Does anyone have any suggestions for how a Bard character could deal with having a Silence effect dropped on them?
Obviously, if the Silence effect is stationary and the Bard can move, then there's option of moving away from the effect (if possible).
And if the Silence effect is on a mobile object, then there's the option of moving the object away from the Bard instead (if possible).
But other than that ... Any good tips on useful feats, spells, magic items, bardic masterpieces, archetypes, etc.?
Perform (dance)
There is no requirement that a bardic performance be auditory. As long as the party can see the bard, a visual performance is fine.
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/disrupt-silence/
Cast this.....
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/disrupt-silence/
Cast this.....
...but be aware of the limits. Silence is a 20' radius emanation, while Disrupt Silence is only a 10' radius emanation. So it won't completely cover the silenced area. Worst case, you end up with a donut shape area where sound works in the middle but still doesn't reach outside the silenced area. That's good enough for the bard to cast spells with verbal components, but sound still won't reach people "outside".
Bards are a medium BAB class with proficiency in a few decent weapons. Just because they cannot use spells, and some performances does not mean they cannot do anything. Make sure your bard has a decent DEX and give him weapon finesse. Then if you are affected by a silence spell stick the caster with your rapier.
Most bardic performances are shut down by silence. But both Inspire Courage and Distraction can be used with only visual components. Inspire courage is probably the main performance a bard will use in combat. Distraction specifically states it relies on visual components and does not mention that it can use audio components. Since Distraction can only use perform act, comedy, dance or oratory all those performances must have visual components. Therefore, any of those performance skills can be used in a silence field for Inspire Courage.
It might seem strange that perform oratory can be used without audio components, but a lot of effective speaking relies on body language. It might be a good idea to check with the GM before assuming you can use oratory in a silence field.
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Disrupt silence is definitely your best friend.
Just be sure to talk it over with your GM ahead of time. It is clearly supposed to be a counter for silence, and is on the bard spell list, but an over-literal or antagonistic GM might point to the line in the bard class description that says "Every bard spell has a verbal component" to say you can't cast it in silence even though a cleric, inquisitor, or psychic could.
Bottled Scream is a magic item that automatically dispels silence (single use, but isn't too expensive to ever buy).
Perform (dance)
There is no requirement that a bardic performance be auditory. As long as the party can see the bard, a visual performance is fine.
Actually, that is not true. Each bardic performance states what components it uses.
Disrupt silence is definitely your best friend.
Just be sure to talk it over with your GM ahead of time. It is clearly supposed to be a counter for silence, and is on the bard spell list, but an over-literal or antagonistic GM might point to the line in the bard class description that says "Every bard spell has a verbal component" to say you can't cast it in silence even though a cleric, inquisitor, or psychic could.
Bottled Scream is a magic item that automatically dispels silence (single use, but isn't too expensive to ever buy).
Disrupt silence will still have a verbal component when cast by a bard. But the spell has a duration of 1 round per level. That means that a bard would need to cast it outside the silence, but after that would be able to ignore the silence.
Actually, that is not true. Each bardic performance states what components it uses.Perform (dance)
There is no requirement that a bardic performance be auditory. As long as the party can see the bard, a visual performance is fine.
OK, fair. There are some performances that specifically require an auditory component. For those that don't, dance, act, and comedy work as visual-only ones.
...but be aware of the limits. Silence is a 20' radius emanation, while Disrupt Silence is only a 10' radius emanation. So it won't completely cover the silenced area. Worst case, you end up with a donut shape area where sound works in the middle but still doesn't reach outside the silenced area. That's good enough for the bard to cast spells with verbal components, but sound still won't reach people "outside".https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/disrupt-silence/
Cast this.....
"Additionally, disrupt silence can automatically counter or dispel any magical silence effect of equal or lower level cast upon the same target, such as silence."
Silence would be dispelled.
"Additionally, disrupt silence can automatically counter or dispel any magical silence effect of equal or lower level cast upon the same target, such as silence."
Silence would be dispelled.
If you know the target of the original silence effect, yes. If you're just moving one emanation into the other, then no.
Disrupt Silence can do two things. First if you cast it on a creature, object or point of space it negates magical silence within the area (10-ft radius) for the duration of the spell. Second if the cast it on a target that has a silence spell on it will either automatically dispel any silence effect of an equal or lower level than the spell. If the silence effect is higher level than disrupt silence you have to roll a caster level check vs the silence effect as per dispel magic. Since the range of Disrupt Silence is touch and all bard spells have a verbal component that means a bard cannot use the second function but can use the first function.
What.....? No mime jokes?
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or use a wand instead
As mentioned above, wands have a command word (spoken) to activate. Disrupt silence can be made into an oil (range is touch) so that bypasses the issue entirely.
I’m still personally of the opinion that a bard should be able to use the spell without a verbal component. Yes, I’m the one who quoted the line about all bard spells having a verbal component. No, the spell doesn’t make a specific exception. But the spell is quite literally meant to help when confronted with silence and is in very few spell lists - including bard. Likely the author just forgot about the bard-specific rule. There are plenty of similar error examples in the lifespan of PF1. Alchemists can’t make extracts of spells with focus components but there are multiple spells with focus components on the alchemist spell list.
I grok do u specified using UMD and a scroll. Since a bard would not need UMD if it the scroll is a bard spell that mean the scroll is not a bard spell and therefore not subject to the rule that all bard spells must have a verbal component. Since bards get early access to Disrupt Silence that will mean it is a 3rd level spell instead of a 2nd.
Bards are a CHA based skill heavy class that gets UMD as a class skill. It is not that hard for a bard to get a high UMD roll. At that point a bard can use wands, scrolls, staves of all classes. Using other spells from other classes gives the bard another way to deal with Silence. Not all wands and staves use command words. All the bard has to do is to buy a couple of wands or a staff that does not use a command word.
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All the bard has to do is to buy a couple of wands or a staff that does not use a command word.
What wands or staffs don't use a command word?
Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method
Activation: Staves use the spell trigger activation method
Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken.
I forgot about that part, but scrolls should still work.
UMD allows you to use other magic items besides spell trigger and completion items. It still gives the bard options when affected by silence spell.
Disrupt silence will still have a verbal component when cast by a bard. But the spell has a duration of 1 round per level. That means that a bard would need to cast it outside the silence, but after that would be able to ignore the silence.Disrupt silence is definitely your best friend.
Just be sure to talk it over with your GM ahead of time. It is clearly supposed to be a counter for silence, and is on the bard spell list, but an over-literal or antagonistic GM might point to the line in the bard class description that says "Every bard spell has a verbal component" to say you can't cast it in silence even though a cleric, inquisitor, or psychic could.
Bottled Scream is a magic item that automatically dispels silence (single use, but isn't too expensive to ever buy).
I'd disagree with that. Yes, the bard rules say "every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music)." But this spell does not. You know as well as I that in Pathfinder, the specific overrides the general. Even if that general is the word "every".
Until and unless that spell gets errata, it works.
I get it that different GMs will rule differently here, but one who applies the general bard wording over the specific spell text is a} willfully screwing their player and b} disregarding a decade of precedent on how rules are supposed to be parsed.
We play at our GMs' whim but that doesn't mean they're right, or should be encouraged to disregard how the system works.
By that logic any bard spell without a verbal component does not have them. If that is the case why bother with the rule in the first place.
Another thing to consider is that for bard Disrupt Silence is a 2nd level spell. To all other classes including inquisitor it is a 3rd level spell. So, while the spell is not as functional for a bard it is also a lower-level spell.
I would rule it the other way around as well. The general rule would be the general spell's description, as the the Spell is available for other classes as well.
The bard would be the specific rule, which states that all bard spells have a verbal component.
An even more specific rule would be applying meta magic silent spell to it, which would remove any verbal component.
So I would it rule in the following order:
Spell Description < Bard Rule < Metamagic
Yes, and the Silent Spell metamagic feat also says,
Special: Bard spells cannot be enhanced by this feat.
Ah, never mind then, didn't remember the special part of silent spell.
Well, reading all these comments, I think I'm gonna start investing in scrolls written in braille (and learn to read braille) and scrolls with dispel magic modified by silent spell.
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It's actually listed with the Verbal notation for bards and skalds? That is pretty telling.if we are talking scroll, Disrupt Silence
Source Ultimate Intrigue pg. 212
School abjuration; Level bard(verbal) 2, cleric 3, inquisitor 3, oracle 3, psychic 3, skald(verbal) 2, warpriest 3.
It’s not listed as such.
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We know we like to argue and split hairs on this board, but in this case I think we (and I include myself in that we) are missing the forest for the trees.
I never did take this spell on any of my bards. Because there are better choices for my limited number of 2nd-level spells known that one that is only useful in a very rare circumstance. I did carry around a Bottled Scream - because even though silence is rare it is devastating if you aren’t ready for it. (Oil of disrupt silence is slightly cheaper but the Scream is an automatic dispel.)
The outcome of this debate only matters if a bard or skald has this as a spell known. And probably no one is going to do that unless their campaign is silence-heavy for some reason. In which case they will definitely talk out the implications with their GM.