Follow-up to Antimagic Field question.

[evilbob]

At the risk of thread hijacking: really? A person can walk into an area of magical silence and not get a save? That seems strange and counter-intuitive to me... I fully admit that it sounds like I'm wrong on this one, but I don't really see anything in the description of the spell that indicates to me that someone entering an existing area of silence doesn't get a save to negate the effect. I mean, it's a 2nd level spell, and that's pretty darn powerful. What if a creature with SR walked into an area with silence? Would the caster have to make a check or does that automatically work as well?

 

[moritheil]

At the risk of thread hijacking: really? A person can walk into an area of magical silence and not get a save? That seems strange and counter-intuitive to me... I fully admit that it sounds like I'm wrong on this one, but I don't really see anything in the description of the spell that indicates to me that someone entering an existing area of silence doesn't get a save to negate the effect. I mean, it's a 2nd level spell, and that's pretty darn powerful. What if a creature with SR walked into an area with silence? Would the caster have to make a check or does that automatically work as well?

Silence works automatically if properly cast. This is why rods of silent spell and SLAs are awesome. Silence has long been heralded as the magekiller, when used in conjunction with grapple.

Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Brd 2, Clr 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered on a creature, object, or point in space
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text or none (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text or no (object)

Upon the casting of this spell, complete silence prevails in the affected area. All sound is stopped: Conversation is impossible, spells with verbal components cannot be cast, and no noise whatsoever issues from, enters, or passes through the area. The spell can be cast on a point in space, but the effect is stationary unless cast on a mobile object. The spell can be centered on a creature, and the effect then radiates from the creature and moves as it moves. An unwilling creature can attempt a Will save to negate the spell and can use spell resistance, if any. Items in a creature’s possession or magic items that emit sound receive the benefits of saves and spell resistance, but unattended objects and points in space do not. This spell provides a defense against sonic or language-based attacks.

 

[evilbob]

An unwilling creature can attempt a Will save to negate the spell and can use spell resistance, if any.

I guess I just don't see - so far, anyway - how this line implies that there's a difference between a silence effect that is ongoing and a silence effect that is cast on the creature. It seems to me that this implies a creature walking into a space with silence cast on it would get a save to negate the effect. Broadly speaking, this means anyone walking through an area of magical silence could negate it, which seems about on par for a 2nd level spell.

In fact, the bolded line above goes further to indicate that silence specifically does not require a save on objects and points in space. But not "creatures" or "attended items" that walk into points in space - creatures and attended items specifically get a save (and can use SR).

Sorry I'm not understanding this if this is actually obvious and I'm just missing it, but why is it that creatures walking into an area of silence get no save?

 

[moritheil]

Sorry I'm not understanding this if this is actually obvious and I'm just missing it, but why is it that creatures walking into an area of silence get no save?

The way people tend to parse this line:

Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered on a creature, object, or point in space

coupled with:

Saving Throw: Will negates; see text or none (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text or no (object)

Is that different things happen depending on whether it is centered on a creature, an object, or a point in space.

Creature: creature gets SR and a save, unless willing. Unlike normal SR interaction, a willing creature apparently does not apply its SR.

Object: If unattended, see "point;" if attended, see "creature."

Point: The affected area is now silent. It's the area that's silent, not a creature that walks into it.

. . . complete silence prevails in the affected area. All sound is stopped: Conversation is impossible, spells with verbal components cannot be cast, and no noise whatsoever issues from, enters, or passes through the area.

Not "those who fail their saves are silenced" (compare to Entangle, which says "A creature that succeeds on a Reflex save is not entangled but can still move at only half speed through the area.")

Glamer

A glamer spell changes a subject’s sensory qualities, making it look, feel, taste, smell, or sound like something else, or even seem to disappear.

So within the area, all sound disappears.

Silence never says that those in the area may attempt saves, only at most one creature - the creature it is cast upon.