Vision & Focus
Vision
Vision: Many features in these rules rely on seeing something happen. In combat, track and attend to the direction you look. Using miniatures on battlemaps works well for this, but any small thing that discernibly points any direction will do.
Field of View: There are four different fields of view that apply to creatures and objects that have vision:
- Narrow: Those with a narrow field of view only properly see what's happening within a Cone in front of them. This field of view is most common for objects such as mechanical or magical sensors, but some creatures may use it, too.
- Wide: Those with a wide view are just barely unable to properly see what's happening 90 degrees to their left and right, and don't see anything further than that. This field of view is used for most creatures, including all Humanoids, creatures whose shape resembles that of Humanoids, and Beasts that are predators. When nothing is said about the field of view of a creature, it uses a wide one.
- Extended: Those with an extended field of view are only unable to properly see what's happening within a Cone behind them. This field of view is most common for Beasts that are prey and creatures that resemble prey.
- Complete: Those with a complete field of view are able to properly see what's happening in every direction. This field of view is rare and most of the time unnatural. Some Aberrations and Monstrosities use it, and some objects are equipped with it.
Out of View: When you are outside of another creatures or objects field of view, it treats you as if you had the Invisible condition.
Focus
Focus: You usually have something within your perception that you primarily attend to - this is what you focus on. You automatically switch focus to a creature or object when targeting them with a single-target spell, attack, or other effect. You can only focus on one target at a time.
As long as you are focused on a target, you can rotate with the target's movement, if needed, to keep that target within your sight. This way, for example, a Humanoid can save their back from another creature’s attacks, allowing them to react to their attacks.
Switch Focus: At the end of your turn, you can switch Focus to any creature that you perceive. Otherwise, you can use a Free Reaction or Reaction to Focus a creature that you notice moving towards you or doing something near you.
Losing Focus: You lose Focus if you receive the Incapacitated condition or when you lose the ability to perceive the target of your Focus.
A creature that you Focus may also make you lose Focus by applying the charmed or frightened condition to you, by successfully hiding behind total cover, or by spontaneously becoming unperceived by you (for example through invisibility or teleportation).
Escape Focus: To escape a creature's Focus, you can take a Bonus Action, making a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the creature's passive perception, and use your movement to leave their vision. On a success, the creature loses Focus, on a failure, they can turn to keep their Focus and you in their vision.
This can, for example, be used to be able to attack the back of a Humanoid that previously focused their vision on you, making sure they can't react to your attack.
Draw Focus: You can force other creatures to Switch Focus by drawing their attention to yourself, another creature or something else. This may occur as a side-effect of anything you do that is sufficiently noticeable, at the mercy of the player controlling the respective creature whose Focus is to be drawn.
If a creature does take notice and the controlling player decides it would be plausible that their creatures Focus could be drawn, the creature may make a Concentration check to resist having to Switch Focus. The Difficulty Class of this check is determined by the controlling player and the drawing player in a way that should be plausible for whatever was done to attempt drawing attention.
Example Scenarios
A Halfling cutthroat is looking to take out a Human guard they lead into an alley. They are currently looking at another, and the guard charges forward to strike. To escape the guards focus, the nimble cutthroat swiftly maneuvers around the guard, using their Bonus Action to make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against 13, the guard’s passive perception. They succeed and stand behind the disoriented guard’s back, able to attack the guard without them being able to react.
A Bard attempts to draw the attention of a bloodthirsty Gnoll that prioritizes the weak. They attempt to do so by faking a scream of pain and acting hurt & vulnerable. The DM controlling the Gnoll may decide that the attempt is automatically successful and make the Gnoll Switch Focus to the Bard - they might also decide that the Gnoll might try to resist (for a reason) and roll a Concentration check contested by a Charisma (Performance) check by the Bard, only switching the Gnolls Focus if they lose the contest - they might also decide that the attempt automatically fails (for a reason).