Failing stealth check feedback.

[Caster13]

When you get detected in stealth.
It's impossible to figure out if it was your hide or your move silently skill that failed, isn't it?
It is.

This, personally, bothers me. But now that I think about it, I think it is, also, in a way, unfair to players who should be able to determine whether it is their hide or their move silently skill checks which fail them when they are detected in stealth.

First of all, it's realistic. Try to sneak up or around a person and you can easily tell how they detect you. If you step on a twig, their reaction to the snapping sound is visible in how they turn their heads to look around. If they spot you, eye contact is a big give away but as the person consciously trying to hide in the shadows, you can likely realize yourself whether a light falls on you or how others react to your movements.

Next, I think the feedback in knowing how one failed their stealth check can be a great learning experience for the player and character. It allows the player to know where they need to improve. But it also allows the player to learn something about the creatures/monsters they try to sneak around. How sharp are the eyes of an island leopard? How good is the hearing of a mist ogre? If players get feedback on their failed stealth checks, they can answer these questions and learn from them, making them better stealthers not in terms of their actual skills, but in terms of their intellect and understanding of those they want to stealth around.

To solve this problem, I think scripted dialogue triggered by the monster rolling successful spot or listen checks are a viable solution. For example, if you're trying to sneak around an orc:

"Ugu bugu! Dids you hears dat?"
"[Points with a grin finger before letting out a war cry and charging!] Raaargh!"

Ogres?

"[The ogres thick, hairy brow frowns as its eyes focus]"
"Duh? What's that noise?"

Island cats!

"[The cat perks up its ears and begins looking around before stalking towards you]"
"[The cat's narrow eyes lock onto its prey]"

And so on. I'm unsure as to whether or not it's possible to script something like this, so I can't comment on that factor, but if it is, I'd greatly appreciate the DMs considering this!

[ExileStrife]

I don't think it makes very much sense to know when you've been spotted...

If you were playing hide and seek, but you somehow knew the other guy knew where you were, it would silly!

[Letsplayforfun]

Although i see a logic to this OP, this kind of log feedback will be used to reinforce mechanics calculation by people such as me myself and i, so i'm pretty much not in favor of this.

Just like persuade/bluff/intimidate skills on nps shouldn't send back a feedback, too, imo, and even saves if that was possible.

[Caster13]

I'm not suggesting that any dice rolls are revealed to the player. Just a reaction from monsters indicating whether its their ears or their eyes reacting to the detected stealth person.

[Mort]

That would kill some of the thrill!

Bad!

Bad!

Did that Mist Ogre move because it smelled me and I should run for my life? Or did he move on its own.