Disguising spellcasts

[ffone]

What are some ways to cast spells without the enemies knowing (until the effects of the spell itself, if they're apparent)?

I know of:

- Disguise Spell feat (CAdv?) - bard-themed prereqs, and you're still visibly 'performing'

- Concealed Spellcasting skill trick (CScoundrel) - Sleight of Hand vs Spot. Requires 5 sleight of hand ranks - any ways for a wizard to get Sleight of Hand as a clas skill (such as Arcane Trickster PrC).

- Would Silenced and Stilled spell, or a spell-like ability, work?

(AFAICT such a spell, or a spelll-like ability, still provokes AoOs, it somehow suggests other characters (who threaten you) are aware you're doing something...or perhaps characters who 'do nothing' on their turn are assumed to be 'keeping their guard up' or whatever the nebulous fluff of AoOs is.)

[Callista]

Yes, Silenced and Stilled spells work. If there's no verbal component, why would someone be able to hear you spellcasting, right?

You do have to concentrate on them; and that means you're not concentrating on defending yourself unless you're casting defensively.

[gorfnab]

Greater Invisibility + Silent Spell = no one can see or hear you casting, unless they have see invisibility.

Invisible Spell feat - makes the effects of the spell invisible

False Theurgy skill trick - if they see you cast at least they may not know exactly what spell is being cast

[Curmudgeon]

You can conceal your spellcasting with a straight Sleight of Hand skill use; see Races of Stone on page 133. I know of no way to get Sleight of Hand on your skill list without dipping into an appropriate class, but this at least saves you a skill trick.

[Rasman]

Silent, Still, Invisible spells are pretty much undetectable until the ground just explodes

[Kobold-Bard]

Silent, Still, Invisible spells are pretty much undetectable until the ground just explodes

Costs a tonne of feats but if your DM will allow it, take Easy Metamagic for Stilled & Silenced. You may now sit there with 3 +0 Metamagic on your spells and no-one will ever know you can cast a spell, even as the world burns around them

[FMArthur]

Easy Metamagic can't be used to adjust a metamagicked spell below one level higher than the original spell. Metamagic School Focus, Residual Magic and Arcane Thesis are the only feats you can use to reduce total metamagic costs higher than +0 to +0. Prestige classes open other options, though.

[Psyren]

Silent, Still, Invisible spells are pretty much undetectable until the ground just explodes

However, your eyes still unfocus (you space out briefly) when you activate them, resulting in AoOs if enemies are next to you in combat even if they don't know exactly what you're doing.

[Tharkie]

The Nonverbal Spell feat from the Planar Handbook lets you cast a spell without using the verbal components. You still have to say/sing/grunt something, so it won't protect you from being heard or a silence spell.

[Greenish]

I know of no way to get Sleight of Hand on your skill list without dipping into an appropriate class

Doesn't Criminal Background from City of Stormreach give Sleight of Hand among others?

[Curmudgeon]

Doesn't Criminal Background from City of Stormreach give Sleight of Hand among others?

You're right. Of course, this feat isn't going to help a Wizard without a DM variance, because Criminal Background requires that you take it at 1st level and be a member of the Bilge Rats in Stormreach. But membership in the Bilge Rats requires:

• humanoid race
• sneak attack or sudden strike as a class feature
• Intimidate 3 ranks

As a 1st level Wizard you're not going to be able to satisfy the class feature requirement, and you'd need to jump through some hoops to gain Intimidate as a class skill.

Off the top of my head I don't know of a class that could qualify for the Bilge Rats without already having Sleight of Hand as a class feature.