D&D 5E Is silence pointless?

[PnPgamer]

I don't think the Area of Effect of the Silence spell is stopped by physical objects anyways. I think it would already extend to the other side of the wall.

This is correct it's not stopped by anything. So smash that wall. No one is going to hear it.

actually page 204 on player's handbook, first section under "areas of effect". Question is if it continues emanating its lines while the effect is still in place, so will it cover the falling glass/rocks/whathave you in case of a break in?

 

[Xeviat]

Does silence even block verbal component spells anymore? What about deafness?

 

[Saeviomagy]

By the rules, a verbal spell component can be done quietly. There's no requirement that you yell it at the top of your lungs, or even say it in a normal speaking voice.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Who is to say that the ritual cannot be performed entirely in silence but ends with a finger to the lips and a "shhh"? That's V and S taken care of right there.

The spell is a non-combat spell as a ritual that has a lot of applications - the blown-up wall mentioned up thread; concealment whilst camping can be aided enormously by silence; loads of uses for the other two pillars of the game.

 

[Hussar]

I gotta admit, I'm not seeing the problem.

Party wants to get through a heavy, blocked door (thus unpick able) - silence ritual to make it quiet.

Party is setting up an ambush and drops a silence on a choke point.

Silence as a ritual is obviously more for scouting/exploration. Heck, imagine you come to a T intersection in a dungeon and choose to go left. Drop the silence ritual in the right fork so that any noise you make gets blocked, thus preventing multiple encounters running together.

Note, Sorcerers can use Subtle Spell to drop this at the cost of 1 Sorc Point without worrying about the verbal or somatic component at all - meaning you could loiter outside a gate for ten minutes, dropping the ritual on the gate guards, and then rush in. Or Distant Spell it at a range of 240 feet. Although, to be fair, it's unlikely a Sorc would have the feat.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

actually page 204 on player's handbook, first section under "areas of effect". Question is if it continues emanating its lines while the effect is still in place, so will it cover the falling glass/rocks/whathave you in case of a break in?

Oh yeah. Like, if your hand blocked the spell, then moved, the spell would go past where your hand used to be. Just like how a Lightning Bolt travels through where its victims used to be.

 

[Lanliss]

Party is setting up an ambush and drops a silence on a choke point.

I would be suspicious when my horse stopped clopping, and my armor stopped clanging, but to each his own.

 

[Mistwell]

I now want a monastery of evil monks, with clerics who cast silence across the temple in shifts on a constant basis. An enforced vow of silence.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

Maybe Silence should get a permanent version houserule in my campaign.

 

[Hussar]

I would be suspicious when my horse stopped clopping, and my armor stopped clanging, but to each his own.

Well, the silence area would be the ambush point, so, your only warning would be everything suddenly going quiet. Which should be pretty disorienting.