I was wondering if stealth was used in the combat (like slipping away or with an obstacle), or somebody was using stealth to sneak up to one person, how would perception checks work? Who would get to roll and what would be the action be considered as? Immediate or as a move action?
If one person in the party spots the person but not the target of a sneak attack, would the sneak attack still work?
stealth in combat can be done several ways.
1. talents like "hide in plain sight" from Ultimate Combat and "stealthy sniper" (advanced player's guide) make it possible, you can fire from a range of at least 10 feet with some sort of cover/obstacle to hide behind without stealthy sniper, but you incur a -20 penalty to your stealth. The hide in plain sight suggests you can hide w/o any cover even while observed, and without penalty. Whether this includes enemies attacked or not is questionable.
2. something as simple as dim light can provide the conditions favorable to hide in and you could still get in the sneak attack as long as you have darkvision. this can be accomplished with a simple darkness spell so long as the light conditions are no more than normal light to begin with. (there are feats that still allow sneak attacks against opponents with miss chance due to concealment if you don't have darkvision and don't want to spring for goggles of night)
3. Invisibility offers a huge bonus to stealth. It also gives total concealment. Greater Invisibility would be necessary to continue fighting with stealth.
4. you can perform a bluff check opposed by the opponents sense motive to create a diversion giving you the opening you need to go hide after stabbing someone.
just remember that making the stealth check would be a move action in any case allowing for no more than one attack in any given round, generally speaking. And yes, as long as the target of your attack doesn't see you, you get sneak attack even if someone else can see you unless they have some ability that can remove his current flat footed condition. stick and move
Stealthy Sniper is a rogue talent and it doesn´t technically allow you to hide in plain sight. It "only" lifts the penalty for sniping from -20 to -10. Sniping is one shot and then hiding as a move action versus a perception check.
In general stealth is versus a perception check.
You can not hide in bright or normal light normally too, thats why you need dim light.
With skill focus stealth and hellcat stealth you can hide in daylight even if observed with a -10 penalty. Great feat.
There is a halfling racial trait swift as shadows that lifts sniping penalty another -10 and the penalty for moving at more than half speed while stealthed for 5. With the rogue talent stealthy sniper and a halfling with this trait and skill focus stealth and hellcat stealth you could make a character that can snipe in bright light at a penalty of -10 and move at full speed with stealth.
For halfling there are some great feats for slings and the halfling slingstaff with 80 feet range increment.
4. is called feinting and you can take some extra feats for it.
The answer of your last question depends.
The sneak attack would still work. The person who spotted the attacker can call out a warning, whats like aid another and eventually the other one can make a second perception check with +2 or something. If it fails he is still surprised. After that the rogue needs flanking or feinting or invisibility or some other condition that denies DEX to AC.
I guess in essence, if one of your friends see the monsters, you don't automatically see it yourself.
By raw, stealth is not particularly useful in combat. Pretty much the only use for it is to gain a surprise round. you hide, you beat someone's perception check, you get a surprise round.
Example, Karl the kobold is hiding behind a barrel in a dungeon. Paul the paladin comes clanking down the steps. Karl gets a 15 on his stealth, Paul gets an 8 on his perception. Karl pops out of hiding and shoots Paul with his crossbow. Surprise round for Karl, then initiative is rolled, and people act in order. Paul is flat footed in the surprise round, and will still be flat footed if Karl wins initiative. If Karl has any rogue levels, that could be very bad for Paul.
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By raw (i don't think its meant to be run this way, so i don't) If paul the paladin comes down the steps while dueling the evil Necromancer Rezum. Karl pops out... Paul is not flat footed, because its not a surprise round, and paul has already acted on his turn in the initiative.
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For getting away, thats tricker. In order to stealth you need
Cover or concealment AND
You need to not be observed.
If you're in combat, you are of course being observed. You either need to get total cover/concealment by running around a corner, into a fog bank, or into a pitch black area. (partial cover/concealment will not prevent you from being observed) OR
You need to make a bluff check (they didn't mention what sort of action this bluff check is) To say "Look! a monkey!" which makes you unobserved, but you still need to get to cover or concealment to hide (and this get a penalty for moving quickly)
I guess in essence, if one of your friends see the monsters, you don't automatically see it yourself.
Right. The point at which your friend says "Look! A Giant tree sloth falling on us!" and you say "Huhwhat?" is a surprise round, with your friend and the sloth acting.
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Scenario:
A melee is occurring in the middle of the road. The enemy stands in the middle, 3 of them. 4 Allies are fighting with them, while two have left the scene of battle and are coming down the road from the other side.
Can stealth be used to sneak up behind those enemies?
Remember: the enemies are in the middle of the road, there is not cover in the road, no obstacles in the road, etc to hide behind.
Stealth is useless in this instance, as there is no facing in melee. Someone can't "stealth" up to the enemy who is in the middle of the road...