Sleight of Hand

Description

Ability Score Used:	Dexterity
Usable Untrained?	No
Armor Check Penalty Applies?	Yes

Sleight of Hand is the ability to use your fingers and toes with uncanny precision, flexibility and skill. You can curl and bend your digits in ways that seem impossible to the untrained, and as a result, you can do things right under the noses of people without them ever being the wiser.

Your training allows you to pick pockets, draw hidden weapons, and take a variety of actions without being noticed.

Unprovoked Hostility

You can use sleight of hand to draw a light weapon and attack a single adjacent creature as a standard action. While anyone can draw a weapon, you can draw one in such a way that the target doesn't suspect you are about to attack. You're just in the middle of an anecdote about your dotty Aunt Hidegarde, and how she loves to tell stories about the adventures of her houseplants, when BAM!, you stab the guy in the face! Once you declare you are using unprovoked hostility, the GM rolls the target's Perception check to set your DC, and then applies any relevant modifiers. You then make your sleight of hand check to see if you succeed in surprising the target. If successful, the attack is resolved as a surprise round. A surprised opponent is usually flat-footed until they can act (which is usually in the first full round of combat).
Action Required:	Standard action
DC of Check:	the target's Perception result
Modifiers to Check	Alert: If you are attempting the check on someone who is on the lookout for trouble, or suspicious of you, the DC is increased by +5. Inconvenient: If you are attempting the check on someone who is inconveniently placed, the DC is increased. Some examples are: Sitting down, +2, standing behind a counter, +4, sitting at a table or desk, +5, behind a peephole or murder hole, +20. Witty Buildup: If your role-playing prior to your duplicitous attempt at assassination was particularly entertaining, the GM may reduce the DC by anywhere from -2 (for pretty good role-playing) to -10 (for crazy, over-the-top role-playing you'll be talking about years from now).
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Assisting allies must have ranks in sleight of hand.
Results of Success	The standard action is made as your action during the surprise round, granting you a single attack with the light weapon you drew against the target's flat-footed AC (unless the target has some ability like Uncanny Dodge, preventing flat-footed).
Consequences of Failure	The target saw the threat before you could make your move. Roll initiative and resolve the combat without a surprise round.
Retry Allowed?	No
Provokes AOO?	No

Conceal Object

You can use sleight of hand to palm a small, unattended object and secret it upon your person. Sleight of hand may not be used to camouflage an object in place (that is the domain of Disguise). This can only be done outside of combat. In-combat pilfering requires the use of the Steal combat maneuver. You can also perform minor feats of legerdemain, such as making a coin disappear even while someone watches you do it. Of course, they might still be mad that you took their coin, despite not knowing where the heck it went. You can hide a light weapon or a weapon with Concealable (Quality) on your body. Your Sleight of Hand check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone observing you or of anyone frisking you. In the latter case, the searcher gains a +4 bonus on the Perception check, since it's generally easier to find such an object than to hide it. A dagger is easier to hide than most light weapons, and grants you a +2 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it. An extraordinarily small object, such as a coin, shuriken, or ring, grants you a +4 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it, and heavy or baggy clothing (such as a cloak) grants you a +2 bonus on the check.
Action Required:
DC of Check:
Modifiers to Check	Distractions: If there is something to distract your target for a Hide Object check, you receive a bonus to your Sleight of Hand check. If you attempt the check in a moving crowd, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while they are in a conversation with someone not yourself, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while you have an accomplice deliberately making an obvious distraction (such as pushing over a display stand, or shouting loudly) you receive a +5 modifier on the roll. Suspicious: If you are attempting a check on someone who is suspicious of your motives, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Alert: If you are attempting the check on someone who is alert to trouble, such as an alert guard, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Inconvenient: If you are attempting the check on someone who is inconveniently placed, you receive a modifier. Some examples are: Sitting down, -2, standing behind a counter, -4, sitting at a table or desk, -5, behind a peephole or murder hole, -20. Too Many Eyes: For each additional creature who can see you, and who is an ally of your intended target, you receive a -1 modifier on your skill check.
Take 10? / Take 20?
Allows Assists?
Results of Success
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?

Quick Swap

Hold two small items in one hand (dagger plus a potion, two alchemical items, careen plus siangham, etc) You may choose which item to use each round without dropping the other item by making the started difficulty Sleight of Hand check. The item you are not using provides no benefit, exactly as if it is in storage on your person. Failing this check means you drop the item you were switching to and cannot ready the other item until your next round. You may only do this with one hand at a time, and never with more than two items. A buckler, dagger, and potion does not work, for example.
Action Required:
DC of Check:
Modifiers to Check
Take 10? / Take 20?
Allows Assists?
Results of Success
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?

Plant Object

A Challenging Sleight of Hand check against the CR of your intended target lets you palm a coin-sized, unattended object and secret it upon someone elses person, as long as they are within your reach. Sleight of Hand does NOT allow you to hide an object in your immediate vicinity, that takes Disguise. Performing a minor feat of legerdemain, such as making a coin disappear, also has a DC of 10 unless an observer is determined to note where the item went. When you use this skill under close observation, your skill check is opposed by the observer's Perception check. The observer's success doesn't prevent you from performing the action, just from doing it unnoticed. You can hide a small object (including a light weapon or an easily concealed ranged weapon, such as a dart, sling, or hand crossbow) on someone else. Your Sleight of Hand check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone observing you or of anyone frisking your victim. In the latter case, the searcher gains a +4 bonus on the Perception check, since it's generally easier to find such an object than to hide it. A dagger is easier to hide than most light weapons, and grants you a +2 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it. An extraordinarily small object, such as a coin, shuriken, or ring, grants you a +4 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it, and heavy or baggy clothing (such as a cloak) grants you a +2 bonus on the check.
Action Required:
DC of Check:
Modifiers to Check	Distractions: If there is something to distract your target for a Plant Object check, you receive a bonus to your Sleight of Hand check. If you attempt the check in a moving crowd, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while they are in a conversation with someone not yourself, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while you have an accomplice deliberately making an obvious distraction (such as pushing over a display stand, or shouting loudly) you receive a +5 modifier on the roll. Suspicious: If you are attempting a check on someone who is suspicious of your motives, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Alert: If you are attempting the check on someone who is alert to trouble, such as an alert guard, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Inconvenient: If you are attempting the check on someone who is inconveniently placed, you receive a modifier. Some examples are: Sitting down, -2, standing behind a counter, -4, sitting at a table or desk, -5, behind a peephole or murder hole, -20. Too Many Eyes: For each additional creature who can see you, and who is an ally of your intended target, you receive a -1 modifier on your skill check.
Take 10? / Take 20?
Allows Assists?
Results of Success
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?

Shoplifting

If you try to take something from a creature out of combat, you must make a Challenging Sleight of Hand check for their CR. If you succeed on this check, you take an item (a wallet or purse, dagger, wand, etc) as if you had succeeded on a Steal combat maneuver against them. If you fail on this check, you do not get the item you were after. At the same time as you make your Sleight of Hand check, the opponent makes a Perception check to detect the attempt. The DC of this check is the result of the Sleight of Hand check result you achieved when you tried to take the item. An opponent who succeeds on this check notices the attempt, regardless of whether you got the item. You cannot use this skill to take an object from another creature during combat. During combat you must make a Steal combat maneuver instead.
Action Required:
DC of Check:
Modifiers to Check	Feat: If you have the Deft Hands feat, you get a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand skill checks. This bonus increases as you place more ranks in the skill. Distractions: If there is something to distract your target for a Take Something Unnoticed check, you receive a bonus to your Sleight of Hand check. If you attempt the check in a moving crowd, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while they are in a conversation with someone not yourself, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while you have an accomplice deliberately making an obvious distraction (such as pushing over a display stand, or shouting loudly) you receive a +5 modifier on the roll. Suspicious: If you are attempting a check on someone who is suspicious of your motives, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Alert: If you are attempting the check on someone who is alert to trouble, such as an alert guard, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Inconvenient: If you are attempting the check on someone who is inconveniently placed, you receive a modifier. Some examples are: Sitting down, -2, standing behind a counter, -4, sitting at a table or desk, -5, behind a peephole or murder hole, -20. Too Many Eyes: For each additional creature who can see you, and who is an ally of your intended target, you receive a -1 modifier on your skill check.
Take 10? / Take 20?
Allows Assists?
Results of Success
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?

Magic Tricks (Epic)

It is possible to make a small object 'dance' and move about in your grasp and even at a small distance away with a sufficiently high Sleight of Hand skill roll. The base DC to Animate such a tiny object (coin, handkerchief, napkin, ivory comb, wand, dagger, etc) is a +20, which is then modified as below for all observers. If you make the check, they will be extremely interested, serving as a potent distraction as their attention is focused upon you. This is likely to serve as a considerable modifier for other sneaky things done by your allies
Action Required:
DC of Check:
Modifiers to Check	Distractions: If there is something to distract your target for an Animate Object check, you receive a bonus to your Sleight of Hand check. If you attempt the check in a moving crowd, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while they are in a conversation with someone not yourself, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while you have an accomplice deliberately making an obvious distraction (such as pushing over a display stand, or shouting loudly) you receive a +5 modifier on the roll. Suspicious: If you are attempting a check on someone who is suspicious of your motives, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Alert: If you are attempting the check on someone who is alert to trouble, such as an alert guard, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Too Many Eyes: For each additional creature who can see you, and who is an ally of your intended target, you receive a -1 modifier on your skill check.
Take 10? / Take 20?
Allows Assists?
Results of Success
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?

Obfuscate Ability (Epic)

It is possible to make a Sleight of Hand roll to conceal the use of class abilities or skills. For example, the Paladin's Lay on Hands ability can be used with no one noticing if you make a Sleight of Hands roll against observer's Perception rolls, modified by -20, and as below. This use of Sleight of Hand can be used on many skill rolls as well, such as to conceal the use of Barter rolls to determine magical items, Heal rolls to cure ailments or heaven forbid, inflict torments, and perhaps most useful of all, to conceal Escape Artist rolls to get out of bonds while people are watching you.
Action Required:
DC of Check:
Modifiers to Check	Distractions: If there is something to distract your target for an Untrained Sleight of Hand check, you receive a bonus to your Sleight of Hand check. If you attempt the check in a moving crowd, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while they are in a conversation with someone not yourself, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while you have an accomplice deliberately making an obvious distraction (such as pushing over a display stand, or shouting loudly) you receive a +5 modifier on the roll. Suspicious: If you are attempting a check on someone who is suspicious of your motives, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Alert: If you are attempting the check on someone who is alert to trouble, such as an alert guard, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Inconvenient: If you are attempting the check on someone who is inconveniently placed, you receive a modifier. Some examples are: Sitting down, -2, standing behind a counter, -4, sitting at a table or desk, -5, behind a peephole or murder hole, -20. Too Many Eyes: For each additional creature who can see you, and who is an ally of your intended target, you receive a -1 modifier on your skill check.
Take 10? / Take 20?
Allows Assists?
Results of Success
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?

Apparently Mundane Item (Epic)

It is possible to make a Sleight of Hand roll to conceal the fact that a magic item you are wielding is in fact magical at all. The DC increases by +20 for small items like implements, wands, daggers, coins, rings, brooches, etc. The DC increases by +25 for one-handed items, like rods, staves, longswords, and the like, and by +30 for larger two-handed items like greatswords. You can't use this on anything too big to wield, so you can't make your enchanted flying ship, or magic carpet, look non-magical. In addition to this modifier, the roll is modified by the modifiers below.
Action Required:
DC of Check:
Modifiers to Check	Distractions: If there is something to distract your target for an Untrained Sleight of Hand check, you receive a bonus to your Sleight of Hand check. If you attempt the check in a moving crowd, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while they are in a conversation with someone not yourself, you receive a +2 modifier on your roll. If you attempt the check while you have an accomplice deliberately making an obvious distraction (such as pushing over a display stand, or shouting loudly) you receive a +5 modifier on the roll. Suspicious: If you are attempting a check on someone who is suspicious of your motives, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Alert: If you are attempting the check on someone who is alert to trouble, such as an alert guard, you receive a -2 modifier on your roll. Inconvenient: If you are attempting the check on someone who is inconveniently placed, you receive a modifier. Some examples are: Sitting down, -2, standing behind a counter, -4, sitting at a table or desk, -5, behind a peephole or murder hole, -20. Too Many Eyes: For each additional creature who can see you, and who is an ally of your intended target, you receive a -1 modifier on your skill check.
Take 10? / Take 20?
Allows Assists?
Results of Success
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?