daremetoidareyo
2016-10-27, 12:31 PM
Stop Flubbing Your Bluffs
http://img14.deviantart.net/3110/i/2009/101/4/5/pinocchio_and_the_blue_fairy_by_terryblas.jpg
SRD Description
You can make the outrageous or the untrue seem plausible, or use doublespeak or innuendo to deliver a secret message to another character. The skill encompasses acting, conning, fast talking, misdirection, prevarication, and misleading body language. Use a bluff to sow temporary confusion, get someone to turn and look where you point, or simply look innocuous.
Check
A Bluff check is opposed by the target's Sense Motive check. See the accompanying table for examples of different kinds of bluffs and the modifier to the target's Sense Motive check for each one.
Example Circumstances
Sense Motive Modifier
Target wants to believe you.
“These emeralds aren’t stolen. I’m just desperate for coin right now, so I’m offering them to you cheap.”
-5
The bluff is believable and doesn’t affect the target much.
I don’t what you’re talking about, sir. I’m just a simple peasant girl here for the fair.”
0
The Bluff is a little hard to belie or puts the target at some risk.
“You orcs want to fight? I’ll take you all on myself. I don’t need my friends’ help. Just don’t your blood all over my new surcoat.”
+5
The bluff is hard to believe or puts the target at significant risk.
“This diadem doesn’t’ belong to the duchess. It just looks like hers. Trust me, I wouldn’t sell you jewelry that would get you hanged, Would I?”
+10
The bluff is way out there; it’s almost too incredible to consider
“You might find this hard to believe, but I’m actually a lamas who’s been polymorphed into halfling form by an evil sorcerer. You know we lamas are trustworthy, so you can believe me.”
+20
EPIC: Instill Suggestion in Target: This is identical to the effect of the suggestion spell, except that it is nonmagical and lasts for only 10 minutes. It can be sensed as if it were an enchantment effect (Sense Motive DC 25)
+50
Favorable and unfavorable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two circumstances can weigh against you: The bluff is hard to believe, or the action that the target is asked to take goes against its self-interest, nature, personality, orders, or the like. If it's important, the DM 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. 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 (and would have done so even if that bluff had not entailed any demand).
A successful Bluff check indicates that the target reacts as you wish, at least for a short time (usually 1 round or less) or believes something that you want it to believe. Bluff, however, is not a suggestion spell. For example, you could use bluff to put a shopkeeper off guard by saying that his shoes are untied. At best, such a bluff would make the shopkeeper glance down at his shoes. It would not cause him to ignore you and fiddle with his shoes.
A bluff requires interaction between you and the target. Creatures unaware of you cannot be bluffed.
Action: A Bluff check made as part of general interaction always takes at least 1 round (and is at least a full-round action), but it can take much longer if you try something elaborate.
Try again: Generally, a failed Bluff check in social interaction makes the target too suspicious for you to try again in the same circumstances.
Feinting in Combat:
You can also 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, but in this case, the target may add its base attack bonus to the roll along with any other applicable 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. This attack must be made on or before your next turn. Feinting in this way against a non-humanoid 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 non-intelligent creature, it's impossible. Feinting in combat does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Creating a Diversion to Hide:
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. This usage does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Speaker in Dreams p.9:
If the characters follow the fleeing wererats, compare the speed of each fleeing wererat (40 feet in hybrid form) to the speed of the pursuing party members. A fleeing wererat takes a double move action each round, cover 80 feet while running along side streets and alleys...Each round, the wererat makes a bluff check (+0 for normal wererat, +5 for leader) opposed by the pursuers sense motive check. If the bluff succeeds, the wererat makes a hide check (+11) opposed by the pursuer's spot check, with a -1 penalty for each 10 feet of distance. If the hide check is successful, the wererat eludes the pursuing character.
Action: A Bluff check made to feint in combat or create a diversion to hide is a standard action.
Try Again: You may retry freely on Bluff checks made to feint in combat.
Delivering a Secret Message:
You can use Bluff to get a message across to another character without others understanding it. Two rogues, for example, might seem to be talking about bakery goods when they're really planning how to break into the evil wizard's laboratory. 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 a Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff check you made to transmit in order to intercept your message (see Sense Motive, page 81).
Drow of the Underdark p.42: Delivering a Secret Message: Given the unique form of Drow Sign Language, some dark elves learn to incorporate elements of the complex language into normal body movements. You can substitute Dexterity for Charisma when making Bluff checks to deliver a secret message, if you and the recipient are both fluent in Drow Sign Language.
Action: A Bluff check made to deliver a secret message doesn't take an action; it is part of normal communication. However, the DM may limit the amount of information you can convey in a single round.
Try Again: Retries are also allowed when you are trying to send a message, but you may attempt such a retry only once per round. Each retry carries the same chance of miscommunication.
Epic Uses of Bluff (SRD)
Task
DC
Display False Alignment
70
Disguise Surface Thoughts
100
Display False Alignment
The character can fool alignment-sensing effects by displaying a false alignment of his or her choice. Once set, a false alignment remains as long as the character remains conscious and awake. Setting or changing a false alignment requires a full-round action.
Disguise Surface Thoughts
The character can fool spells such as detect thoughts (or similar effects) by displaying false surface thoughts. While the character can’t completely mask the presence of his or her thoughts, he or she can change his or her apparent Intelligence score (and thus the character’s apparent mental strength) by as much as 10 points and can place any thought in his or her “surface thoughts” to be read by such spells or effects. If a character attempts to use Sense Motive to detect his or her surface thoughts (see the Sense Motive skill description), this becomes an opposed check (though any result lower than 100 automatically fails).
SEDUCTION (Sword and Fist (3.0) p.10)
You can use Bluff to convince members of the opposite sex to believe that your romantic intentions are sincere, persuading him or her to do you a small, temporary favor (such as looking the other way as you climb up the wall and into the window, or giving you the password that allows you to pass safely by the guards.) This action cannot be used during combat.
Tailing Someone Complete Adventurer p. 102
Even if you fail a Hide check while tailing someone or are spotted while moving too great a distance between hiding places, you can attempt a Bluff check opposed by your quarry’s Sense Motive check to look innocuous. Success means your quarry sees you but doesn’t realize you’re tailing; failure alerts him or her that you’re actually following. A modifier may apply to the Sense Motive check, depending on how suspicious your quarry is. The table below gives Sense Motive modifiers for particular situations.
Your Quarry
Sense Motive Modifier
Is sure nobody is following
-5
Has no reason to suspect anybody is following
0
Is worried about being followed
+10
Is worried about being followed and knows that you’re an enemy
+20
TAUNTS (Dragonlance Campaign Setting p.29)
Taunts and the Bluff Skill: Although kender are especially good at it, any character can attempt to make a Bluff check to taunt a foe. The target of the Bluff check must be able to see and hear the taunting character and must be an intelligent creature who understands the taunting character’s language. Creatures that are immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to this use of the Bluff skill.
Taunt: To taunt an opponent in combat, make a Bluff check opposed by a Sense Motive check by your target. if you Bluff check exceeds your target’s Sense Motive check, your target is nettled by your taunts and suffers a -1 penalty on his attack rolls and AC until your next action. An enemy distracted by your taunts is likely to direct his next attack at you, but is under no compulsion to do so. Using the Bluff skill to taunt a foe requires a standard action, but does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
HECKLING: (RACES OF STONE p.130)
For some jaded or mean-spirited souls, part of the fun of viewing a performance includes attempting to heckle performers into making mistakes. They use this skill to influence performers or public speakers and disrupt their efforts.
Check: Heckling involves making a Bluff check opposed by the target’s Concentration check. More than one person can aid a heckler, using the aid another action (see page 65 of the Player’s Handbook), by making a DC 10 Bluff check.
If you succeed, the performer is distracted by your abuse and taunts, and he must make an immediate Perform check with a –2 penalty. For every 5 points by which your Bluff check exceeds the performer’s Concentration check, the penalty worsens by an additional 2. (So a Bluff check that beats the Concentration check by 11 results in a –6 penalty.) This new Perform check is required even if the performer has already made one or more successful checks during the same performance, and the result of the new Perform check replaces any previous result.
If your Bluff check is unsuccessful, the audience sides with the performer, admiring his composure under fire. The performer receives a +2 circumstance bonus on Perform checks for the remainder of the performance, and you have probably now offended the crowd. At the DM’s option, you might have angered powerful nobles in attendance, or you could suffer attack at the hands of an unruly bar crowd—effects vary depending on the setting and mood of the audience. Even if you succeed on the heckle attempt, a chance exists that the performer’s new Perform check is better than his previous result. In such an instance, the crowd responds just as if you had failed your Bluff check to heckle.
Action: An attempt to heckle takes 1 minute.
Try Again: No. You cannot try again during the same performance.chance exists that the performer’s new Perform check is better than his previous result. In such an instance, the crowd responds just as if you had failed your Bluff check to heckle.
Pretending to "accidentally" hurt other people in Arcane Tournaments ... or not (Complete Arcane p.178)
Knowing that any intentionally pulled or nonlethal melee attack spell has a random chance of dealing full lethal damage, duplicitous spellcasters sometimes attempt to deceive their opponent and any witnesses as to their efforts to keep a duel nonlethal. The duelist can attempt a Bluff check immediately prior to casting a spell for full lethal damage, and the opponent and any witnesses are entitled to Sense Motive checks (with a bonus equal to the level of the spell the duelist intends to cast) to see through the ruse. If the Bluff check is successful (and the spell deals damage successfully), it appears that the caster tried to pull or deal nonlethal damage with the spell he cast, but failed to do so because of an unforeseen movement on the part of his foe. In the case of duels involving two player characters, the DM can ask for the intention to deceive to be relayed clandestinely. The DM then rolls the Bluff and Sense Motive checks secretly so that a character who suddenly finds herself blasted by a spell’s full power won’t automatically know whether the damage was intentional or whether the other character’s spell simply became lethal accidentally. It’s also possible to run this bluff in reverse when an arcanist wants to conceal that he is trying not to kill his foe (useful in duels when a high-level spellcaster wants to teach a talented upstart a lesson but doesn’t want to run the risk of killing him). This tactic is only effective when pulling the damage from energy spells (since taking nonlethal damage in a supposedly lethal duel is an obvious giveaway to the opponent).
"I Meant to Do That!" Fabulous Cats! Web (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c) (Cha; Trained Only; Felines Only)
Whenever you fail a Balance, Climb, Jump, or Perform check, you may immediately (as a free action) attempt a Bluff check opposed by the Sense Motive checks of any witnesses. Success means you fool the witness into believing that you meant to achieve the outcome that occurred; failure indicates that the witness knows you did not achieve your actual goal. This use of the Bluff skill is largely a matter of pride for most felines. A successful Bluff check has no game effect on a failed Balance, Climb, or Jump check, but it does enable the feline to ignore the increased DC of a subsequent Perform check against the same witnesses.
Instill Confidence in Troops (HEROES OF BATTLE p.93)
Use this skill to create a sense of confidence in your troops. You can make a group of soldiers believe they are stronger than they actually are, bolstering their morale temporarily. You can also convince them that an enemy force is not quite as powerful as they believe it to be, or that a mission is less dangerous than it truly is. This bolstered confidence does not necessarily last long, and your words might be quickly forgotten if the tide of battle turns against the troops.
Check: Your successful Bluff check opposed by your troops’ Sense Motive check (consider a group of new recruits to have a +1 Sense Motive modifier for this purpose) provides the affected targets a +2 bonus on their next morale check. However, those same troops have a –2 penalty on every subsequent morale check in that battle. The –2 penalty endures past the current battle if the same commander is left in charge of the unit. Veteran troops (those of 2nd level or higher) are resistant to pep talks, having already experienced the reality of the battlefield. Such troops have a +6 modifier on their Sense Motive checks to oppose your Bluff check. This ability affects up to ten characters for every rank you have in the Bluff skill. If both new recruits and veterans are present, make a separate check for each. For example, if you wish to bolster the morale of a company of 60 soldiers (40 new recruits and 20 veterans), you must have at least 6 ranks in Bluff and would make two checks, one for the new recruits and another for the veterans. Characters of your level or higher are immune to this effect.
Circumstance
Sense Motive Modifier
The target wants to believe you
“You have trained for this. You are ready. They’ll never know what hit them”
-5
The bluff is believable.
Orcs don’t fight well in the sunlight! We can take them!”
0
The Bluff is a little hard to believe
“Ogres aren’t that much taller than you! Just gang up on them!”
+5
The bluff is hard to believe
“Back to the battle! that dragon can only breath fire once per day! Quick, let’s get him while he’s vulnerable.”
+10
Action: A Bluff check made to inspire troops requires a full-round action.
Try Again: Yes, but once you’ve attempted this check in a battle or prior to a battle, you can’t use it again on the same troops for at least 24 hours.
Special
SRD: A ranger gains a bonus on Bluff checks when using this skill against a favored enemy
SRD: The master of a snake familiar or Liar Psi-Crystal (XPH p.23) or Sea Snake (SW p.52) gains a +3 bonus on Bluff checks.
Ghostwalk p.11: The faces of Death Depending on how grody you died: penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Perform, and Charisma checks to Influence NPC attitudes: Disturbing; -2, Repulsive -6, Gruesome -10.
Heroes of Horror p.64: Moderate Corruption effects: Paralyzed Face: Your facial muscles grow so feeble that you can no longer smile, frown, or show any emotion. Gain a +1 bonus on Bluff checks and take a –1 penalty on other Charisma-based ability checks or skill checks.
OA p.10: Rokugan Humans Scorpion clan members receive bluff as a class skill.
Magic of Faerun p.45: The Crossroads: Cajoling the Guardian: At the crossroads, the seeker can use Charisma, Bluff, Diplomacy, or Perform to cajole the guardian into letting her travel the backroads.
Synergy
If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sleight of Hand checks, as well as on Disguise checks made when you know you're being observed and you try to act in character.
Decorations (Heroes of Battle p.89)
If a character wears a genuine decoration he didn’t earn, he still gets the circumstance bonus on interaction involving viewers who don’t know the truth of the matter. Only an especially knowledgeable NPC will be able to tell that the PC didn’t earn the medal. Often this boils down to a Bluff check on the part of the PC, opposed by the NPC’s Sense Motive check. Circumstance bonuses from multiple decorations ordinarily stack with each other as long as each decoration represents a different circumstance (generally meaning that it was earned in a different battle or campaign). Keep track of which other medals you possess, however, because it’s possible that an NPC will recognize a well-*known minor decoration but not an obscure service decoration.
Unpopular Decorations: Decorations are impressive to those you fought together with and those you fought on behalf of. Of course, if you strut around the communities of your enemies, they regard you decorations as badges of shame, not of honor. Few people know what the decoration of enemy nations mean, so their negative effect on interactions isn’t as great. Add 5 to the knowledge history check DC to determine the nature of a decoration from any army other than the one that ordinarily responsible for the local area. If an NPC succeeds on the check, her initial reaction to the PC is one category worse than it would otherwise be. Likewise the circumstance bonus on interactions becomes a penalty instead.
If a character want to use a fake decoration, in most cases, doing so requires a disguise check, although written proclamations would require a forgery check. If the PC fails, the NPC’s reaction worsens by at least two categories and the NPC will probably try to expose the character’s chicanery to others.
Decoration
Circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made to adjust an NPC’s reaction and on Intimidate checks made to change an NPC’s behavior.
Automatically Affected
Kowledge (history) DC to identify (and be affected)
1 point wound
-
Virtually everyone
10
2 point training
+1
Soldiers in the same army
20
2 point service (specific battle)
+1
Soldiers in the same army
18
4 point service (specific campaign)
+2
Soldiers in the same army
15
5 point
+2
Soldiers in the same army
12
10 point
+2
Soldiers in the same army; Political and religions leaders in army’s territory
10
20 point
+3
Everyone in army’s territory
10
40 point
+4
Everyone in army’s territory
10
80 point
+5
Everyone in army’s territory and neighboring territories
10
False decorations may be paired with Giving orders rules that appear in Power of Faerun page 30: (diplomacy for requests, intimidate for orders)
Gambling (Races of Destiny p.10.): : Competitors can employ other skills to improve their chances. If the game rewards bluffing and concealed motives, a Bluff check that’s higher than everyone else’s Sense Motive check earns the bluffer a bonus on his Profession (gambler) check equal to the difference between his Bluff result and the highest Sense Motive result.
Sharn: City of Two towers p.132: Legal Debate:
While circumstances can be an important mitigating factor, the fact of the matter is that the skill of the barrister plays the most important role in the outcome of the case. Over the course of the trial, each barrister makes three Profession (barrister) checks; compare the results, with the higher total winning the round. Whoever wins two out of three rounds wins the case. The DM should modify these rolls based on the circumstances of the case. If the jury is hostile, the prosecuting barrister receives a +1 to +5 circumstance bonus; if the jury is friendly, the defending barrister receives this bonus. A barrister with at least 5 ranks of Bluff or Diplomacy receives a +2 synergy bonus on his check; these bonuses are cumulative. There is no rule stating that a recognized barrister must represent a defendant, so a character can choose to speak in his own defense or to appoint a friend as his advocate.
Book of Vile Deeds p.37 Torture:
Of course, a victim can choose to reveal the information before torture is applied. Merely threatening to use a torture device against a victim can be effective: If the torturer succeeds on a Bluff check opposed by the victim’s Sense Motive check, the torturer can use half of the device’s circumstance bonus on her subsequent Intimidate check.
Book of Vile Deeds p.38 Lying under Torture:
A victim can attempt to mislead a torturer, pretending to give up the real information in hopes the torturer will end the pain. The victim’s Bluff check is opposed by the torturer’s Sense Motive check if the victim lies or misleads the torturer during the interrogation. Because the torturer is convinced of her methods—that pain reveals truth, and that torture can’t be withstood—the torturer is more likely to believe even the most outlandish lie. The torturer takes a –3 circumstance penalty on Sense Motive checks to see through the bluffs of those she tortures. Even victims who don’t really know the information sought by the torturer can be compelled to lie to make the hurt go away.
Complete adventurer p.102 Assessing an opponent (Sense Motive) or staying unassessed (Bluff)
A successful assessment reveals that your foe belongs in one of two adjacent categories (for example, “Easy” or “A fair fight”). If your Sense Motive check result exceeds the opposed Bluff check result by 10 or more, you can narrow the result down to a single category. By contrast, if the target’s Bluff check result equals or slightly exceeds your Sense Motive check result, you gain no useful information. If the target’s Bluff check result exceeds your Sense Motive check result by 5 or more, you may (at the DM’s option) gain a false impression, believing your opponent to be much stronger or weaker than he really is (equal chance of either). If the target’s Bluff check result exceeds your Sense Motive check result by 10 or more, your assessment is off by at least two categories (for example, a dire threat might be assessed as a fair fight).
Synergy checks with Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) & (Religion) (Races of Destiny p.148)
You can use this skill to discover the levels of bureaucracy within a royal household, government, or other large body of authority or to understand the structure of authority within a church, cult, or other religious organization. If you make a check (DC 15 + organization size modifier; see text), you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Gather Information checks pertaining to that particular organization for one week. However, failure by 5 or more means you make a false assessment of the situation, imposing a –2 penalty on the use of those skills for one week instead.
Games (Cityscape p.44):
As many bar games exist as bars. Regardless of the game, using magic to influence the outcome is seen as cheating.
Games of Skill: In some taverns, a card game known as Three- Dragon Ante is popular. Others use chesslike boardgames to test players’ prowess. To determine the winner of a game of skill, choose the most relevant skill for the main check. For many card games, it’s Bluff. For a boardgame such as chess, Knowledge (history) might be more relevant. Then choose two other skills that matter, but are clearly secondary. Sense Motive, Bluff, and a Knowledge skill are good choices. A character with at least 5 ranks in either of the secondary skills gains a +2 bonus on the main skill check (or +4 if she has 5 ranks in both). Then all participants attempt opposed skill checks. As an exception to the usual rules, a character can use a Knowledge skill untrained if it’s the relevant skill for a game, as long as someone takes the time beforehand to explain the rules to her.
Guards deciding on He said/She said: Sharn, City of Two Towers p.128A wealthy nobleman starts a fight with one of the adventurers. After a few blows have been exchanged, a Watch patrol comes around the corner. The guards put a stop to the battle, and the sergeant asks for an explanation. What happens next? Unfortunately, Sharn is a very corrupt city. The soldiers of the Watch and the Guard respect people who appear to be wealthy, and are happy to accept bribes. In any sort of “your word versus mine” situation, each side in the conflict should choose one member to make a Diplomacy or Bluff check; the guard accepts the word of the side that gets the better result. The modifiers below apply to a character’s check: Bribes also help. A character gets a +1 to the roll for every 2 gp he slips the guard up to 10 gp (for a +5 bonus). Each additional 10 gp adds another +1 to the roll, up to 50 gp (for a +9 bonus). Thereafter, every 25 gp adds another +1 to the roll. So a bribe of 125 gp provides a +12 bonus. These are guidelines, and the DM can always adjust them based on the specific guard involved. A sergeant who is a shifter, half-orc, warforged, or changeling usually gives a +2 bonus to members of his own race. The guards of Tavick’s Landing do not accept bribes and are not positively influenced by clothing (the –4 penalty for wearing peasant clothing still applies).
Situation
Modifier
Situation
Modifier
Resident of upper ward or Wearing royal outfit
+6
Each impartial witness
+2
Wearing noble’s outfit
+4
Warforged or changeling
-2
Wearing courtier’s outfit
+2
Shifter, half-orc, or goblinoid
-1
Wearing traveler’s outfit
-2
Monstrous humanoid
-4
Wearing peasant outfit
-4
Non-resident
-2
Ecclesiarch or Member of dragon-marked house
+3
Not a citizen of Breland or Resident of lower ward
-4
Other Skill Guides
Disable Device (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?520223-Saboteur-s-Cookbook-Masterwork-Disable-Device-tools&p=21875860#post21875860)
Knowledge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?514547-The-Library-of-Knowledge-Getting-the-most-out-of-your-studies&p=21683962)
Survival (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?500214-Survival-Skill-Survival-Guide)
http://img14.deviantart.net/3110/i/2009/101/4/5/pinocchio_and_the_blue_fairy_by_terryblas.jpg
SRD Description
You can make the outrageous or the untrue seem plausible, or use doublespeak or innuendo to deliver a secret message to another character. The skill encompasses acting, conning, fast talking, misdirection, prevarication, and misleading body language. Use a bluff to sow temporary confusion, get someone to turn and look where you point, or simply look innocuous.
Check
A Bluff check is opposed by the target's Sense Motive check. See the accompanying table for examples of different kinds of bluffs and the modifier to the target's Sense Motive check for each one.
Example Circumstances
Sense Motive Modifier
Target wants to believe you.
“These emeralds aren’t stolen. I’m just desperate for coin right now, so I’m offering them to you cheap.”
-5
The bluff is believable and doesn’t affect the target much.
I don’t what you’re talking about, sir. I’m just a simple peasant girl here for the fair.”
0
The Bluff is a little hard to belie or puts the target at some risk.
“You orcs want to fight? I’ll take you all on myself. I don’t need my friends’ help. Just don’t your blood all over my new surcoat.”
+5
The bluff is hard to believe or puts the target at significant risk.
“This diadem doesn’t’ belong to the duchess. It just looks like hers. Trust me, I wouldn’t sell you jewelry that would get you hanged, Would I?”
+10
The bluff is way out there; it’s almost too incredible to consider
“You might find this hard to believe, but I’m actually a lamas who’s been polymorphed into halfling form by an evil sorcerer. You know we lamas are trustworthy, so you can believe me.”
+20
EPIC: Instill Suggestion in Target: This is identical to the effect of the suggestion spell, except that it is nonmagical and lasts for only 10 minutes. It can be sensed as if it were an enchantment effect (Sense Motive DC 25)
+50
Favorable and unfavorable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two circumstances can weigh against you: The bluff is hard to believe, or the action that the target is asked to take goes against its self-interest, nature, personality, orders, or the like. If it's important, the DM 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. 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 (and would have done so even if that bluff had not entailed any demand).
A successful Bluff check indicates that the target reacts as you wish, at least for a short time (usually 1 round or less) or believes something that you want it to believe. Bluff, however, is not a suggestion spell. For example, you could use bluff to put a shopkeeper off guard by saying that his shoes are untied. At best, such a bluff would make the shopkeeper glance down at his shoes. It would not cause him to ignore you and fiddle with his shoes.
A bluff requires interaction between you and the target. Creatures unaware of you cannot be bluffed.
Action: A Bluff check made as part of general interaction always takes at least 1 round (and is at least a full-round action), but it can take much longer if you try something elaborate.
Try again: Generally, a failed Bluff check in social interaction makes the target too suspicious for you to try again in the same circumstances.
Feinting in Combat:
You can also 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, but in this case, the target may add its base attack bonus to the roll along with any other applicable 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. This attack must be made on or before your next turn. Feinting in this way against a non-humanoid 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 non-intelligent creature, it's impossible. Feinting in combat does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Creating a Diversion to Hide:
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. This usage does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Speaker in Dreams p.9:
If the characters follow the fleeing wererats, compare the speed of each fleeing wererat (40 feet in hybrid form) to the speed of the pursuing party members. A fleeing wererat takes a double move action each round, cover 80 feet while running along side streets and alleys...Each round, the wererat makes a bluff check (+0 for normal wererat, +5 for leader) opposed by the pursuers sense motive check. If the bluff succeeds, the wererat makes a hide check (+11) opposed by the pursuer's spot check, with a -1 penalty for each 10 feet of distance. If the hide check is successful, the wererat eludes the pursuing character.
Action: A Bluff check made to feint in combat or create a diversion to hide is a standard action.
Try Again: You may retry freely on Bluff checks made to feint in combat.
Delivering a Secret Message:
You can use Bluff to get a message across to another character without others understanding it. Two rogues, for example, might seem to be talking about bakery goods when they're really planning how to break into the evil wizard's laboratory. 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 a Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff check you made to transmit in order to intercept your message (see Sense Motive, page 81).
Drow of the Underdark p.42: Delivering a Secret Message: Given the unique form of Drow Sign Language, some dark elves learn to incorporate elements of the complex language into normal body movements. You can substitute Dexterity for Charisma when making Bluff checks to deliver a secret message, if you and the recipient are both fluent in Drow Sign Language.
Action: A Bluff check made to deliver a secret message doesn't take an action; it is part of normal communication. However, the DM may limit the amount of information you can convey in a single round.
Try Again: Retries are also allowed when you are trying to send a message, but you may attempt such a retry only once per round. Each retry carries the same chance of miscommunication.
Epic Uses of Bluff (SRD)
Task
DC
Display False Alignment
70
Disguise Surface Thoughts
100
Display False Alignment
The character can fool alignment-sensing effects by displaying a false alignment of his or her choice. Once set, a false alignment remains as long as the character remains conscious and awake. Setting or changing a false alignment requires a full-round action.
Disguise Surface Thoughts
The character can fool spells such as detect thoughts (or similar effects) by displaying false surface thoughts. While the character can’t completely mask the presence of his or her thoughts, he or she can change his or her apparent Intelligence score (and thus the character’s apparent mental strength) by as much as 10 points and can place any thought in his or her “surface thoughts” to be read by such spells or effects. If a character attempts to use Sense Motive to detect his or her surface thoughts (see the Sense Motive skill description), this becomes an opposed check (though any result lower than 100 automatically fails).
SEDUCTION (Sword and Fist (3.0) p.10)
You can use Bluff to convince members of the opposite sex to believe that your romantic intentions are sincere, persuading him or her to do you a small, temporary favor (such as looking the other way as you climb up the wall and into the window, or giving you the password that allows you to pass safely by the guards.) This action cannot be used during combat.
Tailing Someone Complete Adventurer p. 102
Even if you fail a Hide check while tailing someone or are spotted while moving too great a distance between hiding places, you can attempt a Bluff check opposed by your quarry’s Sense Motive check to look innocuous. Success means your quarry sees you but doesn’t realize you’re tailing; failure alerts him or her that you’re actually following. A modifier may apply to the Sense Motive check, depending on how suspicious your quarry is. The table below gives Sense Motive modifiers for particular situations.
Your Quarry
Sense Motive Modifier
Is sure nobody is following
-5
Has no reason to suspect anybody is following
0
Is worried about being followed
+10
Is worried about being followed and knows that you’re an enemy
+20
TAUNTS (Dragonlance Campaign Setting p.29)
Taunts and the Bluff Skill: Although kender are especially good at it, any character can attempt to make a Bluff check to taunt a foe. The target of the Bluff check must be able to see and hear the taunting character and must be an intelligent creature who understands the taunting character’s language. Creatures that are immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to this use of the Bluff skill.
Taunt: To taunt an opponent in combat, make a Bluff check opposed by a Sense Motive check by your target. if you Bluff check exceeds your target’s Sense Motive check, your target is nettled by your taunts and suffers a -1 penalty on his attack rolls and AC until your next action. An enemy distracted by your taunts is likely to direct his next attack at you, but is under no compulsion to do so. Using the Bluff skill to taunt a foe requires a standard action, but does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
HECKLING: (RACES OF STONE p.130)
For some jaded or mean-spirited souls, part of the fun of viewing a performance includes attempting to heckle performers into making mistakes. They use this skill to influence performers or public speakers and disrupt their efforts.
Check: Heckling involves making a Bluff check opposed by the target’s Concentration check. More than one person can aid a heckler, using the aid another action (see page 65 of the Player’s Handbook), by making a DC 10 Bluff check.
If you succeed, the performer is distracted by your abuse and taunts, and he must make an immediate Perform check with a –2 penalty. For every 5 points by which your Bluff check exceeds the performer’s Concentration check, the penalty worsens by an additional 2. (So a Bluff check that beats the Concentration check by 11 results in a –6 penalty.) This new Perform check is required even if the performer has already made one or more successful checks during the same performance, and the result of the new Perform check replaces any previous result.
If your Bluff check is unsuccessful, the audience sides with the performer, admiring his composure under fire. The performer receives a +2 circumstance bonus on Perform checks for the remainder of the performance, and you have probably now offended the crowd. At the DM’s option, you might have angered powerful nobles in attendance, or you could suffer attack at the hands of an unruly bar crowd—effects vary depending on the setting and mood of the audience. Even if you succeed on the heckle attempt, a chance exists that the performer’s new Perform check is better than his previous result. In such an instance, the crowd responds just as if you had failed your Bluff check to heckle.
Action: An attempt to heckle takes 1 minute.
Try Again: No. You cannot try again during the same performance.chance exists that the performer’s new Perform check is better than his previous result. In such an instance, the crowd responds just as if you had failed your Bluff check to heckle.
Pretending to "accidentally" hurt other people in Arcane Tournaments ... or not (Complete Arcane p.178)
Knowing that any intentionally pulled or nonlethal melee attack spell has a random chance of dealing full lethal damage, duplicitous spellcasters sometimes attempt to deceive their opponent and any witnesses as to their efforts to keep a duel nonlethal. The duelist can attempt a Bluff check immediately prior to casting a spell for full lethal damage, and the opponent and any witnesses are entitled to Sense Motive checks (with a bonus equal to the level of the spell the duelist intends to cast) to see through the ruse. If the Bluff check is successful (and the spell deals damage successfully), it appears that the caster tried to pull or deal nonlethal damage with the spell he cast, but failed to do so because of an unforeseen movement on the part of his foe. In the case of duels involving two player characters, the DM can ask for the intention to deceive to be relayed clandestinely. The DM then rolls the Bluff and Sense Motive checks secretly so that a character who suddenly finds herself blasted by a spell’s full power won’t automatically know whether the damage was intentional or whether the other character’s spell simply became lethal accidentally. It’s also possible to run this bluff in reverse when an arcanist wants to conceal that he is trying not to kill his foe (useful in duels when a high-level spellcaster wants to teach a talented upstart a lesson but doesn’t want to run the risk of killing him). This tactic is only effective when pulling the damage from energy spells (since taking nonlethal damage in a supposedly lethal duel is an obvious giveaway to the opponent).
"I Meant to Do That!" Fabulous Cats! Web (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c) (Cha; Trained Only; Felines Only)
Whenever you fail a Balance, Climb, Jump, or Perform check, you may immediately (as a free action) attempt a Bluff check opposed by the Sense Motive checks of any witnesses. Success means you fool the witness into believing that you meant to achieve the outcome that occurred; failure indicates that the witness knows you did not achieve your actual goal. This use of the Bluff skill is largely a matter of pride for most felines. A successful Bluff check has no game effect on a failed Balance, Climb, or Jump check, but it does enable the feline to ignore the increased DC of a subsequent Perform check against the same witnesses.
Instill Confidence in Troops (HEROES OF BATTLE p.93)
Use this skill to create a sense of confidence in your troops. You can make a group of soldiers believe they are stronger than they actually are, bolstering their morale temporarily. You can also convince them that an enemy force is not quite as powerful as they believe it to be, or that a mission is less dangerous than it truly is. This bolstered confidence does not necessarily last long, and your words might be quickly forgotten if the tide of battle turns against the troops.
Check: Your successful Bluff check opposed by your troops’ Sense Motive check (consider a group of new recruits to have a +1 Sense Motive modifier for this purpose) provides the affected targets a +2 bonus on their next morale check. However, those same troops have a –2 penalty on every subsequent morale check in that battle. The –2 penalty endures past the current battle if the same commander is left in charge of the unit. Veteran troops (those of 2nd level or higher) are resistant to pep talks, having already experienced the reality of the battlefield. Such troops have a +6 modifier on their Sense Motive checks to oppose your Bluff check. This ability affects up to ten characters for every rank you have in the Bluff skill. If both new recruits and veterans are present, make a separate check for each. For example, if you wish to bolster the morale of a company of 60 soldiers (40 new recruits and 20 veterans), you must have at least 6 ranks in Bluff and would make two checks, one for the new recruits and another for the veterans. Characters of your level or higher are immune to this effect.
Circumstance
Sense Motive Modifier
The target wants to believe you
“You have trained for this. You are ready. They’ll never know what hit them”
-5
The bluff is believable.
Orcs don’t fight well in the sunlight! We can take them!”
0
The Bluff is a little hard to believe
“Ogres aren’t that much taller than you! Just gang up on them!”
+5
The bluff is hard to believe
“Back to the battle! that dragon can only breath fire once per day! Quick, let’s get him while he’s vulnerable.”
+10
Action: A Bluff check made to inspire troops requires a full-round action.
Try Again: Yes, but once you’ve attempted this check in a battle or prior to a battle, you can’t use it again on the same troops for at least 24 hours.
Special
SRD: A ranger gains a bonus on Bluff checks when using this skill against a favored enemy
SRD: The master of a snake familiar or Liar Psi-Crystal (XPH p.23) or Sea Snake (SW p.52) gains a +3 bonus on Bluff checks.
Ghostwalk p.11: The faces of Death Depending on how grody you died: penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Perform, and Charisma checks to Influence NPC attitudes: Disturbing; -2, Repulsive -6, Gruesome -10.
Heroes of Horror p.64: Moderate Corruption effects: Paralyzed Face: Your facial muscles grow so feeble that you can no longer smile, frown, or show any emotion. Gain a +1 bonus on Bluff checks and take a –1 penalty on other Charisma-based ability checks or skill checks.
OA p.10: Rokugan Humans Scorpion clan members receive bluff as a class skill.
Magic of Faerun p.45: The Crossroads: Cajoling the Guardian: At the crossroads, the seeker can use Charisma, Bluff, Diplomacy, or Perform to cajole the guardian into letting her travel the backroads.
Synergy
If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sleight of Hand checks, as well as on Disguise checks made when you know you're being observed and you try to act in character.
Decorations (Heroes of Battle p.89)
If a character wears a genuine decoration he didn’t earn, he still gets the circumstance bonus on interaction involving viewers who don’t know the truth of the matter. Only an especially knowledgeable NPC will be able to tell that the PC didn’t earn the medal. Often this boils down to a Bluff check on the part of the PC, opposed by the NPC’s Sense Motive check. Circumstance bonuses from multiple decorations ordinarily stack with each other as long as each decoration represents a different circumstance (generally meaning that it was earned in a different battle or campaign). Keep track of which other medals you possess, however, because it’s possible that an NPC will recognize a well-*known minor decoration but not an obscure service decoration.
Unpopular Decorations: Decorations are impressive to those you fought together with and those you fought on behalf of. Of course, if you strut around the communities of your enemies, they regard you decorations as badges of shame, not of honor. Few people know what the decoration of enemy nations mean, so their negative effect on interactions isn’t as great. Add 5 to the knowledge history check DC to determine the nature of a decoration from any army other than the one that ordinarily responsible for the local area. If an NPC succeeds on the check, her initial reaction to the PC is one category worse than it would otherwise be. Likewise the circumstance bonus on interactions becomes a penalty instead.
If a character want to use a fake decoration, in most cases, doing so requires a disguise check, although written proclamations would require a forgery check. If the PC fails, the NPC’s reaction worsens by at least two categories and the NPC will probably try to expose the character’s chicanery to others.
Decoration
Circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made to adjust an NPC’s reaction and on Intimidate checks made to change an NPC’s behavior.
Automatically Affected
Kowledge (history) DC to identify (and be affected)
1 point wound
-
Virtually everyone
10
2 point training
+1
Soldiers in the same army
20
2 point service (specific battle)
+1
Soldiers in the same army
18
4 point service (specific campaign)
+2
Soldiers in the same army
15
5 point
+2
Soldiers in the same army
12
10 point
+2
Soldiers in the same army; Political and religions leaders in army’s territory
10
20 point
+3
Everyone in army’s territory
10
40 point
+4
Everyone in army’s territory
10
80 point
+5
Everyone in army’s territory and neighboring territories
10
False decorations may be paired with Giving orders rules that appear in Power of Faerun page 30: (diplomacy for requests, intimidate for orders)
Gambling (Races of Destiny p.10.): : Competitors can employ other skills to improve their chances. If the game rewards bluffing and concealed motives, a Bluff check that’s higher than everyone else’s Sense Motive check earns the bluffer a bonus on his Profession (gambler) check equal to the difference between his Bluff result and the highest Sense Motive result.
Sharn: City of Two towers p.132: Legal Debate:
While circumstances can be an important mitigating factor, the fact of the matter is that the skill of the barrister plays the most important role in the outcome of the case. Over the course of the trial, each barrister makes three Profession (barrister) checks; compare the results, with the higher total winning the round. Whoever wins two out of three rounds wins the case. The DM should modify these rolls based on the circumstances of the case. If the jury is hostile, the prosecuting barrister receives a +1 to +5 circumstance bonus; if the jury is friendly, the defending barrister receives this bonus. A barrister with at least 5 ranks of Bluff or Diplomacy receives a +2 synergy bonus on his check; these bonuses are cumulative. There is no rule stating that a recognized barrister must represent a defendant, so a character can choose to speak in his own defense or to appoint a friend as his advocate.
Book of Vile Deeds p.37 Torture:
Of course, a victim can choose to reveal the information before torture is applied. Merely threatening to use a torture device against a victim can be effective: If the torturer succeeds on a Bluff check opposed by the victim’s Sense Motive check, the torturer can use half of the device’s circumstance bonus on her subsequent Intimidate check.
Book of Vile Deeds p.38 Lying under Torture:
A victim can attempt to mislead a torturer, pretending to give up the real information in hopes the torturer will end the pain. The victim’s Bluff check is opposed by the torturer’s Sense Motive check if the victim lies or misleads the torturer during the interrogation. Because the torturer is convinced of her methods—that pain reveals truth, and that torture can’t be withstood—the torturer is more likely to believe even the most outlandish lie. The torturer takes a –3 circumstance penalty on Sense Motive checks to see through the bluffs of those she tortures. Even victims who don’t really know the information sought by the torturer can be compelled to lie to make the hurt go away.
Complete adventurer p.102 Assessing an opponent (Sense Motive) or staying unassessed (Bluff)
A successful assessment reveals that your foe belongs in one of two adjacent categories (for example, “Easy” or “A fair fight”). If your Sense Motive check result exceeds the opposed Bluff check result by 10 or more, you can narrow the result down to a single category. By contrast, if the target’s Bluff check result equals or slightly exceeds your Sense Motive check result, you gain no useful information. If the target’s Bluff check result exceeds your Sense Motive check result by 5 or more, you may (at the DM’s option) gain a false impression, believing your opponent to be much stronger or weaker than he really is (equal chance of either). If the target’s Bluff check result exceeds your Sense Motive check result by 10 or more, your assessment is off by at least two categories (for example, a dire threat might be assessed as a fair fight).
Synergy checks with Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) & (Religion) (Races of Destiny p.148)
You can use this skill to discover the levels of bureaucracy within a royal household, government, or other large body of authority or to understand the structure of authority within a church, cult, or other religious organization. If you make a check (DC 15 + organization size modifier; see text), you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Gather Information checks pertaining to that particular organization for one week. However, failure by 5 or more means you make a false assessment of the situation, imposing a –2 penalty on the use of those skills for one week instead.
Games (Cityscape p.44):
As many bar games exist as bars. Regardless of the game, using magic to influence the outcome is seen as cheating.
Games of Skill: In some taverns, a card game known as Three- Dragon Ante is popular. Others use chesslike boardgames to test players’ prowess. To determine the winner of a game of skill, choose the most relevant skill for the main check. For many card games, it’s Bluff. For a boardgame such as chess, Knowledge (history) might be more relevant. Then choose two other skills that matter, but are clearly secondary. Sense Motive, Bluff, and a Knowledge skill are good choices. A character with at least 5 ranks in either of the secondary skills gains a +2 bonus on the main skill check (or +4 if she has 5 ranks in both). Then all participants attempt opposed skill checks. As an exception to the usual rules, a character can use a Knowledge skill untrained if it’s the relevant skill for a game, as long as someone takes the time beforehand to explain the rules to her.
Guards deciding on He said/She said: Sharn, City of Two Towers p.128A wealthy nobleman starts a fight with one of the adventurers. After a few blows have been exchanged, a Watch patrol comes around the corner. The guards put a stop to the battle, and the sergeant asks for an explanation. What happens next? Unfortunately, Sharn is a very corrupt city. The soldiers of the Watch and the Guard respect people who appear to be wealthy, and are happy to accept bribes. In any sort of “your word versus mine” situation, each side in the conflict should choose one member to make a Diplomacy or Bluff check; the guard accepts the word of the side that gets the better result. The modifiers below apply to a character’s check: Bribes also help. A character gets a +1 to the roll for every 2 gp he slips the guard up to 10 gp (for a +5 bonus). Each additional 10 gp adds another +1 to the roll, up to 50 gp (for a +9 bonus). Thereafter, every 25 gp adds another +1 to the roll. So a bribe of 125 gp provides a +12 bonus. These are guidelines, and the DM can always adjust them based on the specific guard involved. A sergeant who is a shifter, half-orc, warforged, or changeling usually gives a +2 bonus to members of his own race. The guards of Tavick’s Landing do not accept bribes and are not positively influenced by clothing (the –4 penalty for wearing peasant clothing still applies).
Situation
Modifier
Situation
Modifier
Resident of upper ward or Wearing royal outfit
+6
Each impartial witness
+2
Wearing noble’s outfit
+4
Warforged or changeling
-2
Wearing courtier’s outfit
+2
Shifter, half-orc, or goblinoid
-1
Wearing traveler’s outfit
-2
Monstrous humanoid
-4
Wearing peasant outfit
-4
Non-resident
-2
Ecclesiarch or Member of dragon-marked house
+3
Not a citizen of Breland or Resident of lower ward
-4
Other Skill Guides
Disable Device (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?520223-Saboteur-s-Cookbook-Masterwork-Disable-Device-tools&p=21875860#post21875860)
Knowledge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?514547-The-Library-of-Knowledge-Getting-the-most-out-of-your-studies&p=21683962)
Survival (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?500214-Survival-Skill-Survival-Guide)