How do I use the Underhanded rogue talent? Is there a feat, weapon property, or some other ability that allows me to draw a concealed weapon and attack with it in a surprise round?
Spring Loaded Wrist Sheaths. Useful for light weapons such as daggers, but not much else. Or you could take quickdraw and use Underhanded as an initiator.
Say you are talking to a lone guard who is refusing you access to the Wizard's Tower of Doom. Have your short-sword sheathed, then when diplomacy isn't working, whip out the sword as a free action and stab him suddenly.
1. Ask the GM if the character using the talent being Invisible/stealth'd counts as the weapon being concealed. IMO it should.
2. Bandit Archetype + Quick Draw or Hidden Weapons Ninja Trick.
3. Spring Loaded Wrist Sheaths*
4. Sword Cane*
*Check to make sure the GM will allow a swift action in the surprise round, they probably should as you can take a swift action any time you could take a free action. If not you can combine the sword cane with Quick Draw.
If you get a surprised round from say, an ambush, would you qualify as having a concealed weapon?
How often do you usually see surprise rounds, since this only applies on a surprise round?
If you get a surprised round from say, an ambush, would you qualify as having a concealed weapon?
I suppose so - a weapon can't be more concealed than when the whole bearer is hidden.
Another option is the Power of Suggestion trait, for a weapon that's hidden in plain sight.
First, in the game I run, I see Surprise rounds constantly--probably averaging once per session--and the ambusher's are just as often the PCs as the NPCs, possibly even more often. In fact, I would say the party's ninja has dealt more sneak attack damage from attacking people before they act than from flanking.
On the other hand, in the game I'm PCing, in, I've seen only two surprise rounds so far, and we're now on the fourth book of an adventure path.
Second, Quickdraw lets you draw a weapon as a swift action, and you are allowed to take a swift action during the surprise round normally.
The rogue talent on the page right before it lets you hold weapons while hiding them.
Deft Palm (Ex): A rogue with this talent can make a Sleight of Hand check to conceal a weapon while holding it in plain sight, even while she is being observed.
This should work too, as nothing says you can't "palm" the weapon well before the actual surprise round.
Quickdraw does not let you draw a *concealed* weapon as a free action.
Thank you all for the creative solutions.
In my opinion the most certain solution is the Ambush ability of the Bandit archetype coupled with either the Quick Draw feat, a wrist sheath, or the Hidden Weapons ninja trick. None of the other solutions mentioned explicitly allow you to draw a concealed weapon as anything less than a move action.
I will take to heart the suggestions that a weapon unseen is as good as concealed in the case of things like the power of suggestion, invisibility, and stealth. I also am in favor of the sword cane, bladed scarf, and prehensile hair functioning well with this rogue talent.
Thanks again.
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There's also the Shadowstrike sorcerer bloodline power. I'd say that counts as concealed.
It's got acceptable rogue synergy, too; Skill Focus (Stealth) -> Eldritch Heritage (Shadow Bloodline) isn't the worst price to pay. You get 3+ touch attacks per day, which help make sure that the Underhanded attack actually hits.
All you sneaky backstabbers go get a rag. You're about to drool all over this post.
Your training allows you to pick pockets, draw hidden weapons, and take a variety of actions without being noticed.
Also,
Drawing a hidden weapon is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.
However,
When you use this skill under close observation, your skill check is opposed by the observer's Perception check. The observer's success doesn't prevent you from performing the action, just from doing it unnoticed.
So from this we get that you can have a weapon concealed on your person before you approach a target, say in your boot for example.
Then approach the target, say casually walking up to the towns lone gate guard.
Then make a slight of hand check and assuming you beat the targets (in this case, the guard) perception check, draw the weapon out and in your hand completely undetected and avoid a surprise round initiation at this point. To continue the the example, once you get near the guard you check your boot to see if that smell is something you stepped in (slip out the dagger or what ever here). Ok, so the guard didn't see the dagger come out and now you are standing there with a dagger in hand while he watches others come and go, or nods back off to sleep or what ever he was doing.
Then you can Initiate the surprise round by slamming the dagger into his temple which I can tell you, would surprise me. At this point, your Underhanded talent kicks off and your guards head becomes perforated and depending if you're high enough level or in a James Bond film perhaps he will tumble down the cliff and explode.
Tadah! Skills, who'd of thunk it?
Why not? You've taken measures to ensure the target hasn't seen the dagger, he doesn't know it's in your hand. It's still concealed from him. Can you find anywhere that says a concealed weapon has to be "sheathed"? What if I have a dagger in my hand that's just covered with a fold of my robe? Or with a long sleeve? It's concealed from view, yet still ready to use.
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If you can take Regional traits, another option is "On-Guard":
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Initiative checks, and if you are able to act during the surprise round of an encounter, you can draw a weapon (but not a potion or magic item) as a free action during that round.
Surprise round, Free draw weapon, stab/bash/shoot, deal max sneak.