Two New Spells to Replace Silence - Feedback Appreciated

[Wasteland Knight]

So I'm removing the Silence spell from my game. I don't like how when used offensively it can virtually render a spellcaster useless for a long period of time, and I also don't like how when it is used in a utilitaritian fashion to aid in stealth that players seem to keep communicating somehow, even though I keep reminding them they can't hear each other...

I'm replacing it with these two spells, and any feedback would be much appreciated.

Shroud of Silence
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Brd 2, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Object touched
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates or none (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes or no (see text)

This spell causes an object to radiate a noise-dampening field out to a 20-foot radius. This provides a +10 circumstance bonus on Move Silently checks for any creature within the area of effect, or increases the Difficulty Class for Listen checks by +10 for any sound originating within the area of effect. Items in a creature’s possession receive the benefits of saves and spell resistance, but unattended objects do not.

Any creature possessing hearing based blindsight treats targets located within a shroud of silence as having concealment (20% miss chance). Additionally, a shroud of silence reduces the damage of any sonic based attack by 50%. Spellcasting involving verbal components is unaffected by a shroud of silence.

Arcane Material Component: A small ball of cotton.

Tongue of Stone
Transmutation
Level: Brd 2, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You temporarily transmute the target’s tongue to stone, effectively rendering them mute. They can still make noise, but it is incomprehensible sounds. This prevents the target from uttering verbal spell components as well as any intelligible verbal communication.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Very nice. Tongue of Stone looks like a good counterpart to blindness/deafness.

Shroud of Silence should affect the listen rolls of people inside the area of effect, shouldn't they? After all, they have trouble listening to things happening outside.

Hmmm. What would you think of "Shroud of Darkness" which adds +10 to Hide checks, or +10 to the DC of Spot checks. Creatures with normal vision or darkvision treat creatures inside the area as having cocnealment (20% miss chance) and damage done by light based attacks do half damage. Could be a nice replacement for Darkness.

 

[Wasteland Knight]

Very nice. Tongue of Stone looks like a good counterpart to blindness/deafness.

Shroud of Silence should affect the listen rolls of people inside the area of effect, shouldn't they? After all, they have trouble listening to things happening outside.

Hmmm. What would you think of "Shroud of Darkness" which adds +10 to Hide checks, or +10 to the DC of Spot checks. Creatures with normal vision or darkvision treat creatures inside the area as having cocnealment (20% miss chance) and damage done by light based attacks do half damage. Could be a nice replacement for Darkness.

Thanks. And your observation concerning Listen checks for those inside the area is right on. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before, but I'm definitely adding it to the final spell write up. Shroud of Darkness could certainly be an interesting variant to Darkness...