Trying to hide spell casting?

[SangoProduction]

So, often, it's assumed that verbal components are out-and-out 'magical-sounding', even if you don't know what the magic means.

Is there a way for this to not be the case (particularly in pathfinder)? Like maybe I want the spells to sound like the yowling of a very *stressed* cat. Or something equally ridiculous, but not neccesarily magical.

[Nifft]

Silent Spell (PHB)

Mysterious Magic (Secrets of Xen'drik)

Surrogate Spellcasting (Savage Species) + turn into a cat

[Mike Miller]

Would some sleight of hand work?

[Nifft]

Would some sleight of hand work?

Are you casting in sign-language?

[Mike Miller]

Are you casting in sign-language?

I have to use that language for a verbal component sometime.

I was thinking SoH sounded like the best skill to fit sneaky casting into. It may be a bit of a stretch, but I like it.

[Troacctid]

Sleight of Hand is the skill used to disguise spellcasting. See Rules Compendium.

[Thurbane]

Sleight of Hand is the skill used to disguise spellcasting. See Rules Compendium.

There's also the Conceal Spellcasting skill trick in Complete Scoundrel, but it's somewhat redundant with the RC ruling on SoH.

[Mike Miller]

I must have read one or both of those, forgot I read them, and came up with the idea again. It is nice to know the concept is RAW

[Daefos]

So, often, it's assumed that verbal components are out-and-out 'magical-sounding', even if you don't know what the magic means.

Is there a way for this to not be the case (particularly in pathfinder)? Like maybe I want the spells to sound like the yowling of a very *stressed* cat. Or something equally ridiculous, but not neccesarily magical.

If 3.5 is on the table, Nonverbal Spell from the Planar Handbook does exactly this. You still have to make noise when casting spells with verbal components, but that noise can be any sound you’re capable of making, which does not need to sound like mystical mumbo-jumbo.

[Goaty14]

Nonverbal Spell (Planar Handbook). Turns a verbal component into a sound component, which means that you could beat your chest, play the drums, or stomp your feet to cast spells. Silence still prevents spellcasting, as usual.

EDIT: Ninjas!

[unseenmage]

Doesnt the Spellcraft skill still trigger regardless though?

If a spell gets cast I'm pretty sure the folks observing who have spellcraft just get a roll to ID it regardless of the casters ability to hide the act.

[Feantar]

Doesnt the Spellcraft skill still trigger regardless though?

If a spell gets cast I'm pretty sure the folks observing who have spellcraft just get a roll to ID it regardless of the casters ability to hide the act.

Yes, but spellcraft is trained only. That means that a non-spellcaster has no idea.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Doesnt the Spellcraft skill still trigger regardless though?

If a spell gets cast I'm pretty sure the folks observing who have spellcraft just get a roll to ID it regardless of the casters ability to hide the act.

Not unless you're wearing a Ring of Spell-Battle or have Battlemagic Perception up.

15 + spell level Identify a spell being cast. (You must see or hear the spell’s verbal or somatic components.) No action required. No retry.

[unseenmage]

Not unless you're wearing a Ring of Spell-Battle or have Battlemagic Perception up.

That true for PF too?

[sleepyphoenixx]

That true for PF too?

I don't actually play PF, but a quick glance at the PF SRD shows basically the same restriction with different wording.

Identifying a spell as it is being cast requires no action, but you must be able to clearly see the spell as it is being cast, and this incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors.

[Yuki Akuma]

The Conceal Spellcasting skill trick in Complete Scoundrel specifically states that viewers can't see that you're casting a spell - they don't get an AoO and they don't get to counter your spell, so one assumes they also just can't make a Spellcraft check to identify it as you cast it.

Once it's in effect they can identify and dispel it just fine though, probably.

There's also the False Theurgy skill trick, which disguises a spell as a different spell - including to Spellcraft. It's pretty handy.

[unseenmage]

For my own situation I'm playing a doppelganger with mimic superpowers that is a wizard so being able to. ast while appearing to be a commoner or a table.

To make matters worse the other party member has Detect Magic on all the time and so far we're enjoying their character being in the dark about my character being... something else.

Edit
In PF with 3 x spells as custom research spells on a case by case basis.

[Faily]

Pathfinder offers Cunning Caster (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/cunning-caster/) and Concealed Spell (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/conceal-spell) (and it's Improved-version too (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-conceal-spell)).

[unseenmage]

Pathfinder offers Cunning Caster (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/cunning-caster/) and Concealed Spell (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/conceal-spell) (and it's Improved-version too (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-conceal-spell)).

Thank You! These should prove quite useful.