Darkstalker ludonarrative dissonance

[rrwoods]

Darkstalker causes creatures with special senses to be required to make perception skill checks to notice it, as a normally sighted creature would be. Question for DMs: how do you typically resolve this in a narrative sense? How far do you go in trying to link up the narrative and mechanics here?

As a simple concrete example, let’s consider a blind creature with blindsight. Does the PC with Darkstalker get to hide behind a crate or around a corner despite the creature not having any sight to be impeded by such an action? Darkstalker is explicit that you can’t hide in plain sight as a result of its effect (in fact a little too explicit, actually, but that’s a different topic). You don’t automatically get to hide behind nothing — but again, the creature can’t see; it’s only sensing you with its special sense.

Do we just hand wave and pretend the creature has normal sight, but only for foes with Darkstalker?

Let me state that I’m perfectly okay with the answer being “yeah that’s exactly what I do”, but I’m just curious if there are DMs out there that have considered this question more thoroughly than I have and have come up with good narrative explanations.

[Efrate]

Blindsight is combination of multiple senses so your darkstalker pc just plays down his impact on said senses. He rubs against the rocks to neutralize his scent, steps quickly, carefully, and lightly to deaden any vibrations he gives off from movement. Obvious cover and concealment to hide from sight, and tries to mask sounds he makes with naturally occurring noises.

[AvatarVecna]

In a lot the same way you justify Hide In Plain Sight being able to "hide" when by all rights the enemy should be able to see you clear as day. It's like sneaking or pickpocketing in skyrim: past a certain point, you can become so skilled that you can accomplish acts of skill that make no logical sense and are essentially mundane magic. Wanna pickpocket that guy's underwear without touching his pants? Sure, why not. Wanna be standing right in front of him swearing up a storm? If he's not skilled enough to see/hear you, doesn't matter. Wanna carry about several tons worth of gear in your backpack? If you've got the strength for it, then sure.

[BaronDoctor]

Seconding Efrate's mention of it being sneaking techniques foiling their senses (which the character is probably already doing if they've got skill high enough to want Darkstalker. Foil scent by smelling like the area around you. Foil Mindsight by thinking of nothing, something boring enough to generate a natural "someone else's problem" field, or something so emotionally strong as to be blinding. Foil tremorsense by moving extremely lightly and smoothly.

The Darkstalker feat could be reasonably understood as finding out what alternative means there are for perceiving a character and how they are defeated.

Example from Splinter Cell linked here (https://youtu.be/nEStCHmEu4I?t=326). Note the means for beating sound-based stuff here (https://youtu.be/nEStCHmEu4I?t=727) and even stuff with darkvision here (https://youtu.be/nEStCHmEu4I?t=614).

[rrwoods]

So, the mechanics require cover or concealment (hiding always does), meaning that the PC’s physical location and game actions involve hiding behind crates or corners, or what have you. But the narrative is that they’re doing whatever it is that foils the creature’s senses. What do DMs do to marry the two at the table? Anything at all, or do people hand wave things?

[Elves]

Triggered off the thread title, Darkstar Ludomancer would be a cool name for an evil jester PrC.

[DrMotives]

The only fluff I can think of for darkstalker is "If you walk without rhythm, you won't attract the worm". Which while it's reference to Frank Herbert's Dune, it always makes me think of Christopher Walken dancing & flying through a hotel.