Meta Magic Silent Scrolls

[Lord Zardoz]

I presume you can get scrolls with metamagic feats enabled (Enhanced Fireball). I have seen wands like this mentioned.

But can you use a spell with the Meta Magic Feat Silent Spell without having to read it outloud?

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Pinotage]

It's no different from casting spells with verbal components on scroll. Note that while one assumes you have to read from a scroll, you don't have to read aloud from scrolls with no verbal components or silent spell scrolls. You just mentally read what's written.

Pinotage

 

[UltimaGabe]

Keep in mind, of course, that you cannot have a Stilled scroll. At least, you could, but it would be pointless, as you still have to take the scroll out and manipulate it. Its only use would be to make it harder to identify what spell you're casting, but the +1 spell level would hardly be worth it on a scroll.

 

[frankthedm]

Keep in mind, of course, that you cannot have a Stilled scroll. At least, you could, but it would be pointless, as you still have to take the scroll out and manipulate it. Its only use would be to make it harder to identify what spell you're casting, but the +1 spell level would hardly be worth it on a scroll.

But in 3.5 Scroll use is subject to Arcane spell failure.

Heck, it is even debatable one needs a free hand [not the one the scroll is in] to perform the somatic gestures for said spell.

BTW was there an official source on spells being harder to recognize based on if the spell has V, S, M, DF and/or Focus?

 

[eamon]

BTW was there an official source on spells being harder to recognize based on if the spell has V, S, M, DF and/or Focus?

Interesting question... none that I know of, anyhow. I suppose it's not worth the bother normally, but I'd give hefty circumstance bonuses if it mattered.

 

[irdeggman]

BTW was there an official source on spells being harder to recognize based on if the spell has V, S, M, DF and/or Focus?

Other than it needs to have a verbal or somatic component in order to be recognized (from Spellcraft check)

DC 15 + spell level - Identify a spell being cast. (You must see or hear the spell’s verbal or somatic components.) No action required. No retry.

Or were you looking for some scaling factor based on the number of different compents required?

 

[Storme]

Scrolls do not require verbal, somatic or material components (these were used/expended in scribing the scrolls).

The scroll, however needs to be opened and read. In my game that means outloud. Since silence works on scrolls, this tells me you need to read it aloud. Therefore a silent scroll would be redundant not function as intended since it must still be read aloud.

That's just my take on it. Your DM may have a different idea.

 

[frankthedm]

Scrolls do not require verbal, somatic or material components (these were used/expended in scribing the scrolls).

The scroll, however needs to be opened and read. In my game that means outloud. Since silence works on scrolls, this tells me you need to read it aloud. Therefore a silent scroll would be redundant not function as intended since it must still be read aloud.

That's just my take on it. Your DM may have a different idea.

The scribing takes care of the spell's preparation along with material components and foci, but the need for "the final gestures, words, and so on" is still there.

Spell Completion
This is the activation method for scrolls. A scroll is a spell that is mostly finished. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting. All that’s left to do is perform the finishing parts of the spellcasting (the final gestures, words, and so on). To use a spell completion item safely, a character must be of high enough level in the right class to cast the spell already. If he can’t already cast the spell, there’s a chance he’ll make a mistake. Activating a spell completion item is a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.

Activate the Spell
Activating a scroll requires reading the spell from the scroll. The character must be able to see and read the writing on the scroll. Activating a scroll spell requires no material components or focus. (The creator of the scroll provided these when scribing the scroll.) Note that some spells are effective only when cast on an item or items. In such a case, the scroll user must provide the item when activating the spell. Activating a scroll spell is subject to disruption just as casting a normally prepared spell would be. Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance.

But I'll agree that dropping any somatic component off from a scroll cast spell is a Good Idea^TM

 

[eamon]

Or were you looking for some scaling factor based on the number of different compents required?

That's what I was looking for anyhow. But at least I suppose this means a spell without verbal/somatic components is unrecognizable.

 

[green slime]

Bah humbug.

Of course it works. It works within the area of silence spell. The silent spell is read out loud, (silently), and functions normally.

Just because it doesn't seem logical, doesn't mean it doesn't work. It is magic, after all.