Silence counterspell?

[Scion]

I believe this to be incorrect; or, if correct by the RAW, against the designer's intent, and thus in need of a good swift Rule-0.
The Area or Object doesn't get spell resistance, and if cast on an Object you don't get to make noise with the Object using your Spell Resistance, but I'd certainly rule that your Spell Resistance works against the emanation, letting you speak (though anyone else may not be able to hear you).

By the raw you get no spell resistance, and by the way it is written it definately seems like that was the designers intent as well. It effects the 'area' not the creature that happens to be in the area.

You can talk just fine, but once the sound leaves wherever the sound is made from the silence kills the sound. It doesnt do anything to the creature at all.

Now if some creature, for example, was made of sound and entered the area then they would get SR. Just like a summoned creature entering an area of antimagic. But then the silence is actually doing something to the creature. Under normal circumstances lack of sound wont really do much to the character. Aside from make it harder to do things

 

[Scion]

I don't see it as being excessive. You can ready an action to magic missile a caster, which requires a Concentration check of 10 + damage + spell level, which is hard to make if the magic missiler is high enough level to be a threat.

But at least you still get a roll then, something that still depends on your skill. Or you could be immune to MM or have some sort of wacky damage reduction.

A concentration check of 30 is possible for 9th level mages.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Being deaf causes a 20% spell failure for vocal based spells correct? Why not just use the same here.

Sure it still sucks, but a 1/5 chance is definately not as bad as 100%, and it follows rules already in place sortof.

If Silence comes up as an issue in my campaign this is the most likely way that I would handle it. Thus being silenced would give a 20% spell failure chance for any spell with a V component and it would neutralise any spell which had a language-component to it (suggestion, command, power-word etc)

 

[Scion]

If Silence comes up as an issue in my campaign this is the most likely way that I would handle it. Thus being silenced would give a 20% spell failure chance for any spell with a V component and it would neutralise any spell which had a language-component to it (suggestion, command, power-word etc)

Woo! good to have recognition

 

[Black Knight Irios]

Power-Word Spells: The word spoken must not be heard by the target anyway, and they are not language dependent either.

 

[kwiqsilver]

But at least you still get a roll then, something that still depends on your skill. Or you could be immune to MM or have some sort of wacky damage reduction.

A concentration check of 30 is possible for 9th level mages.

It's also a lower level spell than Silence, and unlike silence, you lose the spell. But any damage spell can do the same thing.
A 9th level wizard can make a DC 30 concentration check, but only on a really good roll. Figure 12 ranks (max) +2 or maybe +3 Con bonus and he has to roll a 15 or 16 (25% or 30% success rate), not very good odds. If he has Skill Focus: Concentration, it goes down to a 12 or 13. And Combat Casting doesn't help here.

My point was there are many ways to negate an opponent's casting ability with lower level spells.

 

[Scion]

It's also a lower level spell than Silence, and unlike silence, you lose the spell.

unlike silence? but with silence you do lose the spell, that has been established several times.

But any damage spell can do the same thing.

Yep, but there is a mechanic already in place to get around that. Elemental damage? you'll probably get a reflex save, and elemental resistance is crazily easy to get. SR is also very common. None of those things help vs silence.

A 9th level wizard can make a DC 30 concentration check, but only on a really good roll.

Yep, but at least there is a chance. Plus, most casters put points into concentration for just such a case. Too bad it doesnt work vs silence. The ultimate counterspell indeed.

My point was there are many ways to negate an opponents casting ability with lower level spells.

That is fine, how many of which are as absolute as silence? so far none have been mentioned. There may be others, but are they as all encompasing as silence? Are there easy ways to bypass them?

Concentration checks are possible, sometimes even easy. Sure, the 10th level caster can ready a MM to interupt a caster. If they dont have a brooch of shielding or shield up, or something else that negates MM. If they dont have some form of SR. If they dont have a really good Concentration check or can roll well. Etc.

It could even be possible to reuse the silence over and over again, thereby costing you one spell to disrupt quite a few. Name another low level spell that can do that.

 

[Nightingale 7]

I fail to see exactly what the problem is with repeatedly casting to delay mages.Sure this gets the mage out of the equation,but it also takes the Silence caster out of the equation too,since he has to devote every single round in Counterspelling his opponent.That time he could alternatively buff his companions,heal his companions,swing with his mace etc.It's no different than a barbarian who goes straight for the mage,and attempt to grapple him.The only situation in which it would be overpowering is the one-lone-BBEM(mage) without any flunkies,summoned minions etc.This situation,I've found is a lost situation for the lone guy,silence or no.

 

[RangerWickett]

What is the logic behind a readied action taking place before the action you respond to? I know it works from a rules standpoint to make things easier, and to let you ready an action to stab a wizard if he casts a spell, but think logically.

Time is in seconds:milliseconds.

At time 00:00, Mialee starts to cast a spell.

At time 00:30, Jozan realizes she's casting a spell and starts to cast silence.

Let us assume casting a spell takes 3 seconds.

At time 03:00, Mialee finishes her spell.

At time 03:30, Jozan finishes his spell.

If a standard action is a standard action, why would the one that is readied take half a second less time to complete?

 

[Black Knight Irios]

But if there each and every square is silenced then communication is impossible as well, let's say the fighter a friend of the silence casting cleric went into melee but in a silenced area, then he needs help, why will hear him shout nobody, make your players no the disadvantage of silencing.

BBEG who let's himself trick with silence, does not deserve the 'BB' only the 'EG'. GoI,L&GoI work just out fine. And who will ever have a silence heightened to 5th level.