Listen (Wis)
Check: Your Listen check is either made against a DC that reflects how quiet the noise is that you might hear, or it is opposed by your target’s Move Silently check.
| Listen DC | Sound |
|---|---|
| –10 | A battle |
| 0 | People talking1 |
| 5 | A person in medium armor walking at a slow pace (10 ft./round) trying not to make any noise. |
| 10 | An unarmored person walking at a slow pace (15 ft./round) trying not to make any noise |
| 15 | A 1st-level rogue using Move Silently to sneak past the listener |
| 15 | People whispering1 |
| 19 | A cat stalking |
| 30 | An owl gliding in for a kill |
| 1 If you beat the DC by 10 or more, you can make out what’s being said, assuming that you understand the language. |
| Listen DC Modifier | Condition |
|---|---|
| +5 | Through a door |
| +15 | Through a stone wall |
| +1 | Per 10 feet of distance |
| +5 | Listener distracted |
In the case of people trying to be quiet, the DCs given on the table could be replaced by Move Silently checks, in which case the indicated DC would be their average check result.
Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to hear something in a reactive manner (such as when someone makes a noise or you move into a new area), you can make a Listen check without using an action. Trying to hear something you failed to hear previously is a move action.
Try Again: Yes. You can try to hear something that you failed to hear previously with no penalty.
Special: When several characters are listening to the same thing, a single 1d20 roll can be used for all the individuals’ Listen checks.
A fascinated creature takes a –4 penalty on Listen checks made as reactions.
If you have the Alertness feat, you get a +2 bonus on Listen checks.
A ranger gains a bonus on Listen checks when using this skill against a favored enemy.
An elf, gnome, or halfling has a +2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
A half-elf has a +1 racial bonus on Listen checks..
A sleeping character may make Listen checks at a –10 penalty. A successful check awakens the sleeper.
MOVE SILENTLY (DEX; ARMOR CHECK PENALTY)
Check: Your Move Silently check is opposed by the Listen check of anyone who might hear you. You can move up to one-half your normal speed at no penalty. When moving at a speed greater than one-half but less than your full speed, you take a –5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (–20 penalty) to move silently while running or charging.
Noisy surfaces, such as bogs or undergrowth, are tough to move silently across. When you try to sneak across such a surface, you take a penalty on your Move Silently check as indicated below.
| Surface | Check Modifier |
|---|---|
| Noisy (scree, shallow or deep bog, undergrowth, dense rubble) | –2 |
| Very noisy (dense undergrowth, deep snow) | –5 |
**Action:**None. A Move Silently check is included in your movement or other activity, so it is part of another action.
Special: The master of a cat familiar gains a +3 bonus on Move Silently checks.
A halfling has a +2 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
If you have the Stealthy feat, you get a +2 bonus on Move Silently checks.
OPEN LOCK (DEX; TRAINED ONLY)
Attempting an Open Lock check without a set of thieves’ tools imposes a –2 circumstance penalty on the check, even if a simple tool is employed. If you use masterwork thieves’ tools, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on the check.
Check: The DC for opening a lock varies from 20 to 40, depending on the quality of the lock, as given on the table below.
| Lock | DC | Lock | DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very simple lock | 20 | Good lock | 30 |
| Average lock | 25 | Amazing lock | 40 |
Action: Opening a lock is a full-round action.
Special: If you have the Nimble Fingers feat, you get a +2 bonus on Open Lock checks.
Untrained: You cannot pick locks untrained, but you might successfully force them open.