Sleight-of-hand in combat

[Hypersmurf]

IMO sleight of hand is a movement that's faster than the eye... So that you could do it without the typical person noticing that you've 'dropped' your guard.

But then, can you use Sleight of Hand or Bluff to grapple without someone noticing you've dropped your guard? Load a crossbow? Stand up from prone?

Sleight of Hand lets you pick someone's pocket without them noticing that you've picked their pocket... not without noticing that you've provoked an AoO.

-Hyp.

 

[ARandomGod]

But then, can you use Sleight of Hand or Bluff to grapple without someone noticing you've dropped your guard? Load a crossbow? Stand up from prone?

Sleight of Hand lets you pick someone's pocket without them noticing that you've picked their pocket... not without noticing that you've provoked an AoO.

-Hyp.

Grappling... If the bluff were enough to make HIM drop his guard, then yes. A reall good bluff can indeed stop someone from taking an AoO. That'd be a pretty impressive roll, however. Sleight isn't used for that purpose, so no. Load a crossbow... only if it were a small bolt enough bolt to use sleight on (I imagine it is) and you didn't need to recock the bow. So if your bolt fell out or something. Of course, you still couln't fire the thing without provoking... Unless, once again, you're bluff was enough to convince the guy to not take an AoO.

Stand up from prone... well, once again a bluff would work there, if they guy was willing to listen and your bluff was enough to get him to not attack. Sleight of hand would only work if you were somehow small enough that you could move yourself in this manner while simulatniously being big enough to accomplish the task. Which would be an acid trip indeed.