How to disguise spells?

[tim01300]

Playing pathfinder. Is there a way to disguise spells npcs cast agaisnt a players arcana or spellcraft check? Or an illusion spell to make a spell look like another?

[Elvensilver]

To disguise the actual casting I'd say Bluff. It is possible to use Bluff to pass hidden messages, and so it should also be possible to integrate a spell into normal speech. Since this would obviously be a complex message, the DC should be around 25, but if your spellcaster is using particulary flowery language, languages not known to the PCs, or another suitable trick to disguise the spell, the DC could be lowered. So to discern a spell beeing cast the heroes would first have to suceed a Sense Motiv Check to get the chance to identify the spell.
To convince the PC of another spell a particulary dexterous Caster could use Slight of Hand instead of bluff to first present a spell component: "Oops, you all saw how I took some powder out of the pouch conveniently labeled Bat Guano?! Alas, I am so clumsy!" just to somehow produce another reagens. That, I suppose, should give a minus something on the spellcraftcheck.

As soon as the spell is cast: detect magic detects faint auras from spells that where cast before, so let the npc either cast his spells in a place with a high spellturnoverrate, masking the traces with numbers, a place where several spells of this school where cast before- making it( I'd rule) harder to pick up something about this particular spell, or a site where strong magic was/ is used.

As for illusions: yes, they could simply cover caster and spell.

[daremetoidareyo]

Playing pathfinder. Is there a way to disguise spells npcs cast agaisnt a players arcana or spellcraft check? Or an illusion spell to make a spell look like another?

The rules are in the bluff or disguise guides available in my signature, i forget which, probably bluff.

edit: it is bluff: Pretending to "accidentally" hurt other people in Arcane Tournaments ... or not (Complete Arcane p.178)

Check out some skill tricks in complete scoundrel. I think that they may help.

[Harkness]

To disguise the actual casting I'd say Bluff. It is possible to use Bluff to pass hidden messages, and so it should also be possible to integrate a spell into normal speech.

"Hey Jim, whatcha doing?"

"Not much-changnai hasswha-Yourself? Bahk-lah no..."

"Oh, Okay...WHOA! There are flames in your hands!" *Rolls 20*

"Uh...no. There are not. You should turn around, your wife is calling."

"She is! Oh, by the way, sorry about breaking your lawn gnome the other day..."

[Bavarian itP]

Conceal Spellcasting and False Theurgy, skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel (pg. 83 ff), might help here.

[MisterKaws]

Still and silent spells can only be identified by looking at the effects, and by then it's usually too late.

[GreatDane]

If 3.5 material is permitted, Races of Stone p.133 describes rules for making a Sleight of Hand check (opposed by observers' Spot checks) as part of casting a spell to do so unnoticed. This doesn't disguise the actual spell effects, though.

[denthor]

Well for what it is worth. I always felt that the rules are.

you must be able to see the caster.

Make a skill check then you know the spell and can counter it.

So not being out in the open, invisible or no caster on the opposite side watching no need to worry.

[Psyren]

Playing pathfinder. Is there a way to disguise spells npcs cast agaisnt a players arcana or spellcraft check? Or an illusion spell to make a spell look like another?

For Pathfinder specifically you need something like Conceal Spell or Cunning Caster to do this. The former forces them to make two Spellcraft checks, while the latter cannot be beaten by Spellcraft at all, and also gets easier the more components of the spell you can eliminate.

[RNightstalker]

Deceptive Spell might help.

[Mnemius]

There's also one to conceal spellcasting with a bardic performance. Spellsong was the feat's name, I think.