How loud are verbal spell components?

[kramis]

How do you set the DC for a character to hear an invisible wizard casting a spell that has verbal components? How loud does the wizard have to speak?

Along the same lines, if you cast an area effect spell is there anyway to tell where an invisible spellcaster is who cast it? Take one like Hail Storm. I know with fireball there is a little pea that shoots out, but there can't be a high chance of figuring out where that came from, can there?

Any advice, actual rules?

 

[pontus]

How do you set the DC for a character to hear an invisible wizard casting a spell that has verbal components? How loud does the wizard have to speak?

The wizard has to speak "In a strong voice." PHB 181. Hearing him has DC 0.

Along the same lines, if you cast an area effect spell is there anyway to tell where an invisible spellcaster is who cast it?

The DC for a Listen check to pinpoint the square you are in is base DC + 20. So DC 20 to find the offending wizard. DMG 78.

 

[Altalazar]

I wonder if there would be any way to finesse speaking more softly. Perhaps there could be a chart of modifiers for the listen check, and the quieter you go, the higher the DC of the spellcraft check to get the spell to go off right - or perhaps instead you could have a % spell failure chance like there is with armor and somatic components, again increasing for softer voice, down to a whisper.

 

[Arkham]

I wonder if there would be any way to finesse speaking more softly.

Well, I've got a prestige class that lets you whisper verbal
components... But other than a class ability or feat, I wouldn't
allow it.

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

I wonder if there would be any way to finesse speaking more softly.

Silent spell. That's the only corebook method available.

If a wizard isn't willing to pay the price required to cast spells silently, he shouldn't get an alternate, cheaper method IMO.

Also, the fact that a wizard is relatively easy to locate while casting despite being invisible is part of the game's balance.

Finnaly, remember that there is a -1 penalty to the listen check for every 10 feet of distance from the noise.