I have a situation where I'm unsure how to proceed.
My players have come up on a mob of people about to accost another person. One of them plans on trying diplomacy to prevent it from happening, while the other (Maestro Sorc) wants to use Beguiling Voice to keep the leader occupied while the other does his diplomacy thing.
My question is: Considering I would think using Beguiling Voice would be considered a hostile act, would the others in the mob realize whats going on and attack?
Feel free to respond with a "By the Rules" answer as well as a "This is what I would do" answer.
BtR: This is one of those "GM call" things. Beguiling voice doesn't do anything to onlookers, so they may or may not understand what is happening. There really isn't any rule about identifying an extraordinary ability as it's being used, probably because (warning: speculation) they vary so much that a blanket rule would hurt the game more than help it.
TiWIWD: I'd require a Bluff vs. Sense Motive contest between the bard and the onlookers, but only if the sorcerer actively tried to hide the nature of the performance.
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It is hostile, but noticing what's going on would be far from automatic. Beguiling Voice as an (Ex) ability has no special components - no magic words or grand gestures - you just talk to someone.
The only thing that would be suspicious would be the leader's reaction to the sorcerer's talking, and for that I think blahpers' suggestion of a Bluff vs Sense Motive is a good one (the sorcerer would be trying to talk in such a way that a dazed response would seem natural).
You could also use the flat DC 20 sense motive for determining when a person is magically Charmed, but I think an opposed check is more fun.