I can see clearly now... (New Graft)

[Altair_the_Vexed]

From the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (http://www.blackmask.com/books82c/dcvgr.htm)
– a great source of fluffy slang to give a good archaic feel to your game.

TO AMUSE. To fling dust or snuff in the eyes of the person intended to be robbed; also to invent some plausible tale, to delude shop-keepers and others, thereby to put them off their guard. CANT.
AMUSERS. Rogues who carried snuff or dust in their pockets, which they threw into the eyes of any person they intended to rob; and running away, their accomplices (pretending to assist and pity the half-blinded person) took that opportunity of plundering him.

These two made me think of a crude alchemical preparation:
Dust of Distraction
A fine powder that, when cast at a victim, causes her to be Dazed (as the spell). Further, the Dust may partially blind the victim, giving her a –4 penalty to Spot and Search checks for 1d3 rounds. The victim gets a Reflex save (DC 11) to avoid the Daze effect, and a Fortitude save (DC13) to avoid the partial blinding.
Maximum Range: 5 feet. DC to make (Craft [Alchemy]): 15
Cost: 4gp to make, 12gp to buy. Bag contains 3 doses.

[edit: finished]

[Catch]

That, I like. The save is a wee bit low, but I understand that it's alchemical, not magic. I'd bump the saves to 11 and 13, respectively. Off the top of my head, I'd say the craft DC would be about 15.

Nice work.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Thanks Catch.

Modified the original to up the saves and put in the Alchemy DC.
I'm arbitarily adding a cost of 10gp to make and 20gp to buy - based losely on the smokestick cost from the PHB.

[TBPBenni]

I like this a lot. The average rogue/ninja/bard/monk/determined salesman could get some mileage out of blinding powder.

My only suggestion, and I realize it's more an expediency thing than anything, is to maybe fold the Fortitude save into the Reflex save, and applying both effects at the same time. Two saves in a relatively short period of time is just barely enough of a gameflow hiccup that it's noticeable.

But seriously, this is a very cool idea. =)

[Maelstrom]

How many uses in each "pouch"? If just one or two, you'll need to drop the cost -- spending 20 GP to rob someone of a few coins makes no sense... Besides, compounds to make this could be as common as sand...

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Hmmm... The smokestick cost of 20gp only gives you one use... but it fills an volume of space and lasts longer...

Okay - let's say it's 3 uses per bag/box, 5gp to make and 10gp to buy.

I dunno about blending the saves together... Sure it'll save time, but it makes the effect much more powerful. Would it be terribly bad form to use the same roll for the two saves? I don't know if there's a precedent for that, but it'd help - and that way anyone with a better FORT save than REF would most likely not be blinded, just Dazed.

[Corestimah]

To Evaluate And Critique Honestly ;D

I think it's fairly well balanced as is. My only concern is that, unlike other Alchemical items, this dust is sold and created in batches of three doses. Also, you list the material cost as one half the market price, when the standard for the craft skill and mundane and alchemical goods is one third Market Price (and isn't listed with the item). Perhaps you could have it be 3-5 Gp per dose, and lose the creation cost. Other than those points, a well designed little item.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Thanks Corestimah - I haven't got the books here to reference, I was just working from memory...

Now I'll adjust the cost and call it done.
8)