Ranger spells

[Yogibear41]

What are some great ranger spells that either have no verbal component, or have very long durations(at least hour/level, the longer the better) or for some reason or another can be used by someone who can't speak.

[BowStreetRunner]

Whiles there are a few ranger spells with no verbal component, I can't say all of them are necessarily that great. The best that I can think of is Hunter's Mercy (SC 117). You might also look at the Sanctified spells from BoED, unless your character is evil.

As for long-duration spells, I would highly recommend the Primal spells from Dragon Magic (Primal Hunter, Primal Instinct, Primal Senses and Primal Speed from DM 71-72) which all have a 24 hour duration and get better when you cast more than one of them. Other good ones include Longstrider (PH 249), Mass Longstrider (PH2 170), Forestfold (SC 98), and Deeper Darkvision (SC 62) all at an hour/level.

[lycantrope]

Depending on your dm, dark elf silent speak is the only official sign language that I'm aware of in 3.5, and could "in theory" be used to fulfill verbal components. I'd allow it, anyway.

[BowStreetRunner]

Depending on your dm, dark elf silent speak is the only official sign language that I'm aware of in 3.5, and could "in theory" be used to fulfill verbal components. I'd allow it, anyway.

Since the somatic component is gesturing and the verbal component is speaking don't you think if this were possible spellcasters would just make spells with somatic components only? Between the Nonverbal Spell feat and Silent Spell feat, I think using Drow Sign Language to bypass verbal components (as well as to bypass vulnerability to silence spells and listen checks) is a bit much. You are giving something that normally costs a feat (and a spell level) in exchange for a couple of skill points in Speak Language?

[Grayson01]

You don't even need to waste skill points if you take it at first level. (depending how strict the DM is with Bonus language restrictions I have never played a game where a DM held to that with the exception of Druidic. And it is a pretty powerful by pass. honestly I think I might have played 3 Charcters that didn't take Drow Sign. It has way to many tactical aplications.


Since the somatic component is gesturing and the verbal component is speaking don't you think if this were possible spellcasters would just make spells with somatic components only? Between the Nonverbal Spell feat and Silent Spell feat, I think using Drow Sign Language to bypass verbal components (as well as to bypass vulnerability to silence spells and listen checks) is a bit much. You are giving something that normally costs a feat (and a spell level) in exchange for a couple of skill points in Speak Language?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Actually, DotU explicitly forbids that little potential exploit. Drow sign can't be used for the verbal component of a spell.

[lycantrope]

Actually, DotU explicitly forbids that little potential exploit. Drow sign can't be used for the verbal component of a spell.

Honestly, it had never come up before, so i guess this settles it.

[Norin]

Depending on your dm, dark elf silent speak is the only official sign language that I'm aware of in 3.5, and could "in theory" be used to fulfill verbal components. I'd allow it, anyway.

Somehow i imagined a draegloth caster now, using his main arms for somatic and his tiny extra set of t-rex type arms for sign language verbal component....

Not sure why, but the mental image amused me.

[HalfQuart]

For Ranger spells that have no Verbal component, this is all I could come up with:


Spell Level Source
Accelerated Movement 1 SpC
Eyes of Avoral 1 BoED
Hide from Animals 1 PHB
Hunter's Mercy 1 SpC
Impede Sun's Brilliance 1 Sand
Invoke the Cerulean Sign 2 LoM
Naturewatch 1 SpC
Skunk Scent 1 FoW
Stalking Brand 1 SpC
Tojanida's Sight 2 Storm
Wings of the Sea 1 SpC
Kind of sparse for a "sneaky" character class.

[lycantrope]

Thinking about it again, I'd probably break the rules and allow silent speak to work for a character like this anyway. Ranger has a hard enough time, and allowing this to work wouldn't really affect balance in any way, especially if the character isn't an arcane order mystic ranger. That said, nothing is really stopping the silent ranger from dmm'ing silent spell his way to victory with a strategic cleric/cleric prc dip, but forcing this action effectively nerfs the ranger. Allowing silent speak ranger casting with a home brew feat seems like the fairest option, if possible.

[HalfQuart]

Assuming he's using it more for flavor and not for some game-breaking high-op synergy cheese, I'd just let him take Silent Spell and use it without adjusting the level of the spell slot. There are some nice ranger spells, but they generally get so few spells/day that even just the cost of a feat would be balance enough in my opinion.