Camouflage Pigmentation

[pathMick]

So the Inventor who goes with armor and has a Subterfuge Suit can take this breakthrough modification:
Camouflage Pigmentation (Subterfuge Suit Only): You’ve modified your armor’s exterior to let you blend into your surroundings with ease, as long as you stay still. While wearing your armor, you can Hide even without cover or concealment, as the pigmentation shifts to match your surroundings.
You’ve modified your armor’s exterior to let you blend into your surroundings with ease, as long as you stay still. While wearing your armor, you can Hide even without cover or concealment, as the pigmentation shifts to match your surroundings.

My problem is the "stay still" part. For how long? an entire round? Part of a round?

My assumption is if you don't break the Hidden condition rules, you'll be able to apply Camouflage Pigmentation. But, it isn't clear if this is the entire turn or just after you take a hide action.

I assume I could attack, attack with MAP, hide (we do all the checks for each enemy) and for those that fail I'm hidden. If that is the case, I'm blinking in and out each round. This seems extremely overpowered (yes I know it isn't automatic) but still, that's a huge defensive advantage when we consider +1 or +2 a big deal tactically. I'm getting DC 11 flat checks, when I succeed at hiding.

Is this the right way to look at this one?

[Squiggit]

Look at the detailed part of the effect. You can Hide even without cover or concealment. Nothing about needing to wait for a certain amount of time without Striding or anything like that or not take certain actions on your turn.

"As long as you stay still" is pointing out that the ability lets you Hide, but not Sneak. Don't overthink it too much.

[Finoan]

'as long as' isn't looking backwards in time. It looks forwards.

So there isn't an amount of time that you have to stay still first before you can use the ability. You can use the ability and then it works for as long as you stay still.

[Captain Morgan]

It's a good ability, but keep in mind 4th rank Invisibility would give you a similar defensive benefit at this level, costing a daily resource instead of a feat and two actions up front vs an action each round. Invisibility also allows sneaking and can be applied to team mates. It also has no chance of failure for Hidden. Monsters tend to have good perception and you won't have a cover bonus like conventional hide checks usually do. Also, making yourself such an undesirable target likely means your allies being focus fired more.

It is a pretty good ability, and might be broken if you are considering a solo character... But PCs almost never fight solo. When you consider your allies, it is fine.