How much noise does a lightning bolt make?

[Kahuna Burger]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0352.html

Actually, I'll throw my hat into the "no noise, elemental lightning" camp. Actuallightning bolts are damn loud. Like, shake your house loud. There is nothing in the rules to indicate that the spell causes sonic vibrations anywhere even NEAR that level.

yeah, you tell Thor that....

(ok, its control weather, but still...)

 

[pallandrome]

Yeah, Thor isn't casting Lightning Bolt the spell, he's throwing ACTUAL FRIGGIN LIGHTNING. That's why

A. The lightning bolt was the size of a small city

and

B. The noise from it shattered the evil Ents.

*grin* Unless of course you are saying that Wizards in your games to kill every tree within several miles each time they cast the spell.

 

[Darklone]

Hmm. Lightning bolts without sound... ok, it's magic, but it's not fun to have only a small sizzling sound when you blast a hallway free from baddies.

 

[pallandrome]

Well, I'm not saying it should be SILENT, but yeah, not a thunderous blast either.

 

[Pickaxe]

Well, I'm not saying it should be SILENT, but yeah, not a thunderous blast either.

Right, hence the conclusion that it makes about as much sound as a battle (meaning D&D combat, as opposed to, say, Waterloo) makes in general. Or, more specifically, as much as other aspects of a battle make, such as swords clanging on shields, people shouting, etc.

--Axe

 

[Storyteller01]

Probably something similar to a high caliber munitions piece. Anything that can fry a human that quickly is doing the same to the airalong the line.

 

[Nazhkandrias]

Right, hence the conclusion that it makes about as much sound as a battle (meaning D&D combat, as opposed to, say, Waterloo) makes in general. Or, more specifically, as much as other aspects of a battle make, such as swords clanging on shields, people shouting, etc.

I still don't think that a Lightning Bolt makes noise in D&D, but if you think that it should at least make some noise, perhaps the sound that a Lightning Bolt makes should be somewhere in between - not as much as a melee battle, but a bit more than nothing. Maybe a Listen DC of -5? This could apply to a lot of Evocations, since a lot of spells could theoretically make SOME sort of noise, such as Cone Of Cold making the sound of shattering ice, or the sound of a crackling Fireball, but it isn't as much as a Greataxe shearing through the armor of a screaming Goblin.

Regardless, if it's next to a 10-foot thick stone wall (and I think that the Listen DC for a 5-foot stone wall is +15, so a 10-foot thick stone wall would be at least +30, if not more), that should come out to a Listen DC of at least 25, which means that if these are average guards (1st level Warriors), then there really isn't much of a chance of them hearing. As for it "banking" off of a stone wall, if that's even possible, I don't think that would make any noise - if ANY noise is made at all (which I don't think there would be), then it would be from the new Kentucky Fried Guards that opened next door.

 

[Nifft]

I still don't think that a Lightning Bolt makes noise in D&D, but if you think that it should at least make some noise, perhaps the sound that a Lightning Bolt makes should be somewhere in between - not as much as a melee battle, but a bit more than nothing.

If you're killing folks who are trying to avoid being killed, the base listen DC is -10.

Don't see why the screams of the dying, clatter of dropped shields and helms, and the shouts of triumph should change in volume.

Regardless, if it's next to a 10-foot thick stone wall (and I think that the Listen DC for a 5-foot stone wall is +15, so a 10-foot thick stone wall would be at least +30, if not more)

DC adjustment for a stone wall (of unspecified size) is +15, and the extra 10 ft. is +1, for a total of +16. Two stone walls with a space between them would be +30 (adjusted for the size of the space) -- assuming that path is the "lowest cost" sound path from one place to the other -- for example, a window 30 ft. down the wall would only add +6 to the DC (rather than +15).

Cheers, -- N

 

[Pickaxe]

If you're killing folks who are trying to avoid being killed, the base listen DC is -10.

Don't see why the screams of the dying, clatter of dropped shields and helms, and the shouts of triumph should change in volume.

Not to mention the verbal components.

I suppose it comes down to not so much whether there is something to hear, as much as whether your DM would require a Spellcraft check to recognize the casting of lightning bolt, versus recognizing something like "BZZZZZZZZRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNTTZZZZZZ." I'm sure none of the DMs I play with would buy an argument that Lightning Bolt is silent, nor Fireball, Flamestrike, etc.

Now I'm wondering if Shocking Grasp sounds like one of those novelty hand-buzzers....

--Axe

 

[Nifft]

Not to mention the verbal components.

Just as a side note, IMHO the verbal components would be like a normal (not whispered) conversation -- base DC 0.

Cheers, -- N