activity was Loud or the area is silent.

For reference, the Stealth Conditions are:

Sneaking out of an Encounter

To escape an Encounter and return to Freeplay, all Adventurers must first inform the GM of their decision to do so. The Adventurers must then collectively give up 2 Stealth Conditions for each non-ally in the Encounter. The game will then return to Freeplay, all non-allies will have two stacks of Alert, and the Adventurers will need to avoid the Alert enemies to prevent the game entering an Encounter again.

Basic Ability or Fighter Upgrades:

• Shadow(1).
  • Once per Round, when you Move out of sight and sound of your foes, gain a Stack of a Stealth Condition of your choice.
• Shadow(2).
  • You can spend stacks of Sneaky to trigger the effects of Subtle or Hidden instead.

Basic Ability or Rogue Upgrades:

• Cunning(1).
  • Gain two Advantages from Subtle instead of one.
• Cunning(2).
  • Any Ability that gains Advantage(s) from your Subtle Condition can also deal 1 extra Damage, provided it would have dealt at least 1 Damage on its own.

Basic Ability or Mage Upgrades:

• Magical(1).
  • Hiding Tests for this Ability no longer have the 'Close' Penalty.
• Magical(2). Requires Level 5.
  • All Tests for this Ability no longer have the 'Close' Penalty.