Stealth check and 5' step

[thorin001]

Assuming that a character meets the conditions to hide, can a character make the check after taking a 5' step? Or does he actually have to spend a move action to hide?

Check: Your Stealth check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone who might notice you. Creatures that fail to beat your Stealth check are not aware of you and treat you as if you had total concealment. You can move up to half your normal speed and use Stealth at no penalty. When moving at a speed greater than half but less than your normal speed, you take a -5 penalty. It’s impossible to use Stealth while attacking, running, or charging.

If people are observing you using any of their senses (but typically sight), you can’t use Stealth. Against most creatures, finding cover or concealment allows you to use Stealth. If your observers are momentarily distracted (such as by a Bluff check), you can attempt to use Stealth. While the others turn their attention from you, you can attempt a Stealth check if you can get to an unobserved place of some kind. This check, however, is made at a –10 penalty because you have to move fast.

Action: Usually none. Normally, you make a Stealth check as part of movement, so it doesn’t take a separate action. However, using Stealth immediately after a ranged attack (see Sniping, above) is a move action.

[I grok do u]

A 5' step is a "no action"; it limits the ability to make any further movement, but a creature would still have their move action available to hide as per Sniping. Movement may require a stealth check, but a stealth check does not require movement.

[thorin001]

I grok do u wrote:

A 5' step is a "no action"; it limits the ability to make any further movement, but a creature would still have their move action available to hide as per Sniping. Movement may require a stealth check, but a stealth check does not require movement.

So does a 5' step allow a stealth check or not?

[Gruingar de'Morcaine]

As I understand the rules, yes it does.

[Azothath]

Gruingar de'Morcaine
the original poster puts the cart before the horse.
your confusion stems from not reading the fourth & eighth(Action) paragraph of the Skill that describes how/when to use Stealth.
It depends on your 'state of being observed'/observers and then what actions a creature takes that round.
Stealth Skill
Actions in Combat
and {Std actn} You can take a move action in place of a standard action. If you move no actual distance in a round (commonly because you have swapped your move action for one or more equivalent actions), you can take one 5-foot step either before, during, or after the action.
... {Full actn} Some full-round actions do not allow you to take a 5-foot step.
... {Move actn} The simplest move action is moving your speed. If you take this kind of move action during your turn, you can’t also take a 5-foot step.
... Misc. Actions: Take 5-Foot Step {comments} a Misc. Action is not a Move Action.

[Pizza Lord]

thorin001 wrote:

So does a 5' step allow a stealth check or not?

You can make a Stealth check when you move, as part of the movement. If the movement costs a move action or is a free action, you make the check as part of doing it. Note it says movement, not taking a move action. So technically, you could do it for actions that don't move your location but might involve movements, like say when someone's distracted you hop and pivot to face a different direction (for some reason. Obviously if you aren't hidden when they stop being distracted or look back at you they'll see you... just in a different pose). Possibly other movements that don't fall under Sleight of Hand (the check is made as part of the action of doing the act).

[Mysterious Stranger]

There is nothing preventing you from using stealth when you take a 5-foot step assuming you meet all requirements for using stealth. Normally you can only use stealth when you have cover or concealment. If you are under direct observation, you cannot use stealth.

A lot of it is going to depend on the condition of you location and the area you are moving through. If you are in a location that gives you cover or concealment and are moving through an area that gives you cover or concealment you can use a 5-foot step. If you are under direct observation or are moving through an area under direct observation you cannot use stealth. If you are under observation, you can use bluff to create a distraction that can allow you to use stealth assuming you can reach a location with cover or concealment. But using bluff to create a distraction is a standard action. If you are within 5 feet of a location with cover or concealment you could use a 5-foot step to reach that location, but what you can do once you reach the location is limited because you already used a standard action.

If you can give further details on what you are trying to accomplish, we might be able to give a better answer.

[thorin001]

Mysterious Stranger wrote:

If you can give further details on what you are trying to accomplish, we might be able to give a better answer.

Character with hide in plain sight, so they can hide even when observed. In melee with opponent. 5' step to hide so they can get sneak attack with next attack.

[Mysterious Stranger]

You should be able to take a 5-foot step and attack, but after the first attack your stealth will be broken. That means if you only get any sneak attack damage on the first attack. Stealth specifies that any attack breaks stealth and hide in plain side does not change that. You could also move more than a 5-foot step and use stealth but cannot make a full attack when doing so.

[Azothath]

for Stealth skill, the trick is in the two conditions. The 5ft step, in and of itself, is just meeting one part of the conditions.
Para 4 If people are observing you using any of their senses (but typically sight), you can’t use Stealth. Against most creatures, finding cover or concealment allows you to use Stealth. If your observers are momentarily distracted (such as by a Bluff check), you can attempt to use Stealth. While the others turn their attention from you, you can attempt a Stealth check if you can get to an unobserved place of some kind. This check, however, is made at a –10 penalty because you have to move fast.
The movement needs to end in cover, concealment, or using Bluff (likely full rnd actn INTO cover or concealment).
The -10 penalty looks to be part of Bluff and likely 5-foot step. Whatever "you have to move fast" means as the period before the sentence is problematic in linking the sentence to the previous statement...

Hide in Plain Sight Rogue Talent [PFS Legal] Hide in Plain Sight (Ex) (Ultimate Combat pg. 1): A rogue with this talent can select a single terrain from the ranger’s favored terrain list. She is a master at hiding in that terrain, and while within that terrain, she can use the Stealth skill to hide, even while being observed. A rogue may take this advanced talent more than once, each time selecting a different terrain from the favored terrain list.
so here, reaching cover/concealment/Bluff isn't needed. So yes, just the move in the terrain lets you make a Stealth check.