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Message: <blockquote data-quote="toucanbuzz" data-source="post: 7918830" data-attributes="member: 19270"><a href="https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/17/audible-verbal-component/">Sage Advice defers to the DM</a> how loud casting is. Being heard obviously isn't the qualifier for a spell to work; otherwise the loud noise of a waterfall would cancel any spell. In original AD&D, which at times I look for design intent, the supplement Complete Wizard said, consistent with common sense and the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6-G231dWLA"> infamous Evil Dead 3 scene,</a> that the casting had to be clearly enunciated, so no mumbling the words out.In this light, the intent was at one point, and still today in some fashion, that attempting to cast while whispering, underwater, gagged, and so on distorts the way the sound comes out and is no longer consistent with clear enunciation. Since gagging doesn't kill noise, just distorts it, and gagging cancels spells, this reinforces the spellcasting must be clearly enunciated. There may be X factors out there that affect whether someone hears it, such as a waterfall, but by default, I believe the casting must be clear.As to how loud clear is: this level of specificity was abandoned by 5E. In 3rd edition, it was a DC 0 Listen (Perception) check to hear someone talking in a normal tone, and +1 to the DC for every 10 feet away the person was. Making out what specifically was being said added to the DC. So, if we want to impose a simple "house rule" that you can hear normal talking (aka casting) equal to 10 feet x Passive Perception score, we could, modified by environmental factors. But, I think it's better to fall back on common sense as Sage Advice and all games pre-D&D 3rd did. It's too much math, too little gain.Absolutely and consistent with Xanathar's Guide on illegal targets. If I make an illusion of an orc shaman casting a spell, it's a great way to lure out Counterspell. We also have inspiration from Dark Sun (AD&D, 3rd edition Dragon Magazine conversion), wherein wizards had to hide casting as part of the flavor of the world, and would use Sleight of Hand style abilities to, at the least, make the somatic and material part look like something else. On the flipside, what's to keep someone from using their knowledge of the Arcane to pretend to be casting?Now, if someone started waving their arms around, I'd probably permit a contested Arcana check for a trained caster to know this isn't legit (perhaps an Arcana check modified by Charisma for the deception of it).</blockquote>

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