Move Silently

Moving silently enables the ranger to move with a minimum of sound, almost as if he's walking on air. Even creatures with the sharpest ears are no more likely to detect his presence than they are to hear a feather drop. The ability works equally well in icy mountains, heavily wooded forests, or any other type of wilderness terrain.

Getting from place to place without being heard is only the most obvious application of this ability. Other uses include:

• Sneaking up on one or more opponents in order to surprise them.
• Examining the contents of a cart or a cabinet by removing the objects one by one, then replacing them in silence. (However, silent movement applies to the character's actions only; therefore, this ability would not negate the sound of a squeaking cabinet door or rusty hinge of a trunk.)
• Change armor or clothes.
• Other actions the DM allows, such as restringing a bow, or cutting a slit in the back of a tent.

The Ranger Thief Abilities article provides the base chance for moving silently, modified by the variables also listed in this article. If the ranger attempts to move silently inside a building or in any other non-wilderness area, his modified score is halved. Other restrictions:

• He can move no faster than 1/3 his normal movement rate when moving silently.
• He can't be observed when attempting to use this ability (moving silently isn't of much use to a ranger who's being watched).
• If he draws attention to himself either intentionally (speaking) or inadvertently (sneezing), the effects of moving silently are immediately negated.

The DM rolls percentile dice as soon as the ranger makes an attempt to move silently. If the roll exceeds the ranger's move silently score, he is as likely to be heard as any other character moving in the same terrain; snapping a twig or kicking a pebble may draw the attention of NPCs or creatures.

If the roll is less than or equal to the ranger's move silently score, he is able to move without sound. He continues to move silently until the terrain changes (for instance, if he enters an area of pebbles, shallow water, or dried leaves), or he attempts a new action that affects his ease of movement (such as carrying an unconscious companion or a large jug of sloshing water). Any such change requires a new roll.