I am interested/researching the benefits of using the animal skin hex
Effect: The witch can become any animal of a size from Tiny to Large whose skin she wears. This ability is similar to beast shape II, except she takes on the appearance of the specific individual from which the skin came.
My understanding is, as a hex it takes a standard action to polymorph using this effect. What I want to know is, what action does it take to end the effect?
I presume it follows the rules of the spell.
"(D) Dismissible: If the duration line ends with “(D),” you can dismiss the spell at will. You must be within range of the spell’s effect and must speak words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell’s verbal component. If the spell has no verbal component, you can dismiss the effect with a gesture. Dismissing a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity." CRB pg. 216
Is there any way of making it 'fleeting'? AKA faster than a standard action
There is a back door way around this if your race is Kitsune. While polymorphed you get to choose if a new polymorph effect affects you or not (unless the specific effect precludes this). That means that you can use the Kitsune change shape ability to change to human or Kitsune form and end the previous polymorph effect at the same time. The Kitsune alternate racial trait Fast Shifter lets you change shape as a move action. The feat Swift Kitsune Shapechanger can reduce this to a swift action. The feat Vulpine Pounce allows you to change shape into Kitsune form, charge, and make a full attack all in the same round.
Advice: Class Guides and search the Advice Forum for "best witch build" etc.
Except I am not playing a Witch, I am designing a Sylvan Trickster