Move Silently (Dex; Armor Check Penalty)

Check

Your Move Silently check is opposed by the Listen check of anyone who might hear you. You can move up to one-half your normal speed at no penalty. When moving at a speed greater than one-half but less than your full speed, you take a -5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to move silently while running or charging.

Noisy surfaces, such as bogs or undergrowth, are tough to move silently across. When you try to sneak across such a surface, you take a penalty on your Move Silently check as indicated below.

Surface Check Modifier
Noisy (scree, shallow or deep bog, undergrowth, dense rubble) -2
Very noisy (dense undergrowth, deep snow) -5
Action

None. A Move Silently check is included in your movement or other activity, so it is part of another action.

Special

The master of a cat familiar gains a +3 bonus on Move Silently checks.

A halfling has a +2 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

If you have the Stealthy feat, you get a +2 bonus on Move Silently checks.