# Sneaking, Stealing and the Watch

> From the Curse of Strahd game wiki (it covers the whole game, spoilers included): https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/rules/sneaking-stealing-and-the-watch.html. Unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy, not approved or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

#### Foes who are waiting for you

Many fights have their foes standing in the place before the fight starts. You see each one once a hero has line of sight to it, and it stays shown. A waiting foe notices a hero within 30 ft in one of two ways:

- **By ear**, within 10 ft, whichever way it faces and whatever the light, unless a wall or a closed door is in between.
- **By sight**, inside the 120° cone it's facing, unless the hero has Three-Quarters Cover. Its passive Perception is 5 lower against a hero standing in dim light.

A foe that notices you starts its fight at once, and nobody is surprised. Foes that are asleep never notice.

#### Sneaking (V)

Each hero rolls Stealth once when you start sneaking and keeps that total until you stop. A sneaking hero is noticed only when the foe's passive Perception is at least their Stealth total.

Hold **L** (or sneak, or explore turn-based) to see who can see you. Each foe in view wears an eye and tints the squares it watches:

- **red:** it would notice a hero there even in dim light;
- **amber:** only bright light would give you away;
- **gold:** your Stealth beats it either way.

Hovering a square tells you before you move whether someone would notice the leader there.

#### Opening a fight with Surprise

If you're sneaking when you start a fight (attacking a waiting foe, or stepping into its fight's area), every foe that hasn't noticed any of you is Surprised and rolls Initiative with Disadvantage. A party that isn't sneaking is heard coming and surprises no one.

A hero nobody noticed, whose Stealth total is at least 15 and who has Three-Quarters Cover from every foe, starts the fight hidden: attacks against them have Disadvantage and theirs have Advantage, until they attack, cast a spell aloud or a foe gets a clear view of them.

#### Turn-based exploring (T)

Exploring can switch into six-second rounds at any time, with **T** or the Turn-based button. Each hero moves up to their Speed a round, Space ends the round, and clicking a foe in plain view starts the fight from where everyone stands. It's the way to line up an ambush.

#### Stealing and pickpocketing

- Containers that belong to someone say so when you hover or open them. Looking is free; taking anything while someone sees you is stealing.
- Picking a pocket is on a person's right-click menu: the leader rolls Sleight of Hand against the target's passive Perception. Success lifts their coins (a noble carries more than a farmer) and whatever is in their pocket, once. Failure, and they catch your hand.
- Some rooms are private. Seen inside one, you're told to leave and get three steps to do it; after that it's trespass.
- A crime nobody sees costs nothing. Whoever can see you is worked out the same way as a waiting foe: their cone, their hearing, your Stealth if you're sneaking.

#### Getting caught

The victim thinks less of you (friendly becomes indifferent, indifferent becomes hostile). In Vallaki and Krezk the watch comes at once, and you can:

- pay the fine (Vallaki 25 gp, then 50; Krezk 10 gp, then 25);
- hand over what's in your purse;
- talk your way out (Vallaki: Persuasion or Deception DC 15; Krezk: Persuasion DC 15 or Intimidation DC 17; a failed check can't be tried again);
- or refuse and fight two of the watch.

Paying, talking or handing over the purse clears your record in that town.