Apologies if there's already a thread on this, but I searched and didn't find anything that could clear this up for me.
In the surprise round, you may take a standard or move action, in addition to a free or swift action (you can take a free action anytime you can take a standard action and a swift action can always replace a free action, unless I'm mistaken).
Dirty tricks are standard actions.
They last one round, assuming the target doesn't cancel them with a move action before the round ends.
How does this work in a surprise round, where not every party may have a chance to act?
Or if, say, the surprise round is just "Orc 'XP' McOrcerson" and "Sneaky Pete, generic rogue."
Ole' Pete sneaks up on McOrcerson, and sneak attacks, beginning the surprise round. Orcerson wasn't awake of Pete and so doesn't get to act. The both roll initiative and regular rounds begin.
What if, instead of an actual attack, Sneaky Pete had used a dirty trick to say, blind our unsuspecting young orc?
Does the effect in with the surprise round? Or continue until the orc's first turn in the regular round? Or Pete's?