Cloak of Silence

Sometimes there are situations in which you don’t want to be heard and yet, you have to speak.

Crime and Punishment

Author Keith Baker

Series Campaign Style

Publisher Atlas Games

Publish date 2003

Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Bard 2, Cleric 2, God’s Eye 2
Casting Time: 1 action
Components: V, S
Range: Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)
Target: You or one creature weighing no more than 100 lb./level
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Cloak of silence is the spell for just these situations. The cloak surrounds a single target with a field similar in effect to the traditional silence spell; however, there are a few inches of space between the target and the field. What this means is that the target can speak, but no one can hear him. He can speak to someone else as long as he’s able to lean close and whisper in her ear; if her ear penetrates the field, she can hear perfectly.

The cloak of silence moves with the target. As long as it’s active, it has the following effects:

• The target gets a +10 on any Move Silently checks.
• The sound-dampening field extends approximately one foot away from the victim. Anything within this area makes no apparent sound. As a result, if the target draws a weapon, no sound is made. Further, if the target grapples with someone else, his victim is inside the field for the duration of the grapple; treat this as being caught in the area of a silence spell.
• The target can cast spells that require verbal components. However, as he cannot be heard through the field, spells such as shout, suggestion, and command are useless. Message still works normally, as the target can whisper and the spell then carries her voice directly to his targets.
• The target cannot use any sort of Bardic Music abilities while trapped in the field. The one exception is that a bard can use his Countersong ability to protect himself; but as no one else can hear his song, they cannot benefit from the protection. While this spell is usually cast on yourself or on an ally, it can be used on any living creature; this is an effective tool for preventing a guard from raising an alarm or a politician from making a speech.