Enhancements to sleight-of-hand?

[Pisha]

Looking for advice!

I'm playing in a high-powered 3.5 campaign where the GM occasionally has the PC's arrested or taken prisoner (by, yes, enemies powerful enough to do so.) Each time this happens, escape gets progressively harder, as he becomes more and more aware of my options and takes steps to prevent me from exercising them.

I need to up my game.

There are several small items (lockpicks - obviously - a handy ring, etc.) that would prove most useful in a) escaping a jail cell and b) staying escaped, once I'm out. Problem is, the bad guys he's sending against us at this stage in the game are savvy enough to know to look for things of that nature, and remove them when found. I've heard there are ways to hide certain small items on one's person (without swallowing them or sticking them into various orifices, which I'd like to avoid as long as possible), but I don't have all the books and don't know where to start looking. Any suggestions, then, on how to enhance Sleight of Hand to evade a dedicated searcher?

 

[Shin Okada]

I've heard there are ways to hide certain small items on one's person (without swallowing them or sticking them into various orifices, which I'd like to avoid as long as possible), but I don't have all the books and don't know where to start looking. Any suggestions, then, on how to enhance Sleight of Hand to evade a dedicated searcher?

If you want to have something hidden, Leomund's Secret Chest spell (PHB) will do the job. If your PC is a rogue, buy some magic item and activate it via UMD skill.

 

[irdeggman]

You can take 10 when hiding an object with Sleight of Hand (unless threatened or distracted).

5 ranks in bluff give you a +2 bonus.

Skill focus another +3

Deft Hands +2

From Complete Scoundrel (CS):

Lucky Fingers luck feat - reroll a sleight of hand check as an immediate action

An "inside pocket" from CS (pg 108) is a hidden space where you can hide a "tiny" object.

Those are things I've found quickly.

Also, IMO - you can't take 20 on an opposed check (like search versus sleight of hand (or hide) because you must "fail" during the take 20 attempt - it doesn't matter if you actually could fail or not you automatically "fail" along the way.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Also, IMO - you can't take 20 on an opposed check (like search versus sleight of hand (or hide) because you must "fail" during the take 20 attempt - it doesn't matter if you actually could fail or not you automatically "fail" along the way.

That's what friends are for?

I don't see an issue with taking 20...

 

[Pisha]

irdeggman - thanks! that "inside pocket" sounds like it might be exactly what I'm looking for (now to find a copy of the CS book to confirm it!) That or the "possum pouch," if I can get my GM to approve Song and Silence...

Shin Okada - thanks, but I don't think that would help much in the situations I've found myself in. Maybe at other times, though...