Coincidental Magic

[Asmor]

Coincidental Magic

Prerequisites: Ability to cast level 1 arcane spells

Benefit: Anytime you cast a spell, you may make a bluff check to hide the fact that it was cast by you. In order to make this check, the effects of the spell must be reasonably possible to have happened. For example, tipping over a statue would be good, but Magic Missile in most cases would not. Determine the DC of the bluff check as follows:

Base DC: 10 + spell level
Spell has a vocal component: +5
Spell has a somatic component: +5
Spell has a material component: +5
Effect was relatively likely to happen without magic: -5
Effect was not very likely to happen without magic: +5

If the check succeeds, to most oberserves it appears that no magic was involved. Anyone who has reason to suspect that something was amiss may make a sense motive check with DC equal to 10+the amount you beat the bluff check by. For example, if your Bluff check's DC was 20 and you rolled a 23, the sense motive check would be 13. Anyone making the check knows that whatever happened did not happen naturally. Anyone making the check by 5 or more knows that magic was involved. Anyone making the check by 10 or more knows that you cast the spell.

 

[whydirt]

I would add in an increase to the DC equal to the spell level. A higher level spell should be harder to conceal than a lower level one. I might also lower the DC penalty from having a material component or only use it if the component is large and/or unusual.

edit: Actually, now that I think about it, I might use Bluff to hide verbal components and sleight of hand to hide somatic and material components. The base DC would be 10+spell level for both cases, so hiding one aspect of a spell might be easy, but hiding a spell completely would require multiple skills. Using only bluff makes it very easy to get around using the Still and Silent Spell feats.

 

[Asmor]

I like the idea of using the spell level, so I'm gonna throw that in there.

As far as using multiple skills, I tend to disagree. First and foremost, it adds another layer of complication to what is already a moderately complex feat, for very little gain. I also think it would make it too difficult. I personally don't think that being able to hide the fact that you cast a spell is so beneficial as to make the check that difficult. YMMV.

 

[paradox42]

Very nice idea- I like the idea of making this sort of thing a skill check. This is something I would consider adding to Sorcerers as a bonus feat, actually, along the lines of those who grant Sorcerers the Eschew Materials feat for free. It obviously makes sense for them as an ability.

I agree that spell level should be part of the calculation, every skill check related to spellcasting that I can think of already does. Your DC penalties seem high to me, though- this ability would arguably be most useful to low-level characters, but as written they're the ones least likely to actually be able to use it. Would changing the bumps from 5 to 4 work (i.e. each component adds +4, "explainable effect" subtracts 4)? If you don't do this, I would suggest allowing characters who have the Silent Spell and/or Still Spell metamagic feats to lower the penalties associated with those (i.e. somebody with Silent can lower the penalty for a verbal spell), because of familiarity with how to use the magic without the "properly performed" components in the first place.