I'm playing an Oracle and sometimes it'd just be nice to cast a spell without anybody noticing.
As an example, I'm playing a campaign based on the Drow Tales comic and there are several off-shoots of the Drow are pressent. I'm an Ancient Dark Elf, almost extinct. Trying to get into the city, a guard asked for entry gold but I was rescued by a noble of the area (Another player).
For his cheek, as my character walked into the city, she cast Dancing Lights directly in-front of the guard's eyes... and got shot by another guard for doing so.
How would one cast spells without anybody seeing or noticing?
Still Spell + Silent Spell.
Basically, to be unseen and unheard, your spell needs to have no Verbal or Somatic components. Some spells already don't have one or the other, so you only need to use Still Spell or Silent Spell feats to get rid of whichever observable components you have on the spell you're trying to cast.
However, some DMs don't play it that way. For example, I don't ever allow spellcasting to be undetectable, and there is reason within the RAW to support this.
Note that if you are fighting (or just watching) some other spellcaster, and he casts a spell, you can attempt to figure out what spell he is casting by making a Spellcraft check of DC 15+the level of the spell. This is automatic; you don't have to make any kind of Perception check first (although distance and other conditions that would affect Perception checks also affect this Spellcraft check).
Further note that neither the Still Spell feat nor the Silent Spell feat alter this roll in any way, which means that if you wish to use your Spellcraft to identify a Still/Silent spell as it is being cast, the DC is exactly the same as if that caster didn't use either of those feats.
Which means that, by RAW, using these feats does NOT make spellcasting "without notice" (although as I initially stated, some DMs play it that way). Which means that, by RAW, it is impossible to do what you want.
The way I see it, if you have a Verbal component, everyone within earshot will automatically know you are casting a spell. If you have a Somatic component, everyone within reasonable vision range will automatically know you are casting a spell unless their attention is focused elsewhere (if they are in combat, their attention cannot be focused elsewhere unless someone first makes a successful Bluff check to create a Diversion). However, if you can eliminate both the Verbal and the Somatic components, then only someone who is directly observing you will know that you are casting a spell. If nobody is directly observing you, then your spellcasting will not be noticed. If observers are casually looking in your direction, you can use Stealth vs. their Perception to remain unnoticed. Note that this is all houserule at this point - what I said above about it being impossible is the RAW.
Still Spell + Silent Spell.
That simple, eh?
Still Spell + Silent Spell.That simple, eh?
Actually, no.
I clarified my original answer for you.
Oh, my. That is rather unfortunate.
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You'd need to look at a 3.5 book named Cityscape and a meta-magic feat named Deceptive Spell for the best option of casting spells without it being noticed as coming from you. The book had a large section dedicated to spell casting in cities and the like, it was a very nice book. It had the Invisible Spell meta-magic feat too.
Bards also had a feat that they could cast spells while playing music and a spot or spellcraft check had to beat your perform check for them to know you were the source of the spell.
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Oh, my. That is rather unfortunate.
The best way to describe is that every PC, NPC and so forth that has Spellcraft trained as a skill or has ranks in it can "feel" the magic being cast. Like the hairs on the back of the neck sticking up. Of course as a DM I would allow both still and silent spell feats to add 5 each to the DC to the spellcraft check. Also maybe allow a slight of hand to conceal Somatic casting at -10 to the result. Say if they fail it by more than 5 they fail to realize a spell was cast.
Personally that is how I would handle it.
Still Spell + Silent Spell.That simple, eh?
Don't forget Eschew Materials ...
There was a skill trick in complete scoundrel that allowed you to cast a spell unnoticed with sleight of hand.
How exactly SoH obscured the Verbal part of the spell was left unexplained....
AFAIK there is no way to avoid being counter-spelled when you cast a spell, even if the spell has't any component.
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I could have swore that there used to be some kind of rule about using Sleight of Hand to cast unnoticed, or maybe this was a class feature or feat. Anyone remember?
It's an alternative use of Pick Pockets. From Races of Stone:
"SLEIGHT OF HAND
(DEX; TRAINED ONLY)
Sleight of Hand is a well-known skill of rogues, thieves, and street magicians everywhere. It also has a practical use to the magic-using world, allowing spellcasters to cast their spells while avoiding the notice of others.
Check: When casting a spell, you may make a Sleight of Hand check to make your verbal and somatic components less obtrusive, muttering magic words under your breath and making magic gestures within your sleeves. Your Sleight of Hand check is opposed by any observer's Spot check. The observer's success doesn't prevent you from casting the spell, just from doing it unnoticed.
Action: None. You make the check as part of your normal spellcasting.
Try Again: Yes, but after an initial failure, you take a -10 penalty on a second Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target (or while the same observer who noticed your previous attempt is watching you)."
The skill trick from Complete Scoundrel is:
"Conceal Spellcasting
(CSco p085)
Manipulation
Concentration: 1 rank
Sleight of Hand: 5 ranks
Spellcraft: 1 rank
You can keep viewers from realizing that you are casting a spell by making an Opposed Sleight of Hand vs. Spot check. Opponents who fail the check do not gain an Attack of Opportunity or attempt to Counter your spell."
...but the skill trick is more expensive IMO...I would just go with the alternative use of Pick Pockets.
...but the skill trick is more expensive IMO...I would just go with the alternative use of Pick Pockets.
Maybe, but I would urge a little caution with that.
This one simple application of a basic skill in which anyone can become "trained" by spending a single skill rank has the potential to nearly invalidate two feats. Sure, this skill won't help you if you're bound or silenced, but those are rare occurrences (at least they have been rare in all the campaigns I have played).
Far more common use of Still Spell and especialy Silent Spell is casting pre-combat buffs when the monsters are just around the next corner of the dungeon. The caster doesn't want to be heard. So he takes a feat for pre-buffing.
Allowing this altertanitve use of Sleight of Hand completely undermines these feats for use as stealthy spellcasting.
I'm not saying don't do it; just be sure that you're willing to live with the consequences.
How exactly SoH obscured the Verbal part of the spell was left unexplained....
It didnt have to obscure them, just make it not obvious they are part of casting a spell. I could mutter to myself and twiddle my thumbs like a crazy person, and your first guess might not be 'he's a wizard!'. You might still hear the sound, but just not associate me saying that with the effect of a spell being cast.
Using Slight of Hand to mask Somatic components? Sure. But why exactly would someone be better at "muttering" because they're a skilled pick pocket? Sorry, doesn't make any sense to me.
This one simple application of a basic skill in which anyone can become "trained" by spending a single skill rank has the potential to nearly invalidate two feats.
The skill grant an opposed check, which means you will have to spend more than one skill point to use it.
And not preparing a stilled freedom of movement or silenced dispel magic would still be suicidal for most casters.
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In 2nd edition Dark Sun, wizards were hated and often killed. There was a non-weapon profiencicy (sp?) call somatic concealment that allowed them to cast spells discreetly. You wipe your nose and cough-speak kind of thing. I see no problem with using sleight of hand in this way, or just make somatic concealment a new skill in your game. Hope that helps.