Metamagic Question

[Gamereaper]

Hello everyone.

I had a quick question.

If there is a wizard that can use the silent, still, invisible, and deceptive spell metamagics, is it still possible to spot him out of a crowd of people when he's casting a spell? I'm creating a wizard that uses all of these to stalk and kill people. Pretty much, for most marks he uses an extended silent Power Word Pain spell. What I'm hoping is that people just see this random person screaming in pain until they die all while he is drawing no attention to himself.

[One Step Two]

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is the following:


Someone with Ranks in Spellcraft can attempt to identify the spell after it's in effect, but it's DC is pretty moderate, but it won't pinpoint you.
A Ring of Spell battle from the Magic Item Compendium can alert someone of a spell being cast, but not pin a location on them.
Arcane Sight may give some clues that you're a spellcaster, but not necessarily that you've cast anything.


Nothing else immediately comes to mind. That said, the Power Word line of spells are pretty awesome, and being Verbal only you'd only need Silent Spell for casting, they don't have anything else to identify them by other than the result.

[Gamereaper]

Do the Power Word spell require you to still say the word with silent spell or does it altogether forego the verbal component?

Oh, I have Still Spell for other spells. If he gets caught somehow, I'll use Deceptive Spell to have a fireball for example shot at a crowd and look like it's coming from the party's caster. Hoping the ensuing chaos would let them slip away while they get arrested.

[One Step Two]

Do the Power Word spell require you to still say the word with silent spell or does it altogether forego the verbal component?

Oh, I have Still Spell for other spells. If he gets caught somehow, I'll use Deceptive Spell to have a lightning bolt for example shoot at someone important and look like it's coming from the party's caster. Hoping the ensuing chaos would let them slip away.

That's the awesome beauty of Silent spell Metamagic, when used with the Power Word line of spells, around my gaming table we call it "Power Blink". Because the spell still requires a standard action, but has no components at all after making it silent, you blink, and someone's hit by it. Awesome fun.

[ExLibrisMortis]

I have to point out that psions do not need those metamagic feats, or even metapsionic equivalents. Powers never have somatic or verbal components, and you only need to make a Concentration check to hide any displays involved. Simply sitting across the street and concentrating is enough to kill anyone - a Spell-to-Power erudite could even use power word pain. There is no Deceptive Power feat, but there is Burrowing Power (manifest through walls and other barriers), Delay Power (set an area-based trigger, a five-round delay, or remote manual activation), and Linked Power (power takes effect next round), which can be used to deceive any onlookers.

[One Step Two]

I have to point out that psions do not need those metamagic feats, or even metapsionic equivalents. Powers never have somatic or verbal components, and you only need to make a Concentration check to hide any displays involved. Simply sitting across the street and concentrating is enough to kill anyone - a Spell-to-Power erudite could even use power word pain. There is no Deceptive Power feat, but there is Burrowing Power (manifest through walls and other barriers), Delay Power (set an area-based trigger, a five-round delay, or remote manual activation), and Linked Power (power takes effect next round), which can be used to deceive any onlookers.

Typical Psion, does everything so darned efficiently!

Also, another fun Psion fact, in the Forgotten Realms campaign world, Psions are explicitly pointed out as having a their own personal "weave" thus are still able to manifest in otherwise dead magic zones of Faerun!

[MesiDoomstalker]

If an observer has no way to detect the casting of a spell (No visible components, no auditory components, no magical sight that detects dweowmers), then they cannot use Spellcraft to ID your spell mid-cast. If the spell's effects are visible (most are, even with the Invisible Metamagic, but to varying degrees) post-cast, they can be ID via Spellcraft (details are on the SRD) but it won't link to you directly unless the effects of the spell can be logically stepped backwards (like a cone which emanates from you can be linked back to you by simple geometry assuming one saw the Instantaneous effect).

[Gamereaper]

If the spell's effects are visible post-cast, they can be ID via Spellcraft but it won't link to you directly unless the effects of the spell can be logically stepped backwards (like a cone which emanates from you can be linked back to you by simple geometry assuming one saw the Instantaneous effect).

Deceptive Spell makes a spell appear from somewhere else, it can't be used to bypass concealment or cover. Not bad for a +1 that's easily rectified. Awesome for the sneaky ones.

[Khedrac]

And there's a Skill Trick you can thrown in there too...
(Complete Scoundrel, but I cannot remember the name while at work.)

[Nando]

And there's a Skill Trick you can thrown in there too...
(Complete Scoundrel, but I cannot remember the name while at work.)


Conceal Spellcasting [Manipulation]
You can cast spells without others noticing.
Prerequisite: Concentration 1 rank, Sleight of Hand 5 ranks, Spellcraft 1 rank.
Benefit: You can cast a spell without revealing that you are doing so. Make a Sleight of Hand check as part of the action used to cast the spell, opposed by the Spot checks of onlookers. If you are successful, an observer can’t tell that you’re casting a spell. That observer cannot make an attack of opportunity against you for casting, nor can it attempt to counter your spell.

With optimised SoH this could be really nice...

[FearlessGnome]

Do note that it's still a spell for the wizard, so while he does not have to do anything that draws attention to cast, anyone who happens to be looking at him anyway will still see him do the constipated pooping face. He could disguise his face, of course, but that in itself might draw attention, depending on the situation. If he's just in a crowded city though, he should be able to easily avoid detection.

[Gamereaper]

anyone who happens to be looking at him anyway will still see him do the constipated pooping face.

I certainly hope that's not compelling enough evidence for people to be arrested if a spell just flies of in the street.

"Remember, if anybody has a funny look on their face, question them."

[FearlessGnome]

I certainly hope that's not compelling enough evidence for people to be arrested if a spell just flies of in the street.

"Remember, if anybody has a funny look on their face, question them."

Send to rot in prison? No. Detain for a few minutes until they can get someone with Zone of Truth? Definitely.

[KillianHawkeye]

I certainly hope that's not compelling enough evidence for people to be arrested if a spell just flies of in the street.

"Remember, if anybody has a funny look on their face, question them."


Send to rot in prison? No. Detain for a few minutes until they can get someone with Zone of Truth? Definitely.

I'd say that depends entirely on what sort of city you're in, how high level the authorities are, and whether or not they have spellcasters who work for (or with) them. And also, whether or not you can bluff any witnesses to throw them off your trail, i.e., "I totally saw someone suspicious over THERE a moment ago!"