Opinion on Conceal Spell Feat

[This Side]

Hey all,

I am about to start Hell's Rebels AP and am looking into a class option that grants the Conceal Spell feat, without needing to meet the Prereqs (so I can avoid the Deceitful feat tax). Seeing as the AP plot is centered around intrigue, deception, and social situations, it seems like an appealing way to use magic to influence non-combat situations (charm person, etc.). However, I am not sure how easy it is to actually use Conceal Spell, or if some magic rules I don't know about make it unlikely to work the way I hope.

Has anyone used Conceal Spell with any degree of success?

[QuidEst]

I recommend a psychic caster with Cunning Caster. It's an opposed check, so you get to use the bonus from the feat tax.

Oracle with the Intrigue mystery can grab Conceal Spell without pre-reqs, but I think that's about it. Vizier Mesmerist can make it look like an ally is casting, and there's a PrC with good non-psychic hidden casting, but both of those aren't quite right.

[ohako]

Conceal Spell is naaaassty hard to use, as written.

1) Say you want to feint. Okay, fine, roll to feint. Then, roll to actually _hit_. Succeed at two checks or nothing happens. Feinting is basically terrible, but if you have a massive Bluff bonus, you can perhaps skate with it.

2) Say you want to Conceal a Spell. Okay, fine, the other guy rolls his _highest_ of 3 different skills, and you hope he fails. Then, he rolls a saving throw. Will negates? Crap!

Want to have an easier time concealing your spell? Figure out how to reduce the bonus of _3 different skills_ for _everyone in the room_, rather than just boosting one skill of your own. Good luck!

Oh, yeah, if you're a mesmerist there's a bold stare or two that can reduce _one_ of those skills (Perception) for _one_ person. Good luck!

Cunning Caster is massively superior. This is why it isn't PFS legal

[Porridge]

The Hell's Rebels Rebellion rules give the PCs free feats (from a restricted list) at various stages, and these feats include the feat tax for Cunning Caster and Conceal Spell (the Deceitful feat). So the AP has a built in way to make getting Cunning Caster and Conceal Spell a bit less of a burden.

Cunning Caster is best for psychic spell casters, but also doable for other casters (preferably cha-based ones who can max Bluff). Conceal Spell is... almost always inferior. I'd stick with Cunning Caster.

In any case, to answer your question on whether it's worth getting feats like this: it depends on the play style of your group, but if you're going for a secret ops/social intrigue type of party, something like this is definitely worth picking up.

[This Side]

Quote:

Oracle with the Intrigue mystery can grab Conceal Spell without pre-reqs, but I think that's about it. Vizier Mesmerist can make it look like an ally is casting, and there's a PrC with good non-psychic hidden casting, but both of those aren't quite right.

I am playing an Oracle with the Intrigue mystery, and am mostly trying to decide if taking the revelation that gives Conceal Spell is worth the opportunity cost of forgoing other revelations (such as applying CHA to perception and sense motive).

I was already leaning towards not taking Conceal Spell, so I think this confirms my suspicions that while it adds a lot of flavor, mechanically it's unlikely to work all that often. I will definitely look into Cunning Caster (as I'll have a pretty high bluff check).