Best Spell to Maximize

[Zhure]

That's neither here nor there. What bugs me is that a 7th level spell cast by a 20th level Red Wizard of Thay would be completely negated by a 2nd level Silence spell cast by a 3rd level spellcaster. Pretty rediculous, no?

And a first level commoner can negate a gaze attack by closing his eyes. Grappled wizards can't cast spells with somatic components. There are lots of low-level defenses vs higher level effects, but they are generally very limited. Looking at the Silence spell, it's only a 15' radius, so if it's cast near a wizard, he moves then casts.

Greg

 

[Xarlen]

Not to mention he can make a double move, or a 30' move and cast (unless he's being engaged in melee).

 

[S'mon]

- A FRA requires you to take no move action. No drawing weapons, etc. A 5'-step isn't a move action. When a low-level character has a BAB of less than 6+, using a FRA eliminates all his good combat options.

- Heck, by that interpretation, using Spring Attack will almost completely eliminate the threat of ever being hit by a cleave attempt.

Cleave is a good combat option.
Typical case for cleaving - 4th level cleric in battle with a bunch of orcs. The fight lasts several rounds. With cleave he often kills 2/round, rather than 1/round without. 5' steps can be used to avoid getting flanked too much.

And of course the main point of spring attack is to avoid letting anyone get FRAs on you.

 

[kreynolds]

Silence doesn't stop the Energy damage. You just can't *hear* it.

That's how I understood it worked.

I think this would negate any 'Deafening' effects.

This part I knew. (I've been hit with sonic deafening as a player) Thanks, Xarlen.

 

[kreynolds]

Looking at the Silence spell, it's only a 15' radius, so if it's cast near a wizard, he moves then casts.

So, Zhure. Are you saying that a Silence spell would completely negate a sonic delayed blast fireball?

 

[Xarlen]

No prob, Kyrenolds.

So, Zhure. Are you saying that a Silence spell would completely negate a sonic delayed blast fireball?

I think he's saying that the fact that there's SILENCE is stopping the wizard from casting a spell with Verbal components, Not a delayed blast sonicball.

 

[kreynolds]

I think he's saying that the fact that there's SILENCE is stopping the wizard from casting a spell with Verbal components, Not a delayed blast sonicball.

Ah. I see now. Well...then that really is neither here nor there.

 

[Jeremy]

Don't burn me in effigy, but I believe a Silence spell around you would protect you from a sonic substituted spell or a destrachan's blast or any of the like, because the spell states that no sound can originate, penetrate, or pass through a silenced area.

 

[kreynolds]

Don't burn me in effigy, but I believe a Silence spell around you would protect you from a sonic substituted spell or a destrachan's blast or any of the like, because the spell states that no sound can originate, penetrate, or pass through a silenced area.

The key, I believe, is sonic energy. It's an energy attack form, not simply a sound on the wind. Besides, if a screaming weapon will still deal the extra damage in an area of silence, then all sonic spells still deal their damage. The only thing that a silence spell will protect you from is permanent deafness from a sonic attack, but you still take direct sonic damage if the attack deals such damage.

It's been a while since I thought about this so I'm glad I got to brush back up on it.

 

[Bonedagger]

I might be handicaped from only having the core rules and MotP but reading the desciption of Silence I would say that if it's a sonic attack (Based on airpressure and/or air-vibration), Silence will prevent it from working in its area. Sort of like a sonic version of the antimagicfield.

I'm with Jeremy on this one.

My view is based on that what we call sound in the real world is just our registration of (air)pressure.