Least subtle magic?

[Particle_Man]

I mean fireball is pretty obvious, but only when you cast it.

Ioun stones are very obvious since they orbit your head. That pretty much screams "Magic!"

But I think the Incarnate Avatar soulmeld (tied with some other soulmelds, like Girallon arms)) might be the winner. You have another body superimposed on your own all day, and it is the body of an outsider. I think others can still see your real body underneath, unless the soulmeld is bound to a chakra.

So what other candidates are there for "I am USING MAGIC DOOODZ!!!!" least subtle magic in 3.5?

[Crake]

As a race, Illumians with their floating sigils scream pretty loudly of their magic.

[Saintheart]

As does any shield with the Animated property, and any weapon with the Dancing quality.

[RexDart]

It just now occurs to me that we might be playing it slightly wrong, as we've been treating it as coming from the person, while it says "Target: Object," but Celestial Brilliance. "The object touched sheds light brighter than bright sunlight, channeled directly from the celestial realms." And its duration is in DAYS.

Even if you're just casting it on your hat or something, as opposed to the person, you're gonna stand out.

[Gruftzwerg]

- warlocks 24h duration buffs: Entrophic Warding; Fell Flight

- undead minions

- warshaper: Morphic Weapons ability

- Holy Radiance /Nimbus of Light feats

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Like you said, just about any soulmeld is incredibly unsubtle.

Enlarge person, giant form, and some polymorph forms are pretty dang obvious, too.

Honorable mention to spells like detonate, which are only present briefly but make quite the impression.

[Zanos]

All day flight and permanent arcane sight. "I wonder if the floating man with glowing blue eyes is some form of spellcaster?"

[Particle_Man]

Enlarge person, giant form, and some polymorph forms are pretty dang obvious, too.

That one depends on if you see it being cast, or come on the scene after it already has been cast. You might just think that you are seeing a giant, rather than a person magic'd up into giant form (and although seeing a giant should be terrifying to the average person, it doesn't necessarily scream "magic"). Similarly, if someone is polymorphed into a bear, you might just think that you are seeing a bear.

[Beni-Kujaku]

I do not see any spell that is more "I'm a wizard, I do nothing like mundane people" than Unseen Servant and Mass Unseen Servant. When you can be on a flying palanquin with invisible butlers cutting your hair and bringing you your skinned grapes, then you can really consider yourself a wizard.

[MR_Anderson]

Wall of Ice cast in a desert.

Wall of Force in front of a finish line of a race.

Reverse Gravity in a bedroom so you can walk on the ceiling. (Extra props for illusion to make your head spin and project split-pea soup.)

[SnugUndies]

If fireball is only obvious at the moment you cast it, why not cast balor nimbus and just literally be on fire? If that still isn't self-evident enough, cast the Wu Jen spell giant size and turn colossal. Surely nobody would miss a 70-foot tall man wreathed in flames.

[Telonius]

Silent Image would probably be in the running. Make a neon sign blinking, "Magic!" with an arrow pointing to you.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Silent Image would probably be in the running. Make a neon sign blinking, "Magic!" with an arrow pointing to you.

Nah, make it major image, and include some blaring sirens, a booming voice repeatedly announcing "Magic User! Magic User! This person uses magic!", some rapid fluctuations in temperature, and probably some rapidly changing but always pungent scents as well.

Not technically a spell, but the black labyrinth Shadowcaster mystery has an area measured in square miles, lasts for days, and visibly distorts both vision and space within its radius. At the very least, people will start to notice that the direction they're trying to move has no correlation with which way they end up moving.

[Debatra]

As much as I prefer to use them subtly, Illusions pretty much take the cake here since you can be as flashy as you want with them.

[Ramza00]

i) 1 level of Half Fey template which the web article which makes it says you can take at a later date and you have a magical experiment or something that granted you new powers.
ii) LA buyoff allows you to buy that 1 LA back for 3k xp. 2 is not necessary but it is nice
iii) Supernatural Transformation feat from Savage Species.

What did I just write? Well Half-Fey gives you Charm Person at will as a Spell Like Ability, Supernatural Transformation feat makes it Su, a mere mental action with no external signs and thus it can not be identified by external people with a skill check, or watching another. Now every 6 seconds you can make anyone a friend. If it fails do it again ASAP or use another feat / magic item to try again such as a "reroll chance" on the saving throw.

Now there are ways to get immune to charm person in the first place, or to detect it after the magical effect is now in the other person but during the time it is being cast it is pretty much invisible due to it being supernatural.

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Likewise Psionics can suppress its external manifestations via higher concentration checks.

[Afgncaap5]

I think Prismatic Wall should at least get a mention

[Rebel7284]

Apocalypse from the Sky is pretty non-subtle.

10 miles per level and obviously magical.

[Particle_Man]

i) 1 level of Half Fey template which the web article which makes it says you can take at a later date and you have a magical experiment or something that granted you new powers.
ii) LA buyoff allows you to buy that 1 LA back for 3k xp. 2 is not necessary but it is nice
iii) Supernatural Transformation feat from Savage Species.

What did I just write? Well Half-Fey gives you Charm Person at will as a Spell Like Ability, Supernatural Transformation feat makes it Su, a mere mental action with no external signs and thus it can not be identified by external people with a skill check, or watching another. Now every 6 seconds you can make anyone a friend. If it fails do it again ASAP or use another feat / magic item to try again such as a "reroll chance" on the saving throw.

Now there are ways to get immune to charm person in the first place, or to detect it after the magical effect is now in the other person but during the time it is being cast it is pretty much invisible due to it being supernatural.

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Likewise Psionics can suppress its external manifestations via higher concentration checks.

That is interesting, but I think you misread my OP. This is a good example of "most subtle magic" and I am looking for "least subtle magic". :smallbiggrin: