Easy way to get Hide in Plain Sight?

[Ranger Mattos]

So what is an easy way to get that feature? I had thought of Shadowdancer, but then I would need to take some feats I otherwise wouldn't.

[Greenish]

Spoiler

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Hide in Plain Sight (or similar) (also see the "camouflage" section)
Ranger 17 - natural terrain
Scout 14 - natural terrain
Illusionist 15 (class variant), Unearthed Arcana - unconditional
Assassin 8, ecl 13 - within 10 feet of a shadow
Shadowdancer 1, ecl 8 - within 10 feet of a shadow
Nightsong Infiltrator 10, ecl 17 - natural terrain
Dark Lantern 9, ecl 14, Eberron: Five Nations - does not require natural terrain or concealment, in fact seems totally unconditional
Scar Enforcer 7, ecl 12, Races of Destiny - natural terrain
Wildrunner 5, ecl 10, Races of the Wild - natural terrain
Stalker of Kharesh 4, ecl 9, Book of Exalted Deeds, w/quarter cover or quarter concealment
Wilderness Rogue (UA)
Umbral Disciple 3, ecl 8, Magic of Incarnum, see text
Luiren Marchwarden 5, ECL 10, FR: Shining South - doesn't require cover or concealment, but only works in specific region
Shadar-Kai, race, Fiend Folio, ecl 4
Dark creature, template, Tome of Magic - doesn't require cover or concealment or terrain, but doesn't work in bright light
Shadow Creature, template, Lords of Madness - in shadowy regions only
Lurking Terror 3, ecl 8, Libris Mortis - requires cover or concealment
Paladin 6 (Shadow Cloak Knight substitution level), Champions of Valor web enhancement - near shadows
Justice of Weald and Woe 9, ecl 15, FR: Champions of Ruin - natural terrain
Planar Touchstone (The Veil), feat, Planar Handbook - near shadow
Hellbreaker 1, ecl 6, Fiendish Codex II, in any kind of darkness, not called "hide in plain sight"
Shadowspy 9, ecl 13, Complete Champion, in area of sunlight
Sentinel of Bharrai 5, ecl 10, Book of Exalted Deeds, within 10' of natural terrain
Eye of Lloth 6, ecl ?, Drow of the Underdark, within 10' of shadow
Ebonmar Infiltrator 8, ecl 13, Cityscape

Special mention
Shadowcraft Mage 1, ecl 8, Races of Stone - constant ability, provides partial concealment, allows hide checks
Collar of umbral metamorphosis, item, tome of magic - gives the Dark Creature template (see above)
Ranger 17 or Scout 14, class variant, Cityscape Web Enhancement, Hide in Plain Site in any urban environment

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871954/Lists_of_Stuff

[lsfreak]

Shadowdancer is pretty much the best way. There are multiple versions of HipS, all pretty much a little different, and the Shadowdancer one is the best. You take Dodge (or one of its many replacements - Expeditious Dodge from RotW, Desert Wind Dodge from ToB, Midnight Dodge from MoI) and Combat Reflexes (or Evasive Reflexes, trade an AoO for a 5-foot step, ToB), and get Mobility via the armor enhancement (MIC).

You can also get it with the Dark template (+1LA) or from an item that grants it (both in ToM), but it's the worst version of HipS.

[Volthawk]

An option is the Shadow template (Lords of Madness). Doesn't actually give HiPS, but gives Shadow Blend, so in any situation other than full daylight, you can have full concealment. Only stopped by one thing other than normal sunlight too, which is the Daylight spell. It is LA+2, but you get a load of other goodies as well (faster speeds, scaling cold resistance, darkvision, low-light vision, bonus to move silently and options out of a set for every 4HD you have). Quite a fun template, IMO, and buyoff helps.

[Curmudgeon]

The good versions of Hide in Plain Sight are expensive to obtain. That's pretty annoying if you're playing a Rogue, who's both feat-starved and in serious need of HiPS. One thing worth noting if you go the Shadowdancer route is that you'll get better return for you investment if you also take Spring Attack as your next feat; that way you get both HiPS and a useful feat for the same prerequisites. So you'll make full attacks (with -20 to your Hide check while attacking) against most enemies, but those with good Spot checks you can instead hit via Spring Attack, and then Hide while moving with no penalty.

[Eldariel]

The good versions of Hide in Plain Sight are expensive to obtain. That's pretty annoying if you're playing a Rogue, who's both feat-starved and in serious need of HiPS. One thing worth noting if you go the Shadowdancer route is that you'll get better return for you investment if you also take Spring Attack as your next feat; that way you get both HiPS and a useful feat for the same prerequisites. So you'll make full attacks (with -20 to your Hide check while attacking) against most enemies, but those with good Spot checks you can instead hit via Spring Attack, and then Hide while moving with no penalty.

The Wilderness Rogue-variant's version isn't bad, really, as Camouflage helps out a lot in much of the terrain in mitigating what it misses and it works in AMFs (though it's not foolproof, of course; still, functioning in AMF has some great uses for trying to take down caster-types and evening the playground out a bit). Of course, they come a bit late on level 13, but still faster than those damnable Ranger/Scout-variants.

[Curmudgeon]

An option is the Shadow template (Lords of Madness). Doesn't actually give HiPS, but gives Shadow Blend, so in any situation other than full daylight, you can have full concealment. ... Quite a fun template, IMO, and buyoff helps.

One important thing to note about the Shadow Blend ability is that it's Supernatural.

Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless noted otherwise.

The Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight "notes otherwise" by using the Hide skill, which normally takes no action. But Shadow Blend is going to eat up a standard action whenever you use it.

[Volthawk]

One important thing to note about the Shadow Blend ability is that it's Supernatural. The Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight "notes otherwise" by using the Hide skill, which normally takes no action. But Shadow Blend is going to eat up a standard action whenever you use it.

Huh. Never noticed that before.

[Critical]

Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis from ToM.

[Curmudgeon]

Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis from ToM.

That's the one that grants the Dark Creature Template, giving you the suckiest version of Hide in Plain Sight: you've still got to supply cover/concealment, and won't ever have HiPS outside in daytime.

[Mongoose87]

Wizards get Greater Invisibility at level 9. I wish they'd just given all rogues HiPS around then, and made the various PrCs improve on it.

[Curmudgeon]

Greater Invisibility is a 4th level spell, so Wizards can cast it when they hit level 7.

[Ranger Mattos]

The good versions of Hide in Plain Sight are expensive to obtain. That's pretty annoying if you're playing a Rogue, who's both feat-starved and in serious need of HiPS. One thing worth noting if you go the Shadowdancer route is that you'll get better return for you investment if you also take Spring Attack as your next feat; that way you get both HiPS and a useful feat for the same prerequisites. So you'll make full attacks (with -20 to your Hide check while attacking) against most enemies, but those with good Spot checks you can instead hit via Spring Attack, and then Hide while moving with no penalty.

Actually, that sounds good. The problem with this is that it would take up 4 out of my 7-9 feats, and you already mentioned, rogues are feat-starved already.

[lsfreak]

Actually, that sounds good. The problem with this is that it would take up 4 out of my 7-9 feats, and you already mentioned, rogues are feat-starved already.

Three of your feats. You can get Mobility via an armor enhancement (MIC). Spring Attack isn't necessary either, simply helpful - TWF, Weapon Finesse, Darkstalker, Craven, Shadow Blade, and Savvy Rogue would probably be my feat choices before taking Spring Attack, but it would depend on how the campaign progresses.

[Jarian]

Not directly an answer to your question, but closely related.

If you play a race with Darkvision, you can take a level of Warlock or Dragonfire Adept, grabbing the Darkness invocation, and take the Blend Into Shadows feat from Drow of the Underdark.

You can hide, even while observed, as a swift action while within ten feet of an area of darkness. If you want to play with fire, you can try casting Darkness on a coin which you then put in your backpack, blocking LoE. You're still within 10ft of an area of Darkness, but you won't suffer the penalties of concealment. Otherwise, either take the At Home In the Deep feat to see in magical darkness, or drop the coin a ways before hiding.

[Curmudgeon]

Here's how to make the poor Dark Creature HiPS work for you:

1. Get a Cleric to cast Deeper Darkness on the tip of your rapier. The spell lasts for days, and when the blade is sheathed the darkness effect is blocked.
2. Pump up your Use Magic Device skill and get a wand of Ebon Eyes (Spell Compendium). This spell lets you see through magical darkness. Trigger the wand on yourself whenever you're going into a suspect area.

You've now got the concealment required by Hide whenever you draw your weapon, and Hide in Plain Sight takes care of the other Hide requirement; you're good to become visually undetectable. But Ebon Eyes keeps you from being impaired by the concealment yourself, so you can still deal out sneak attacks.

[monkey3]

Not really an answer to the question, but what about a Ring of Invisibility; yours for the low low price of 20k (comes in a nice gift box).

[dextercorvia]

Ring of Blinking beats Invs. since they are still denied their dex bonus even if they can see you. Combine with a Ghosttouch weapon for no miss chance.

[balistafreak]

That's the one that grants the Dark Creature Template, giving you the suckiest version of Hide in Plain Sight: you've still got to supply cover/concealment, and won't ever have HiPS outside in daytime.

What is this?

So you're willowy by day and hourglass by night?

/tangent

[Curmudgeon]

Ring of Blinking beats Invs. since they are still denied their dex bonus even if they can see you. Combine with a Ghosttouch weapon for no miss chance.

That doesn't work. A ghost touch weapon "counts as either corporeal or incorporeal at any given time, whichever is more beneficial to the wielder."

You “blink” back and forth between the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane.

You're confusing ethereal and incorporeal, which are two different things. Ethereal creatures are also incorporeal, but being ethereal puts you on a different plane of existence. A ghost touch weapon can't cross from one plane to another.

Ghost touch weapons allow corporeal wielders to strike incorporeal targets (and manifested ghosts) with no miss chance. They also allow manifested ghosts to make normal attacks (not incorporeal touch attacks) against targets on the Material Plane.

[2xMachina]

That's the one that grants the Dark Creature Template, giving you the suckiest version of Hide in Plain Sight: you've still got to supply cover/concealment, and won't ever have HiPS outside in daytime.

Shadows give concealment though. (Though you need to get a Ring of the Dark hidden for it to work on darkvision people.)

So, stay out of full daylight, and you got your hide.

[Curmudgeon]

Shadows give concealment though. (Though you need to get a Ring of the Dark hidden for it to work on darkvision people.)

So, stay out of full daylight, and you got your hide.

Sometimes. The shadows have to be big enough to give concealment to a whole square, and you've got to be in that square. And if the shadows also give concealment to your target you can't get any sneak attack damage.