[PF] Stealthy Spellcasting Question

[CheshireCatAW]

Are there rules or feats or skill tricks that let you attempt to stealthily cast a spell?

Point is an enchanter would like to know how to make his spell casting less vulgar.

EDIT: He is planning to be a Cleric in case that changes things.

[Engine]

Uhm, Still Spell and Silent Spell?

[CheshireCatAW]

Counter intuitive as it may seem, neither of those prevent people from recognizing that you are actually casting a spell. Everybody, even people without spellcraft, know that you are casting a spell, even if you use Still Spell, Silent Spell and Eschew Materials.

[Need_A_Life]

False Theurgy (a skill trick from Complete Scoundrel) is your best bet.
I'd let people take skill tricks as a Trait or make them only cost 1 skill point rather than 2 in Pathfinder, as skills were made more useful.

[Engine]

Counter intuitive as it may seem, neither of those prevent people from recognizing that you are actually casting a spell. Everybody, even people without spellcraft, know that you are casting a spell, even if you use Still Spell, Silent Spell and Eschew Materials.

How, exactly?

[CheshireCatAW]

I could be wrong (this is in fact why I am asking on the boards). None of the feats say that they make it more difficult for others to see that you are casting spells. All the feats say is that you can cast the spell without a particular component (Verbal, Somatic, Material).

To the best of my knowledge people automatically know that you are casting a spell, they just need a check to figure out what particular spell you are casting. None of the above feats say that they make it more difficult to notice you casting a spell.

Am I incorrect?

[Engine]

Well, there's nothing in the rules that says that anyone knows you're casting a spell even if they see you doing that with all the components.
There's just the part about identifying a spell in the Spellcraft description, so I assume that if no one can see & hear you doing something strange they couldn't know you're casting a spell.

[CheshireCatAW]

That makes sense and was the conclusion I came to as well. However I also know that many times what makes the most sense is not necessarily the way the game works.

[Cieyrin]

Basically what happens when you cast a Still Silent spell is you just stand there, looking intense till it goes off. So, really, it's not that they know you're casting a spell, it's just that you're standing there doing something and then, when the spell goes off, they realize you were casting. If what you're pursuing is casting while others are watching you, creating distractions or hiding is probably the best solution. Have people between you and your target and then cast your Still Silent spell while they distract your target can do wonders. Or find an excuse to leave the room and, when you think you're alone and out of line of sight, cast a Silent spell and come back in after an amount of time for whatever your excuse was with the spell in effect.

Also note that a spell that lacks components can't be identified prior to the fact, so it's useful for those situations.

[Crasical]

There is a cleric archetype that allows you to disguise your spellcasting as that of another class, such as a wizard, alchemist, or bard.

[Jeraa]

A Stilled, Silent, Eschew Materials spell still provokes an attack of opportunity, so there is something happening that causes you to drop your guard. Whatever it is, its enough to let other know you are doing something.

[Cieyrin]

A Stilled, Silent, Eschew Materials spell still provokes an attack of opportunity, so there is something happening that causes you to drop your guard. Whatever it is, its enough to let other know you are doing something.

Unless you Cast Defensively, then you stand there with your staff in front of you, looking intense. :smallwink:

[grarrrg]

Dip a level of Bard, and shove points into a Perform skill.

Spellsong (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/spellsong)

They'll know that your doing "something", but not necessarily that you're casting a spell.

[Cieyrin]

Dip a level of Bard, and shove points into a Perform skill.

Spellsong (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/spellsong)

They'll know that your doing "something", but not necessarily that you're casting a spell.

Certainly an option if Bard, since they still have a ban on Silent Spell in place.

[grarrrg]

Certainly an option if Bard, since they still have a ban on Silent Spell in place.

The Hidden Priest Cleric (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/cleric/archetypes/paizo---cleric-archetypes/hidden-priest) just needs to roll REALLY good on their "disguise as Bard spell" check.

Good enough to fool the DM even!:smallbiggrin:

[imneuromancer]

Bluff, I believe, would be what you are looking for