Hide Skill

[Keegan__D]

Is there a use for hide besides catching a foe flat-footed, sneak attack, and not being detected by guards, alarms, etc? I know how to get it really high, but I'm trying to find things to do with it. Feats, class abilities, items, anything.

[missmvicious]

It works well with a lot of Feats, class abilities, and items.

Sneak Attack is, itself, a class ability and some Feats work on the element of surprise. PrCs as well... I mean, what good is an Assassin or Shadowdancer if they can't hide? What, exactly, are you trying to do with Hide?

I've always thought it was a pretty good skill. Not being noticed by monsters is very handy when you're readying a spell and your max HP is half the next squishiest PC.

My general combat strategy for Rangers (doing my first Ranger in 4E) and casters (I always play a caster in 3.5) is Hide, Attack, shift Hide.

[Campbellk8105]

Well, I believe you pretty much covered basically everything you use hide for.

A great feat for people liking to be sneaky is Darkstalker.

[Keegan__D]

I suppose I'm looking for something to do with a flat-footed opponent, actually..

[Seharvepernfan]

It works great with sleight of hand, to steal things like wands, spell components, potions, etc.

Your DM would probably see the logic in allowing a bonus to things like trip and bull rush against a flat footed opponent, especially if they don't even know you're there.

[Thurbane]

I suppose I'm looking for something to do with a flat-footed opponent, actually..
Iaijutsu focus, if you can get it as a class skill, adds some extra damage.

[Curmudgeon]

With Darkstalker (Lords of Madness, page 179) Hide can also be used to avoid detection by blindsight, blindsense, scent, and tremorsense: it forces a Spot or Listen opposed check for these abilities which normally auto-detect you.

[Bloodgruve]

Iaijutsu focus, if you can get it as a class skill, adds some extra damage.

If you can manage Hide in Plain Sight you can attack and stay hidden with a -20 modifier to hide. Couple Sneak Attack with Iaijutsu Focus and you're gonna get really mean in certain situations. Whisper Gnome, Dark Creature template with the quickrazors and IF/SA.. I'd feel sorry for anything that fails a dc50 spot check.

For me the ruling is a bit obscure on IF+HiPS+attacking, I was managing 4 to 5 attacks with +7d6 each with IF on my factotum. I told my DM I'd limit IF to 2 attacks per round so as not to cheeze so much. Add SA onto it and you're up to 12d6 unless I'm missing something.

GL
Blood~

[Curmudgeon]

For me the ruling is a bit obscure on IF+HiPS+attacking, I was managing 4 to 5 attacks with +7d6 each with IF on my factotum. I told my DM I'd limit IF to 2 attacks per round so as not to cheeze so much. Add SA onto it and you're up to 12d6 unless I'm missing something.
Yeah, you're missing the fact that there's no stacking language on Factotum Cunning Strike, so you can only overlap, not stack, that 1d6 of sneak attack. Spend more IPs and you'll increase your chances of adding +6 damage, but you won't get more than one die.

[Bloodgruve]

Yeah, you're missing the fact that there's no stacking language on Factotum Cunning Strike, so you can only overlap, not stack, that 1d6 of sneak attack. Spend more IPs and you'll increase your chances of adding +6 damage, but you won't get more than one die.

From what I've seen this point is somewhat debated?

To clarify my earlier post, running a class with true SA and managing to boost IF would be mean. I can't say that I know how to do this though.

Blood~