Entry Last Update: 05/14/2001
Description: Hiding is the ability to move out of sight.
Who Can Learn It: Anyone can learn Hiding.
What It is Supposed to Do: Allow you to hide from view.
What it Does: Allows you to "move into the shadows" so that you can not be seen via a LOOK. Once hidden, you can still be found if someone SEARCHing finds you, or if you do something that would reveal your presence. Hiding appears 99% implemented at this time (there are rumors that, eventually, people with extremely high levels of hiding will be able to hide during combat).
Activation: Hide.
Usefulness (Low Levels): Low. It is hard to hide at low levels, and you will fail more often than not.
Usefulness (Mid-Levels): Moderate. You can usually hide when you want, in almost any condition other than combat.
Usefulness (High Levels): Low. You will be almost impossible to find when someone searches the room at this level of training.
How to Practice: Hide, hide, hide! Hiding is best practiced in a dark room with as few other people in it as possible (the more people, the more delay and the harder it is to hide). To "reveal" yourself once hidden, you can do many commands. My favorite is just a single ' that can be done at any time.
Tips: You will be more successful when attempting to hide in a dark room than one that is lit. You can not use the HIDE command while you have a torch readied, though the blending spells and hide prayers can do it for you. A thief with 15 or more levels of Edged Weapons that attacks from hiding with a short, sharp weapon will do additional damage (this move is called a "backstab" by most).
Unconfirmed Rumors (May or May Not Be True): Supposedly, hiding during combat will be possible in a future version of the game.
Note: Stealth is the "companion" skill to Hiding.