Ok the Info

Our campaign just hit 500exp so we are not noob scrubs.

My outlaw tech built an outlaw tech stealth field and I love it.

The GM and I though are having a hard time figuring out how to use stealth in combat.

Here is the rub...

Do I have to use my one and only action every turn to stealth? Seems dumb..

How do you do stealth? Do you roll against all opponents? We tried this and it sucks... If there are multiple baddies 3-4 the shear amount of dice guarantees despairs failing my field everytime...

We also discussed one roll for the entire group but that doesn't make sense as then they all fail to see me or all see me in the chaos of battle? Didn't sound right..

At end of tonight's session we discussed me using a action rolling once getting successes/advantages (simple check) then if baddies want to hit me they have to beat those. I then have to spend one maneuver to maintain and threats and despairs can reveal me like normal and then I have To use the action again to re conceal. I can also do the action to get better results.

Furthermore, if I attack from stealth what happens? Do people see me? Reading the suppression muzzle (which I have) seems to allude to it being possible to remain undetected.

We plan to do presence checks for people who may have seen me attack to spot me...

What you guys think?

Have you looked on page 186 in the book where it describes the Personal Stealth Field? I would say as an incidental each turn you need to roll a stealth check opposed by the adversary with the highest perception (if they are looking for you) or vigilance (if they don't know you are around yet). If no adversaries have ranks in those skills, I would say you need to roll at least 1 red anyway. If you roll a despair the stealth field shuts off. If you fail without despair, your field is still on however you made too much noise or something and they know about where you are (this will come into play later).

On their turn they can take an incidental to try and locate you. This time it uses the book portion of being a formidable check. If they attempt to shoot at you, heavy setback dice (4-5) that can be removed with failure on your roll and/or success on their perception roll. Of course if you did not shoot them, and you did not fail your stealth roll, and they did not succeed their perception roll, they wouldn't get a shot because they have no idea where you are.

Same statment as octopus, though different interpretation. Read the entry in the book.

You are rendered invisible. So by nature youre undetected until you do something to bring attention to youself or the system fails.

So, in combat you are not supposed to have the bad guys make perception checks every turn, nor should the player make stealth checks every turn. When the player does something to bring attention to himself and the fact that he's invisible (like shooting, knocking something over, talking, unleashing a massive S.B.D.) THEN you can have the enemies make (formidable) perception checks to look for him. But remember perception checks are an action, so if a guy chooses to look for the cloaked guy, they are giving up the option to shoot. So its unlikely more then one or two opponents a turn will bother looking.

A bigger issue is the problem of the fragility of the system itself. Any single Threat or Despair can allow the system to flicker or fail, negating all benefits for a turn, or until fixed. So using one in combat , where there's probably going to be lots of rolling, threats, advantage, triumphs, and despairs, is probably not a good idea to use one.

Same statment as octopus, though different interpretation. Read the entry in the book.

You are rendered invisible. So by nature youre undetected until you do something to bring attention to youself or the system fails.

So, in combat you are not supposed to have the bad guys make perception checks every turn, nor should the player make stealth checks every turn. When the player does something to bring attention to himself and the fact that he's invisible (like shooting, knocking something over, talking, unleashing a massive S.B.D.) THEN you can have the enemies make (formidable) perception checks to look for him. But remember perception checks are an action, so if a guy chooses to look for the cloaked guy, they are giving up the option to shoot. So its unlikely more then one or two opponents a turn will bother looking.

A bigger issue is the problem of the fragility of the system itself. Any single Threat or Despair can allow the system to flicker or fail, negating all benefits for a turn, or until fixed. So using one in combat , where there's probably going to be lots of rolling, threats, advantage, triumphs, and despairs, is probably not a good idea to use one.

The reason I didn't go with this is because it feels overpowered. Can they still shoot him if they don't make the perception check? If so, then what is the point of looking?

If this thing makes you invisible, and given you can move a decent distance in a single round, even while shooting, I don't see how a successful perception check would be helpful if it removed the ability to try and take a shot.

Guy One makes Perception check and, if successful, communicates with Guy Two. Guy Two take a shot at you on his action.

The reason I didn't go with this is because it feels overpowered. Can they still shoot him if they don't make the perception check? If so, then what is the point of looking?

This is my point of view on things just thinking logically how a system like this would work.

No they can't shoot him unless they beat the check, or the system suffers a failure or flicker. This is barring other obvious methods of attack. Blast weapons I'd still allow using the hit on miss rules, provided the shooter already has reason to believe you are there and can make the attack.

If this thing makes you invisible, and given you can move a decent distance in a single round, even while shooting, I don't see how a successful perception check would be helpful if it removed the ability to try and take a shot.

To me the idea of using a stealth field while shooting is pretty self defeating simply by essentially handing the GM a reason to load you up with setback dice.

If you wanted to do something that silly though, and your stealth field survived, then there's still room to work. A successful perception (which if playing with me will get some boost dice for you shooting) finds you and allows them to shoot you next turn, but also allows them to call you out this turn. That's puts you in the situation mentioned above: the enemy now knows you have a stealth field and roughly where you are. Hope you like grenades.

The idea of a Stealth check as an incidental is, IMO, not beneficial. Way too much potential for Advantage/Triumph bloating the encounter, plus that you've got another dice pool roll slowing down the action.

The mechanical description is already there; just have it influence the narrative and the main actions/skill checks during each relevant character's turn.

I'd say that in combat, as per the rules, every skill check uses an action. So, if you want to stealth in combat, you have to use an action.

Regarding the perception check, I'd say just use the best of the perceptions of the group. If the group is numerous, add setback dice (maybe one per additional individual, or one every two individuals, rounding down, minimum one). As per the rules again, the spotter have to use his/her action to locate you, but can warn the rest as an incidental.

I'd say that in combat, as per the rules, every skill check uses an action.

That isn't entirely true, especially when Talents are considered.

I'd say that in combat, as per the rules, every skill check uses an action.

That isn't entirely true, especially when Talents are considered.

OK, but outside from talents that can modify this - something you are totally right to point out, btw - or any other special circumstances (equipment, etc) the general rule is that an a skill check in combat has to be performed using an action. I think allowing this to be done through incidentals or even maneuvers will lead to overpower stealth (I move to that crate, roll stealth, and then shoot with advantage all in the same turn). Maybe if the stealth roll shows a triumph I would allow to combine stealth and combat roll in the same action. Anyway this is just MHO.

I'd say that in combat, as per the rules, every skill check uses an action.

That isn't entirely true, especially when Talents are considered.

OK, but outside from talents that can modify this - something you are totally right to point out, btw - or any other special circumstances (equipment, etc) the general rule is that an a skill check in combat has to be performed using an action. I think allowing this to be done through incidentals or even maneuvers will lead to overpower stealth (I move to that crate, roll stealth, and then shoot with advantage all in the same turn). Maybe if the stealth roll shows a triumph I would allow to combine stealth and combat roll in the same action. Anyway this is just MHO.

I'm pretty much on board with this. If you roll it'll usually be an action.

Combining a Stealth Field with most combat actions is just moronic to me though. This is a universe where people know that cloaking tech exists. The moment you start attacking it'll take no time at all for any enemy worth his salt to figure out you're invisible and to start taking action to fix that problem.

Think of it reversed if you have to. If you throw an invisible enemy at the players what are they going to do? Why would an opponent not act the exact same way?

To me this is part of the whole point. The SFG is great for slipping past enemies for recon, sabotage, or to use as a way to defend some character that's mission vital, but not very combat capable. In combat using it for relocating between shots is probably not a bad idea either depending on whats going on. But just assuming that you're invincible because you've got Harry Potter's cloak on is going to end about as well as a fight between a rookie Quidditch team and seasoned Swoop Gang...