Recently I was discussing with a fellow gamer about this trick you see in movies frequently. The hero needs to get from point A to point B and he throws a stone to make noise and distract the guards from looking his direction. Unfortunately Pathfinder doesn't really have rules for this concept. There is no facing in Pathfinder and the "Bluff to Create a Diversion to Hide" rules don't really cover it.
I have an idea I'm going to try out in our next game and I wanted to get some opinions on it. I was thinking of using the "Bluff to Create a Diversion to Hide" rules and adapting them to "Bluff to Create a Diversion to Move while Stealthing". By making a Bluff check to create a diversion you get to specify two adjacent five foot squares as providing concealment. And for every five points you overcome your target's Sense Motive you could specify one more five foot square to provide concealment.
What does everyone think? Is this too powerful of a use of the Bluff skill? Does it make Bluff too much of a no-brainer skill for stealthy characters? Can the idea be tweaked and refined at all? Or is anyone using a better system? Thanks in advance.
Recently I was discussing with a fellow gamer about this trick you see in movies frequently. The hero needs to get from point A to point B and he throws a stone to make noise and distract the guards from looking his direction. Unfortunately Pathfinder doesn't really have rules for this concept. There is no facing in Pathfinder and the "Bluff to Create a Diversion to Hide" rules don't really cover it.
Actually, it does. RAW: "If your observers are momentarily distracted (such as by a Bluff check), you can attempt to use Stealth. While the others turn their attention from you, you can attempt a Stealth check if you can get to an unobserved place of some kind. This check, however, is made at a –10 penalty because you have to move fast."
Make a Bluff check, and then make a Stealth check at -10, bearing in mind that you need to get to (i.e. end your movement in) cover, so you may need to take another -5 for moving at more than half speed.
My interpretation of that is you have to be observed to use it. That's why it cites your observers. The concept that I had in mind involved being able to move through an area without concealment by creating a diversion. Maybe my interpretation is incorrect.
It only says that there have to be observers, not that they are observing you. After all, if there were no observers you wouldn't need stealth at all. It's simply that they could observe you were you to step out of your current concealment.
In any case, the RAW mechanism works, so I'd go with that.
Besides, the penalty to their perception from not bloody LOOKING at you is a big bonus.
Alternatively you could have your goons just not have points in perception.
Add me to the list of peeps who say you can already do this per raw with the "Bluff to Create a Diversion to Hide" rules. And while it doesn't need to specifically be a stone, that is the most iconic way to do it.