Distraction-based character?

[Calybos1]

I've got a player who's very timid about learning game mechanics; she almost always goes with a straight fighter type.

Now, for Pathfinder (first-timer), she's finally branching out a bit. She decided to make a 1st-level bard, and she wants to use spells like Ghost Sound and Ventriloquism to 'distract' the bad guys in combat so her teammates get an advantage.

I want to encourage this, but I'm not sure how to handle 'combat distraction' effects mechanically. Any suggestions? (This is a non-PFS game.)

[Better_with_Bacon]

I'd be flexible about what counts for 'aid another'

Things like daze, flare, etc can provide rough guidelines for what 'distracted' might be.

A bard is great for buffing the party, so get them on board with that role.

Very Respectfully,
--Bacon

[Experiment 626]

She's going to be MVP in no time.

The "adopted: helpful" trait seems to be a natural fit if she wants to aid others a lot.

Eventually she might want to grab the arcane strike feat as well as these gloves. Swift Aid is also a great feat but it competes with Arcane Strike.

She can also rock that bardic proficiency with whips & help out by debuffing and repositioning foes with combat maneuvers, use a wand of CLW for out of combat healing, and the various "finale" and "inspiration" spells at appropriate times. Toss a few pages of spell knowledge her way so she can use those when needed, and maybe an ioun stone with the Guidance cantrip to help with her schtick.

[Wrong John Silver]

The uses of Ghost Sound and Ventriloquism sound like Feint checks to me. I'd say Aid Another is a good way to run things, and Feint is another.

She might be interested in the Dirty Trick combat maneuver, as well.

[blackbloodtroll]

Illusion Magic sounds like the way to go here.

[Dieben]

MVP material indeed.
Illusions, feinting, dirty tricks, maneuvers, and so forth, take your pick.

[Calybos1]

Sounds good... the other party members are a paladin, ranger, monk, and rogue, so she's trying a 'stay back and help/distract' approach for her warrior-type allies.

(Yes, that means she's also the only caster at 1st level.)

[Ascalaphus]

I'd often run it as a Charisma check to Aid Another something the other PC is trying to do.

It takes a bit of GM goodwill to do this; the rules are vague, but it's obvious that with bard cantrips this is doable. Ghost Sound makes noise equal to CL x 4 people; that's a lot of noise. "Threatening" someone with a dagger levitated with Mage Hand should certainly draw some looks, even if Mage Hand is too weak to actually strike for damage. These things can obviously distract, but we have few rules for them.

They might give a significant bonus to (and be considered the necessary Standard Action to):

- Demoralize (Intimidation)
- Feint (Bluff)
- Aid Another (Charisma-check based)

Also, with good illusions and Bluff, she might get an enemy to blow an AoO on something that's not real, allowing other PCs to seize the opportunity to do provocative stuff without retribution.

[Calybos1]

And she's really counting heavily on Ventriloquism (one of her two 1st-level spells, the other being CLW) to be Highly Effective in Combat. I need to figure out a way to make that happen. Maybe some sort of Perform check to convince enemies there's an invisible foe nearby and waste actions trying to locate/attack it?'

[Ascalaphus]

I think Bluff is the appropriate skill for most uses of distraction, with the spell providing either an opportunity where none existed before, or a substantial bonus to the check, as appropriate.

Of course, a bard might use Versatile Performance for that Bluff check.

It's hard to produce good rules for these situations in general; depends a lot on the monsters and your player's creativity. Try to see the distraction from the monsters' point of view and act on that.

[Calybos1]

She's showing good instincts so far--using Knowledge(nature) to decide on a raptor cry to frighten giant spiders or bats, a distant distress-howl to distract attacking wolves, etc.

[The Countess]

Sounds like you have a valuable player! I honestly welcome the thinkers in my games. Make sure she knows all of her options and doesn't end up a one trick pony.