Boots of Elvenkind 5e: Silent Steps and Advantage on Stealth

Boots of Elvenkind are uncommon wondrous boots that don't require attunement. While you wear them your footsteps make no sound on any surface, and you have Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. In the 2014 rules that Advantage only covers checks that rely on moving silently; in the 2024 rules it covers every Stealth check. Free to wear, cheap at 400 GP, and useful to anyone who scouts, they're one of the easiest items to hand a rogue, ranger or monk.

Table of Contents

• •Boots of Elvenkind Rules Text
• •How the Boots of Elvenkind Work
• •Boots of Elvenkind: 2014 vs 2024
• •Are Boots of Elvenkind Worth It?
• •Boots of Elvenkind for DMs
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Boots of Elvenkind Rules Text

The 2024 card drops the 2014 limit "that rely on moving silently," and that cut is the whole difference between the editions.

How the Boots of Elvenkind Work

Silent footsteps, always on

The first benefit needs no roll. Your steps make no sound, whether you cross gravel, a creaking floor or a sheet of ice. Your armor, your voice and anything you knock over still make noise; the boots only cover your steps. Wearing them takes nothing but putting them on, and you can only wear one pair of footwear at a time.

Advantage on Stealth: 2014 vs 2024

In the 2024 rules you have Advantage on every Dexterity (Stealth) check. To hide with the 2024 Hide action you need a DC 15 Stealth check while out of any enemy's line of sight and either Heavily Obscured or behind Three-Quarters or Total Cover. A character with +5 to Stealth succeeds on a 10 or higher, 55 percent of the time; with Advantage, about 80 percent. A success gives you the Invisible condition while hidden.

In the 2014 rules the Advantage only applies to checks that rely on moving silently: sneaking down a corridor past a guard post, creeping up on a sleeping camp, crossing a room behind someone's back. DM ruling, not rules text: a Stealth check made while you move counts; a check to stay unseen while you stand still in the shadows, where the danger is being seen rather than heard, doesn't.

Heavy armor cancels it

Armor marked with Stealth Disadvantage, such as chain mail or plate, gives Disadvantage on Stealth checks in both editions. Advantage and Disadvantage on the same roll cancel out, whatever their number, so a fighter in plate with these boots rolls one d20. That is still a big upgrade for a fighter who wants to scout.

Stacking with Pass without Trace

Pass without Trace adds +10 to Stealth checks for you and nearby allies. A bonus and Advantage are different things, so both apply. A booted rogue with +7 Stealth under the spell rolls at +17 with Advantage, so even a 1 on both dice totals 18 and beats a DC 15 Hide check.

Boots and the Cloak of Elvenkind

The Cloak of Elvenkind is the matching item, and the two don't share a body slot, so you can wear both.

• •In 2014 they complement each other. With its hood up, the cloak gives Advantage on Stealth checks made to hide and Disadvantage on Perception checks made to see you; the boots cover checks that rely on moving silently. A check that is both still gets only one Advantage.
• •In 2024 the Advantage overlaps. Both items give Advantage on all Stealth checks, and a roll can't have Advantage twice. The cloak still adds Disadvantage on Perception checks made to perceive you, so it is the stronger item, but it needs attunement and the boots don't.

Boots of Elvenkind: 2014 vs 2024

The 2024 boots are strictly better: no judgment calls about whether a check involves moving, and they now help with the 2024 Hide action.

Are Boots of Elvenkind Worth It?

Yes for scouts, and they don't cost an attunement slot, so there's no competition with a Cloak of Protection or anything else. Rogues often take Expertise in Stealth; the boots turn a good roll into a reliable one. Rangers and monks scout and benefit the same way. A cleric or fighter in heavy armor gets less out of them, since the armor's Disadvantage eats the Advantage.

Where they compete is the boot slot. Boots of Speed, Winged Boots and Boots of Striding and Springing all need the same feet. A character who rarely sneaks wants movement; a scout wants these.

Boots of Elvenkind for DMs

Where they turn up. Uncommon, so an early hoard or a city shop. The 2024 SRD values them at 400 GP. The 2014 SRD has no prices. Try the magic item generator if you want a variant with its own look and history.

What they change. Stealth stops being a coin flip for the party's scout. If an adventure depends on the party sneaking past something, expect it to work. Plan for what the scout sees, not whether they get caught.

Running silent steps. The boots don't stop noise from armor, voices or opened doors. When a check fails, describe what made the sound, so the player knows it wasn't their feet.

Hooks.

• •A pair of the boots is found on the feet of a dead burglar inside a locked vault, along with everything he came to steal. Something in the vault didn't need to hear him.
• •A guild of thieves pays well for these boots and asks no questions. The guild's last buyer went missing a week ago.
• •The boots were made for an elf whose descendants want them back, and they are willing to trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Boots of Elvenkind require attunement?

No. They are uncommon wondrous items with no attunement in either edition, so anyone can wear them.

Do Boots of Elvenkind give Advantage on all Stealth checks?

In the 2024 rules, yes. In the 2014 rules, only on Stealth checks that rely on moving silently.

Do Boots of Elvenkind stack with the Cloak of Elvenkind?

You can wear both. In 2014 they cover different kinds of Stealth check. In 2024 both give Advantage on Stealth, which doesn't stack, but the cloak still imposes Disadvantage on Perception checks to perceive you.

Do Boots of Elvenkind work in heavy armor?

Yes, but armor that gives Disadvantage on Stealth cancels the Advantage, leaving a normal roll. The footsteps stay silent.

How much are Boots of Elvenkind worth?

400 GP under the 2024 SRD, the value of an uncommon item. The 2014 SRD gives no prices.

Item text: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Analysis, rulings and ideas are Loreify's own.