Improved Feint + whip + ranged weapon (one handed)=
Assume you start out at ten foot reach of opponent. Snap the whip in opponent's face, roll bluff check, shoot opponent who is now denied dex bonus.
My thought was hand crossbow (Mesmerist), but it would work even better with a Gunslinger, to put Touch AC in toilet. Also, daggers. Quick Draw or rapid reload to keep it going every round.
Assuming Medium opponent with no reach weapon, you should be safe.
Does this work? Legal? Rules are a bit light when it comes to the logistics of a feint.
One weird thing about combat maneuvers (of which feint is not but anyway) is that I don't think there's any rule that says they can't be done at range.
No, it doesn't work.
Alright, let me clarify. Feint will work with any melee weapon. So if you have a melee reach weapon (which works as though it was ranged for purposes of determining cover, etc) it works fine. A bow, or thrown weapon, or gun is straight out though.
Feint
Feinting is a standard action. To feint, make a Bluff skill check. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + your opponent's base attack bonus + your opponent's Wisdom modifier. If your opponent is trained in Sense Motive, the DC is instead equal to 10 + your opponent's Sense Motive bonus, if higher. If successful, the next melee attack you make against the target does not allow him to use his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). This attack must be made on or before your next turn.
When feinting against a nonhumanoid you take a –4 penalty. Against a creature of animal Intelligence (1 or 2), you take a –8 penalty. Against a creature lacking an Intelligence score, it's impossible. Feinting in combat does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Feinting as a Move Action: With the Improved Feint feat, you can attempt a feint as a move action.
Feats can change the number of melee attacks it denies them their dex to AC, or the time required to make a feint. But none of them remove the melee requirement (to my knowledge).
The Fighter Archetype "Archer" gets a special ability to use Combat Maneuvers with the bow:
Trick Shot (Ex)
At 3rd level, an archer can choose one of the following combat maneuvers or actions: disarm, feint, or sunder. He can perform this action with a bow against any target within 30 feet, with a –4 penalty to his CMB. Every four levels beyond 3rd, he may choose an additional trick shot to learn. These maneuvers use up arrows as normal.At 11th level, he may also choose from the following combat maneuvers: bull rush, grapple, trip. A target grappled by an arrow can break free by destroying the archer’s arrow (hardness 5, hit points 1, break DC 13) or with an Escape Artist or CMB check (against the archer’s CMD –4).
In my experience if doing something requires a class or special ability, then the "norm" is that it can't be done.