Stilled, Silent Spellcasting Provokes AoO?

[Joshua Randall]

Let's say you're a mid-level mage with the Still Spell and Silent Spell feats. You're in combat, in an opponent's threatened square, and you cast a Stilled, Silent spell. Does this action provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent?

 

[green slime]

Let's say you're a mid-level mage with the Still Spell and Silent Spell feats. You're in combat, in an opponent's threatened square, and you cast a Stilled, Silent spell. Does this action provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent?

Yes.

 

[Darklone]

Yup. And anyone "observing" you notices that you are casting a spell. Must be the glowing eyes or steaming ears.

 

[isoChron]

Think you concentrate so much on the spell as if you are daydreaming and so lowering your defenses.

I never got a good explanation why the fighter could tell that the mage is casting a silent-still-eschew material spell on the defense. Other magic user may feel the weave concentrating or shifting around the caster but fighters ... ?
BYE

 

[Gez]

You're not understanding the abstraction behind AoOs. People are continually trying to hack pieces of you away with their (t)rusty swords and axes. It's just that you dodge them, usually.

When your BAB goes up and you gain new iterative attacks, you're not faster, you're just better at finding holes in someone's defense.

When you provoke an AoO, the AoO is not a reflex from your opponent ("I don't wanna see you cast spell!"), it's just that the concentration you need to cast the spell distracts you from the combat and thus, weaken your defense, opening a hole inside. (That's why defensive casting is a Concentration check.)

What should not provoke AoO, however, is quickened casting. A free action don't last long enough for someone to exploit the lapse in your defense.

 

[Urbannen]

Spell-like abilities, which by definition have no verbal or somatic components, also provoke AoOs.

 

[The Souljourner]

I thought if it were stilled and silent that people couldn't tell you were casting a spell.... you still provoke attacks of opportunity, but people just don't know why you're suddenly not dodging their attacks as well.

Under spellcraft in the SRD for "identify a spell as it is being cast" it says "You must see or hear the spell’s verbal or somatic components."

So you can't identify a still, silent spell.... but can you even tell one is being cast? There's no information in the SRD about it as far as I can tell. We've always played that if it's silent and stilled that you can't tell it's being cast at all.

-The Souljourner

 

[Magic Slim]

What should not provoke AoO, however, is quickened casting. A free action don't last long enough for someone to exploit the lapse in your defense.

They don't anymore.

Slim

 

[Magic Slim]

So you can't identify a still, silent spell.... but can you even tell one is being cast? There's no information in the SRD about it as far as I can tell. We've always played that if it's silent and stilled that you can't tell it's being cast at all.

-The Souljourner

When a spell is stilled, you don't need to do the complicate magical gestures that accompany it. When a spell is silenced, you don't need to say the abstract arcane words. Nevertheless, you still have to concentrate on casting the spell, designate its targets / aim it, etc. That's when the fighter tries to lop your head off.

Slim

 

[Keith]

Interesting issue. So, assuming that the csster is simply not as sharp as usual while casting, and an opponent gets an AOO on the apparently loafing mage, I still have one concern.
Who determines that a character has an AOO? I have played with a DM recently who expected players to speak up and say they take an AOO; but in this case, how would they know their character could do so? Using this general definition, how would a character ever know, in fact, except by trail and error? So, should players scream “AOO!” all the time in case there is one?!
Obviously I mean that to be rhetorical. So, do most DMs mention AOO, or expect players to do so?
What would a player be told in this specific case? Something like; “The guy next to you isn’t paying full attention, it seems like you can strike him freely while still pressing your other attack (on whomever)”?
This kind of suggests casting, but does not reveal it explicitly. Or would a DM say “AOO due to casting”, or say nothing at all, but just describe a still, quiet opponent?

Cheers