[3.5] Silent Spell for bards?

[Valwyn]

Just wondering, is there a way for Bards to get Silent Spell? I know of Joyful Noise, but that hardly helps in a grapple or similar situation. So far I found three solutions:

Metamagic Rod of Silent Spell.

Mask of Silent Trickery: twice per day use Silent Spell on enchantment or illusion spells as a swift mental action.

Ring of Silent Spells: once per day cast a Silence spell on yourself as a swift (command) action and then you can cast up to three 3rd level spells.

Are there any other ways?

[Andreaz]

Bard spells cannot be enhanced by Silent Spell.
Items that emulate the feat would therefore be just as useless.

[Valwyn]

Too bad. I thought they just couldn't take the feat itself.

[Douglas]

By a strict technical reading of RAW those might work, but I think the clear intent is that they shouldn't. The whole point of the restriction on the feat is that Bard spellcasting is inherently vocal and cannot work with the verbal component removed.

[mattie_p]

They can take the feat. In certain builds it might even be useful (wiz/bard/UM). However, as it says on the tin, "Bard spells cannot be enhanced by this metamagic feat."

[Valwyn]

I guess that's true. Still, there are a few non-verbal spells in the bard's list. I guess those are probably exceptions to the rule.

[mattie_p]

I guess that's true. Still, there are a few non-verbal spells in the bard's list. I guess those are probably exceptions to the rule.

Nope, the verbal or sound based components are added by the bard, due to this phrase in the bard class description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/bard.htm):


Every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music).

[Douglas]

Nope, the verbal or sound based components are added by the bard, due to this phrase in the bard class description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/bard.htm):
That is a general rule. When a spell that only appears on the Bard list denotes a set of components that do not include verbal, that is a specific rule that overrides it.

[mattie_p]

That is a general rule. When a spell that only appears on the Bard list denotes a set of components that do not include verbal, that is a specific rule that overrides it.

Yes, this is correct. The only spell I am aware of that does this is Joyful Noise (SpC), however. (Based on a search on here (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndlive/FindSpell.php), then double-checking for accuracy).

[Devils_Advocate]

The Disguise Spell feat from Complete Adventurer can be used to... disguise spells, unsurprisingly.

As for grappling, wouldn't you want Still Spell for that? It interferes with somatic, not verbal, components.

Also, Ring of Freedom of Movement (http://agc.deskslave.org/comics/AGC22-11.GIF).

[SaintRidley]

I am now imagining the concept of a mime-based bard. Or one based on Drow Sign Language.

Especially if it involves singing in sign language.