Bluff

(Cha)

Disemble the Truth

A Bluff check is opposed by the target's Sense Motive check. Favorable and unfavorable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two main things can weigh against you: if the bluff is hard to believe, and if the action that the target is asked to take (if any) goes against its self-interest, nature, personality, orders, or the like.

If it's important, you can distinguish between a bluff that fails because the target doesn't believe it and one that fails because it just asks too much of the target by comparing both the modified and unmodified Sense Motive result to your Bluff check. For instance, if the target gets a +10 bonus on its Sense Motive check because the bluff demands something risky, and the Sense Motive check succeeds by 10 or less, then the target didn't so much see through the bluff as prove reluctant to go along with it. A target that succeeds by 11 or more has seen through the bluff.

A successful Bluff check indicates that the target reacts as you wish, at least for a short time (usually 1 round), or believes something that you want it to believe.

• Action: 1 round or more.
• Try Again: Generally, a failed check makes the target so suspicious that another check won't succeed, though you can still try.

Feint in Combat

You can use Bluff to mislead an opponent in melee combat, so that it can't dodge your next attack effectively. To feint, make a Bluff check opposed by your target's Sense Motive check. In this situation, the target adds their BAB to their Sense Motive check in addition to all other modifiers.

If your Bluff check result exceeds this special Sense Motive check result, your target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) for the next melee attack you make against it before the end of your next turn.

Feinting in this way against a creature of another creature type than your own is difficult because it's harder to read a strange creature's body language: you take a -4 penalty on your Bluff check. Against a creature of animal Intelligence (1 or 2) it's even harder: you take a -8 penalty. Against a nonintelligent creature, it's impossible.

• Action: Standard.
• Try Again: Yes.

Create a Diversion

You can use the Bluff skill to help you hide. A successful Bluff check gives you the momentary diversion you need to attempt a Hide check while people are aware of you.

• Action: Standard.
• Try Again: Yes.

Communicate a Secret Message

You can use Bluff to get a message across to another character without others understanding it. The DC is 15 for simple messages, or 20 for complex messages, especially those that rely on getting across new information. Failure by 4 or less means you can't get the message across. Failure by 5 or more means that some false information has been implied or inferred. Anyone listening to the exchange can make their own Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff check you made to transmit in order to intercept your message.

• Action: 1 round or more (though the talking itself is technically a Free Action during this time).
• Try Again: Yes, but each failed check carries the same chance for miscommunication.

Hide Thoughts

When being scanned by a Detect Thoughts or similar effect, you can focus your mind to confuse the detection process. This allows you a Bluff check against the caster's Sense Motive check. If you beat their result they gain no information. If you beat their result by 20 or more you can reveal false information.

• Action: Standard.
• Try Again: Yes.