Spells for Stealthing.

[Qc Storm]

We will soon be infiltrating a castle of sorts. Most likely heavily guarded. We can't exactly afford to fight the entire garrison at once, so we need to move discreetly and pick our fights, potentially avoiding some.

The party consists of me, Factotum Chameleon and only caster. There is a Crusader and a Scout/Barbarian charger, as well as a new Rogue (just joined and doesn't quite master all of his abilities yet).

We are level 11. We are not exactly the stealthiest of groups, but I can cast Iron Silence to make that armor less clanky.

What I'm mostly looking for is some dependable spells to put on scrolls. I already got Silence and Gaseous Form covered. What else should I get?

[Helcack]

0 Level:
Ghost Sound(For Distractions)
1st level:
Invisibility(it's first level for you via Telflammar Shadowlord)
Blockade(For blocking opponents path)
Disguise Self(Doesn't always work, but is helpful)
Immediate Assistance(Prepared or in an eternal wand as this will let you/a member in your party re-roll those needed but failed Hide/Move Silently checks)
Have a trick:
Tenser's Floating Disk(Prepared by you) let the crusader sit on it and he won't have to make move silently checks. If you think you will need to make a hide check then cast Invisibility on him with it either prepared or with a scroll.

[Qc Storm]

0 Level:
Ghost Sound(For Distractions)
1st level:
Invisibility(it's first level for you via Telflammar Shadowlord)
Blockade(For blocking opponents path)
Disguise Self(Doesn't always work, but is helpful)
Immediate Assistance(Prepared or in an eternal wand as this will let you/a member in your party re-roll those needed but failed Hide/Move Silently checks)
Have a trick:
Tenser's Floating Disk(Prepared by you) let the crusader sit on it and he won't have to make move silently checks. If you think you will need to make a hide check then cast Invisibility on him with it either prepared or with a scroll.

Thanks.

There is a spell in particular I am looking for. It was a low level divine spell you could cast on someone, and see through their eyes. The big thing about it is that the effect transfers to anyone he touches. It would be very helpful to map the place.

[Crake]

Thanks.

There is a spell in particular I am looking for. It was a low level divine spell you could cast on someone, and see through their eyes. The big thing about it is that the effect transfers to anyone he touches. It would be very helpful to map the place.

do you mean chain of eyes (http://dndtools.eu/spells/complete-divine--56/chain-of-eyes--674/)?

[SolioFebalas]

2nd level
Chameleon
3rd level
Invisibility Sphere

[Qc Storm]

do you mean chain of eyes (http://dndtools.eu/spells/complete-divine--56/chain-of-eyes--674/)?

Yes, that one exactly.

Is there a will save upon transfer of the effect?

[Emperor Tippy]

Dump the rest of the party in a bag of holding or portable hole, it's a great way to save on spell slots and have only the character with the best hide and move silently checks doing the sneaking.

[Der_DWSage]

If you're able to sneak in by yourself...

Silence, Invisibility, Spiderclimb, Magic Aura(Set aura to no magic) and some kind of alchemical reagent that masks your scent (I -know- this exists, but I can't remember the name off the top of my head.) should be more than enough to keep you from being interacted with in any way besides doors. You may need to cast Invisibility and Silence more than once, so ensure you plan for that.



If you need the entire party...

Zone of Silence (So your party can still communicate) from the PHB2.
Invisibility Sphere.
Spiderclimb * 4
Many castings of Magic Aura
Alchemical reagent that masks scent.

Keep in mind that you will likely need to cast Invisibility Sphere multiple times.

Recently used this setup in a campaign of my own. The GM could not find a legitimate way to stop the party from robbing the place blind because of it-we opened doors on the way, but because no one could see, hear, or detect anything, they chalked it up to a 'rats.'

[Fouredged Sword]

I like listening lorecall when I go sneaking. A large part of sneaking is seeing what you are sneaking past before they can see you. Being invisible and with blindsight means you are much better at finding others than they are at finding you.

[unseenmage]

In case it's useful, there's Conceal Spellcasting skill trick in Complete Scoundrel, lets you make a Sleight of Hand check to conceal your spellcasting.

[johnbragg]

If you're inclined to use distraction tactics:

"Ventriloquism" has all kinds of uses.
"Alarm" an area you're not going to be in anymore--then when the patrol patrols by, the bell rings, and the magic SWAT team scrambles to some place where you aren't. Which keeps them away from the place where you are. (Tip: only use this when they know you're somewhere in the castle, but don't know where.)

If you have money to burn, maybe put Explosive Runes there too, but only if you enjoy "off-camera" shenanigans. Or if you have the kind of DM that would just shift the scene there when it happens. "Phantom Trap" goes in the same category.

"Unseen Servant" can be good to have. "OK, the trap on the door detonates, so that's it for the Unseen Servant." Or, "the door opens. We hang back and see if anyone comes through the suddenly open door."

And of course "Expeditious Retreat" and "Feather Fall" for when things go horribly, horribly wrong. "Web" is good for covering a retreat. Don't forget "Hold Portal"--you could save it for the retreat, or just use it to frustrate your trackers. Scratch that, the duration is too short to trust it to frustrate trackers.

"Gaseous Form" could be worth it--speed 10, but ask your DM about what sort of stealth bonuses you'd get for the 10 minute duration.

[Psyren]

Pathfinder has a great 1st-level spell called Blend, (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/blend) which gives you HiPS at level 1 as long as you move no more than half your speed - which, if you're sneaking, you'll be doing anyway.

[Qc Storm]

If you're able to sneak in by yourself...

Silence, Invisibility, Spiderclimb, Magic Aura(Set aura to no magic) and some kind of alchemical reagent that masks your scent (I -know- this exists, but I can't remember the name off the top of my head.) should be more than enough to keep you from being interacted with in any way besides doors. You may need to cast Invisibility and Silence more than once, so ensure you plan for that.



If you need the entire party...

Zone of Silence (So your party can still communicate) from the PHB2.
Invisibility Sphere.
Spiderclimb * 4
Many castings of Magic Aura
Alchemical reagent that masks scent.

Keep in mind that you will likely need to cast Invisibility Sphere multiple times.

Recently used this setup in a campaign of my own. The GM could not find a legitimate way to stop the party from robbing the place blind because of it-we opened doors on the way, but because no one could see, hear, or detect anything, they chalked it up to a 'rats.'

Invisible Sphere and Zone of Silence look stupidly effective together. This should be a breeze.

[Vaz]

Silent Guidance of the Avatar (3rd) gives you +20 to a hide check within the next few rounds

Divine Insight gives you it for a check within the next few hours but is 5+CL, rather than a flat boost.

Divine Metamagic (Chain) makes you a somewht decent buffer for the party

There is a Shadow Hand maneuvre allowing you to stay hidden, move and end a turn still hidden. Combine with Mosquito bite skill trick, Spring Attack and sneak Attack optimizing and voila, instant distraction for party.

[rollforeigninit]

While not a Stealth spell Arcane Eye is a Trapsmith Spell at low level I believe. It can render it much easier to infiltrate byway of avoiding encounters altogether.

[TuggyNE]

"Alarm" an area you're not going to be in anymore--then when the patrol patrols by, the bell rings, and the magic SWAT team scrambles to some place where you aren't. Which keeps them away from the place where you are.

That's actually pretty ingenious, nice unconventional use of the spell!

[Fouredged Sword]

If you time it right, your chameleon can cast a bunch of divine spells before switching his focus for the day and preping arcane spells. Casting 10-12 copies of divine insight is always a good start to a day, as the duration is long enough to last all day, and the party can get +15 to that skill check they REALLY need to pass.

[Segev]

Hm. Must all Alarm spells sound the same? Could you set up 3 different Alarms, each with a different "bell" (or "mental alert") so you could tell which one went off, and use that to tell where the guards are? (Obviously, some amount of "listen for the direction it's coming from" is an option, but only on the audible version and it requires you have good echo-location.)

[johnbragg]

I figured out last night how to make Animate Rope not suck.

SRD: The possible commands are “coil” (form a neat, coiled stack), “coil and knot,” “loop,” “loop and knot,” “tie and knot,” and the opposites of all of the above (“uncoil,” and so forth). You can give one command each round as a move action, as if directing an active spell"

Which leaves out the first thing you'd want an Animated Rope to do in most situations, "snake N feet thataway." (RAW: --it does not snake outward--)

Mage hand solves that little problem. The entire rope is beyond the weight limit of mage hand, but the end of the rope isn't. So your mage hand can carry the end of the rope 30 feet.

If you get a wand of enlarged mage hand, that extends the range to the full 50 length of your rope.

Then you have a wand of mage hand with a 50' range, which opens up a whole world of shenanigans.

Two broomsticks tied together in a cross plus a cloak and presto, you have a scarecrow. Tie a black sack over the top of the broom and you have a hooded, cloaked figure with no face which hovers above the ground. (held up by the mage hand. One of the broomsticks knocks on the door--let's see how the guards react to "a silent, hooded, cloaked figure with no visible face which hovers (not stands, hovers) above the ground".

[Jeff the Green]

Crown of veils is nifty. Bard 2; beguiler/sorcerer/wizard 3, and gives a constant hours/level +2 to Hide and Disguise. It can then be discharged for +8 to a single Hide or Disguise check.

[Lightlawbliss]

don't forget telleportation spells. depending on the dm, this could get you to the goal instantly or atleast past a lot of problems.

[Der_DWSage]

I can't help but feel that all the exotic spells and ideas that people are throwing out are overcomplicating the idea of a magically stealthy mission. The simpler the idea, the more elegant it is. I threw my ideas up before, but I feel the need to refine it a bit now.

The key details of a heist, break-in, or other such endeavor are threefold. Information, execution, and contingencies are the portions you need worry most about, while everything else is simply a matter of improvisation.

Information is a key detail that can be accomplished by mundane means (Simply bribe a guard or two to slip you the watch schedule, observe the place from afar, or be hired.) but that magic-based parties prefer to accomplish via divinations. If time is not at a premium, then you can take your time gathering information, patterns, and discerning weaknesses. However, if time is short, then you can cut the middleman and only get the most important details. How many spellcasters are there, an estimate of guards, and where your goal is to be. (If your goal is undefined, then your goal is twofold-hastening observations once inside, and then quickly creating a way to reach your goal.)

Execution can then be performed based on your information. I like Invisibility Sphere + Zone of Silence + Spiderclimb for the simple fact that it removes the sensations of sight, sound, and touch. (Well, so long as the guards don't have a tendency to crawl on the ceiling. Flight tends to be slightly too erratic for the typical Spider-Man crawl that stealthy types would prefer, in addition to the fact that Spiderclimb lasts longer.) This leaves only magical perception and scent to get in your way, which can still be foiled. In truth, the only way remaining for them to spot you after significant preparation is a lucky True Seeing in your general direction, or for you to trip a static defense such as an antimagic field or mechanical trap. If you're fortunate, they will be lacking in those. If you're wise, you'll plan as if they have dozens.

Contingencies take the most common reasons you might fail, and plan accordingly. You may bump into someone despite preparations? Saunter away. A nervous man will raise less panic than an unconscious/dead body. Someone with true seeing spots you? A Resilient Sphere or similar 'keep them busy for a few minutes' spell keeps them from sounding the alarm, and even if they're freed after the duration, they have no idea where you went. Your first contingency against casters failed? That's why you have a scroll of Teleport, just in case things go awry. They have dogs that sniff you out? You feed them tasty sausages that you were hiding in your Handy Haversack, and the master of the kennels gets chewed out for feeding them unhealthy foodstuffs.



The short version of all this is that you should observe and plan according to the situation. Invisibility Sphere + Zone of Silence may well be your best chance of nondetection, but you should look into whether or not that stronghold is likely to use traps as well as guards. You may want to invest in short-range teleportation instead, or scry-and-die tactics. You may even want to eschew magic altogether, in the hopes that mages will be too smug in their superiority complexes to ever dream that a mundane rogue will come after them.

Pick and choose, but remember that a plan with fewer moving parts (And fewer detectable spells) is superior to a brilliant plan with five hundred points of failure. Getting in and out is most likely the important thing-anything else is just style points, and few award XP for style.

[Fouredged Sword]

For dogs, I like sausages laced with drow sleeping poison. It is nicely non-lethal, and they just look like they fell asleep at their posts.

It works for people too, if you can get close enough to slip something into the mess hall food.