Sleight of Hand (Dex; trained only; armor check penalty)
Your training allows you to pick pockets, draw hidden weapons, and take a variety of actions without being noticed.
Check: Below is a list of typical actions that can be performed with a Sleight of Hand skill check. Generally a Sleight of Hand check is countered by an opponent's Perception check, but as you will see below, some actions do have a base DC that needs to be hit first.
HIDE OBJECT
A DC 10 Sleight of Hand check lets you palm a coin-sized, unattended object. 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 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.
PALM/DRAW WEAPON
A successful DC 20 Sleight of Hand check allows you to unobtrusively draw a weapon or other object no larger or longer than a light weapon (which includes potions, but not wands or alchemist bombs). Observers can notice you drawing the item as normal with opposed Perception checks. Creatures carefully observing you gain a +4 bonus on this Perception check.
PICK POCKET/TAKE SOMETHING UNNOTICED
If you try to take something from a creature, you must make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check. The opponent makes a Perception check to detect the attempt, opposed by the Sleight of Hand check result you achieved when you tried to grab 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 if the creature is aware of your presence.
CONCEAL HELD ITEM
You can conceal a drawn weapon or another item held in hand using a Sleight of Hand check. Any onlooker must succeed on a Perception check to notice a drawn weapon or other item you carry in your other hand, opposed by your Sleight of Hand check. Light weapons that are too bulky to conceal on your body, light crossbows, rods, and similarly sized items impose a –4 penalty on this Sleight of Hand check; one-handed weapons, heavy crossbows, shortbows, and similarly sized items impose a –8 penalty; and two-handed weapons, javelins, longbows, staffs, and similarly large items (held in one hand) impose a –12 penalty. You can only attempt the check if you have a piece of clothing, another held item, or body part large enough to hide the item behind, such as a cloak. Foes that do not realize you are armed may move to provoke attacks of opportunity from you without realizing they are taking a risk, (although they are not denied their Dexterity bonus to AC against such unexpected attacks).
LIFT LARGE ITEM
You can steal objects normally too large to grab with a standard Sleight of Hand check.
Against a foe unaware of you (or not attempting to prevent you from touching them), you can loosen a secured item such as a shield or backpack with one DC 20 Sleight of Hand check for each strap or other fastener holding the item in place. Once the item has been loosened, it can be removed with a DC 30 Sleight of Hand check as a full-round action. As normal, you cannot attempt such a Sleight of Hand check against a foe aware of you during combat and a foe can notice your work with a Perception check opposing your Sleight of Hand check (though a successful Perception check doesn’t prevent you from completing that action).
A foe that fails to notice you removing an item from his arms gets a new Perception check to realize his item is gone at the start of each of his turns thereafter.
The DC for this Perception check is equal to your Sleight of Hand result – 10.
SECRET STORAGE
You can make a Sleight of Hand check opposed by onlookers’ Perception checks to store an item or retrieve a stored item from a bag, sheath, or other container without being noticed. Doing so requires at least a standard action, or longer if the action would normally require a standard action or longer.
You can store or retrieve an item in the normal amount of time (usually a move action) by taking a –10 penalty on your Sleight of Hand check. If you have the ability to draw a weapon as a free action or as part of a move, you can conceal the attempt with a Sleight of Hand check made as a swift action with a –20 penalty.
Retry: Yes, but after an initial failure, a second Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target (or while you are being watched by the same observer who noticed your previous attempt) increases the DC for the task by 10.
Special: You can take a 10 but not a 20 when making a Sleight of Hand check.
Time: Any Sleight of Hand check is normally a standard action. However, you may perform a Sleight of Hand check as a move action by taking a –20 penalty on the check.
SLEIGHT OF HAND UNCHAINED
By taking the Signature Skill feat, you can unchain the following special bonuses: