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Does the Hidden condition (a detection state) also considers that you have any sort of Concealment (a visibility state)?

The reason for this question is that the Create a Diversion action makes you Hidden until the end of the turn, this allows you to Sneak (which requires you to be Hidden). The Sneak action also requires that you finish the move with Cover or Concealment from a creature to have an effect, otherwise you become automatically Observed to that creature. Since you are Hidden until the end of the turn, does Hidden fulfills this requirement for Concealment?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I think this is a case of specific trumps general, but I haven't been able to determine which one is which. \$\endgroup\$
    – WeirdFrog
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 20:11

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No

From the text of the hidden condition:

While you're hidden from a creature, that creature knows the space you're in but can't tell precisely where you are. You typically become hidden by using Stealth to Hide. When Seeking a creature using only imprecise senses, it remains hidden, rather than observed. A creature you're hidden from is flat-footed to you, and it must succeed at a DC 11 flat check when targeting you with an attack, spell, or other effect or it fails to affect you. Area effects aren't subject to this flat check.

A creature might be able to use the Seek action to try to observe you.

Concealment is never stated explicitly to be granted to a hidden creature, so they do not get concealment.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ That was my rationale, but some people were very angry regarding the usage of Hidden from Create a Diversion to be able to Sneak out in the open, saying that Hidden is like "Concealment improved", but that doesn't make much sense to me, since one is a detection state and the other a visibility state. \$\endgroup\$
    – Luiz Borges
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 21:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ Do note that on a failure to Sneak, they still remain hidden, and there is an argument to be made that the Hidden from Create a Diversion still works on a critical failure to Sneak; this could allow them to "double Sneak" to get away, for example, since they'd presumably have 2 actions left after creating a diversion. \$\endgroup\$
    – ESCE
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 22:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ But would you allow them to Sneak to someplace without Cover/Concealment? According to Sneak rules that would make them automatically Observed. Also, I don't think that the critical failure effect is changed by the Create a Diversion, since there are many ways to be Observed when Create a Diversion in active (a Seek action that was a Ready, an action outside Step/Sneak, etc). \$\endgroup\$
    – Luiz Borges
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 23:17
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    \$\begingroup\$ Only if they ended their series of Sneaks in a place with cover or concealment. But that's the realm of GM discretion and GM rulings, and would be against what the rules say. \$\endgroup\$
    – ESCE
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 23:23

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