On Sun, 1 Nov 1998, Gary V. Foss wrote:

> On a semi-related note: Just how obvious do you guys think spellcasting is? I mean
> some spells that have only verbal and somatic components could potentially be cast
> without the targets realizing it. The Hypnotism spell should definitely be this way.
> Charm Person has such a quick casting time that it could easily be disguised or
> hidden. Just how loud to the verbal components have to be? Spoken in a normal tone of
> voice, I'd say. (Exception being, of course, the Shout spell....) The Charm Person
> spell has a 120 yard range. You could easily cast the spell on someone at the other
> end of a football field and they wouldn't even notice it. They'd just find you
> amazingly charming when you walked, introduced yourself and asked them to hold off the
> red dragon for "a round or two" while you made your escape.
>
> Are intelligence checks in order for this sort of thing? What do you
guys think?

I pretty much agree with you assessments here. I certainly think that
spell casting should have the possibility of surreptivity (?) and that the
more creative the player is the more likely the character is to pull it
off. The stuff with the bard is exactly the sort of thing I would reward a
character for doing. That's an excellent example.

I would say normal voice should be sufficient; I would probably assess
penalties for a PC trying to cast at a whisper (while remaining hidden,
for example). As far as somatic components, I might differ from you there
a little bit. My personal conception of the Way Magick Works is the spells
are Causality Knotworks in the Mebhaighl Webwork of Reality (which
probably reveals influence from WW's M:tA), and that the somatic
components are either helpful or essential to the mental agility that must
go on to form these Knotworks, or Sigils. So I tend to view somatic
components as fairly obviously of a magical nature. Doesn't necessarily
need to be that way, though. Perhaps as wizards improve in skill and
understanding, the no longer need to rely on the words and gestures as
much, and so they can be cast at whispered voice and with inconspicuous
gestures when the wizard's maximum spell level is three or four levels
above the spell he's trying to cast on the quiet.

Mark VanderMeulen
vander+@pitt.edu