A player is asking if the Wind Stance feat can be used with Stealth. For those not familiar with it, Wind Stance says:
Wind Stance (Combat)
Your erratic movements make it difficult for enemies to pinpoint your location.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Dodge, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: If you move more than 5 feet this turn, you gain 20% concealment for 1 round against ranged attacks.
Now, Concealment says:
Concealment and Stealth Checks: You can use concealment to make a Stealth check. Without concealment, you usually need cover to make a Stealth check.
So, does Wind Stance allow you to use Stealth without the need for cover?
Hyrum.
Except Wind Stance DOESN'T grant "Concealment".
It grants 20% Concealment AGAINST RANGE ATTACKS, i.e. for only that one purpose.
It if it granted Concealment for every purpose, it would just say that it grants Concealment.
Signifigantly, Lightning Stance DOES out-and-out grant real-deal Concealment, so you CAN use Lightning Stance to meet the requirements of using Stealth. But not with Wind Stance's "Concealment against Ranged Attacks".
I don't believe the concealment granted by Wind Stance OR Lightning Stance would ever come into play when attempting Stealth. As Quandary said already Wind Stance doesn't even give you full concealment, but even the concealment from Lightning Stance should not come into play for using Stealth for several reasons.
1) The first and foremost reason that the concealment from Lightning Stance would never come into play for Stealth is the PF lighting rules:
Vision and Light:
In an area of bright light, all characters can see clearly. Some creatures, such as those with light sensitivity and light blindness, take penalties while in areas of bright light. A creature can't use Stealth in an area of bright light unless it is invisible or has cover. Areas of bright light include outside in direct sunshine and inside the area of a daylight spell.
Normal light functions just like bright light, but characters with light sensitivity and light blindness do not take penalties. Areas of normal light include underneath a forest canopy during the day, within 20 feet of a torch, and inside the area of a light spell.
In an area of dim light, a character can see somewhat. Creatures within this area have concealment (20% miss chance in combat) from those without darkvision or the ability to see in darkness. A creature within an area of dim light can make a Stealth check to conceal itself. Areas of dim light include outside at night with a moon in the sky, bright starlight, and the area between 20 and 40 feet from a torch.
In areas of darkness, creatures without darkvision are effectively blinded. In addition to the obvious effects, a blinded creature has a 50% miss chance in combat (all opponents have total concealment), loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, takes a –2 penalty to AC, and takes a –4 penalty on Perception checks that rely on sight and most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks. Areas of darkness include an unlit dungeon chamber, most caverns, and outside on a cloudy, moonless night.
So, the requirements for using Stealth depend greatly on the light conditions of the surrounding area. In bright light or normal light concealment alone is not enough to use Stealth. Instead you must have cover or be invisible by some means. While Lightning Stance does give you total (50%) concealment it does not make you visually undetectable (virtually invisible), you are still quite visible, you are simply moving so fast that you become difficult to target. On the other hand, in dim light and darkness concealment may be used to attempt Stealth. However, in those conditions you already have concealment and therefore don't need to use Lightning Stance to gain concealment.
2) Even if the lighting rules weren't written as they are you should take into consideration the flavor and intention of the feat. I know that flavor doesn't necessarily trump mechanics but it should be considered none the less. The Lightning Stance does grant true concealment but the flavor and intent of the feat isn't that you somehow become harder to visually detect. You are still perfectly visible, you are simply moving so quickly and with such agility that you become extremely difficult to strike. So, while the mechanic is that concealment allows use of Stealth, the intent IMO is that anything making you difficult to visually detect (in most cases these things grant concealment) allow you to use Stealth to avoid being visually detected. As a DM even if the lighting rules weren't as they are I don't think I would allow Lightning Stance for Stealth simply because it doesn't make you harder to see in any way, it just makes you hard to hit because you are moving with a burst of extreme speed.
3) Even if you ignore the lighting rules, ignore that the flavor of the feat doesn't support using it for Stealth, and allow your player to use Lightning Stance to attempt Stealth there are still a couple things that make it an extremely poor tool for achieving Stealth:
3a) You can't use Stealth if you are being observed. Using Bluff in combat to distract your enemy and interupt their observation is a Standard Action. Since the Lightning Stance requires a double move or a withdraw, both of which are full round actions, there is no way to Bluff and then use Lightning Stance. So, if you are being observed there is no way to do this. That leaves starting your full round movement from a Stealth position as the only possible way to take advantage of this source of concealment to even attempt Stealth.
3b) Lightning Stance concealment is only good for 1 round. So, at the end of the round, when you lose concealment you automatically lose Stealth unless you have some other source of cover/concealment by that time.
So, it is a very poor choice for trying to attain Stealth, according to the flavor of the feat it doesn't make sence to use for Stealth, and ultimately the PF lighting rules make it a non-issue. During conditions of bright or normal light it can't be used at all and in conditions of dim light or darkness it is not needed.
Anyhow, since this thread was resurrected,
I might as well say that it demonstrates the need for FAQ/Errata on this issue,
as different sections of the rules more or less contradict each other...
Certainly the Stealth skill itself is pretty problematic:
If people are observing you using any of their senses (but typically sight), you can't use Stealth. Against most creatures, finding cover or concealment allows you to use Stealth.
Which seems to blanket allow all Concealment to work, even though Concealment DOESN`T prevent `observation` AT ALL (they know your location, and can see what actions you take).