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I was hoping to get some clarification on stealth from the Beginner's Box. My player is trying to go from a non stealth to a stealth state. We figured it out like this. He rolls Bluff as a free action vs.opponents perception. He succeeds and then makes a stealth check as part of his movement. He then attacks as his standard action. Is this all correct?
It is... complicated. Even the full rules are confusing and in need of a serious review.
So, if you're standing in front of a guard and want to sneak attack him while he is staring at you, there's not much you can do with stealth. You are being observed, thus you cannot use stealth.
You can use bluff to create a diversion, but that won't let you get a stealth check and then a sneak attack; it would let you duck into some bushes or behind/under a wagon, so that when the guard turns back around, you are no longer standing there (having to quickly duck behind/under/inside/over/whatever something means -10 on the stealth check). Assuming this check works, you are now in concealment/cover and thus can be considered stealthed for the next round. Of course, don't be surprised if you duck behind the only barrel in the courtyard that the guard knows where you probably went.
Now, you can use bluff to feint in combat:
You can also use Bluff to feint in combat, causing your opponent to be denied his Dexterity bonus to his AC against your next attack. 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. For more information on feinting in combat, see Combat.
Action: Feinting in combat is a standard action.
Retry? Yes. You can attempt to feint against someone again if you fail.
This is likely what the player is imagining would be done. Distract the guard, then stab him. The next round. Because it takes time to distract someone.
The rules are complicated because the situations are quite varied and full of situational nuances. It is worth noting that you generally want to avoid allowing a player to go from "standing in front of a guard" to "surprising the guard with a stab in the back" in the same round for reasons related to overpowered actions... or at least the game rules are generally balanced against doing such things.
In the end, do what seems reasonable and fun for you and the player.
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The rules are a bit fuzzy in this area. There's lots of room for GM prerogative. If you as GM think it seems reasonable, let it work. Boring7 is right that Bluff usually requires a standard action, but that only applies once combat has started, which it has not.
If this trick works perfectly the character might get BOTH a suprise round AND a sneak attack. If it only sorta works then one or the other. If it fails completely then ... up to the GM.
Lots of GM discretion on this one. Make it fun :-)
Thank you everyone. This clarifies quite a bit.
I'd add that being clear on the details of the area and scenario are very important as well. The presence of any cover/concealment in the area can change things drastically; the bluff check may not actually be needed. Especially since the introduction of the Stealth errata concerning breaking stealth.