Casting spells is hardly a subtle affair, and there are a myriad of giveaways to the act of doing so.
Many spells require Somatic, Verbal, and Material
Components, each of which belies the act to observers. Many also include flashy effects such as bolts of lightning or waves of fire emanating from the caster, or creatures transposing from other planes into the area, and so on. Verbal spell components must be spoken loudly and clearly (DC 0
Perception check), and Somatic components are similarly distinct and easy to spot (DC 0
Perception check).
In addition to these, all spellcasting (including spell-like abilities) include manifestations that are, even to the uninitiated, obvious signs of the invocation of magic. These manifestations are nearly impossible to eliminate, though a clever spellcaster may make use of various forms of chicanery to misdirect people from them and allow them to go unnoticed (see
Conceal Spell and
Cunning Caster for specific examples). Such manifestations are easily noticeable (DC 0
Perception check), and are visible even if the caster is
Invisible. The display may be obscured and made more difficult to see by things such as
Cover or
Concealment.
Hiding Spellcasting
Those wishing to mask the casting of a spell are at a distinct disadvantage. Some components are relatively simple to hide, and some are not. Below are the typical trappings by which the casting of a spell is noticed, and some various means of concealing them.
Verbal Components: Verbal components are noticed with a DC 0
Perception check, though some spells do not have verbal components, and the
Silent Spell metamagic feat can be applied to a spell to cast it without this component. Deafening effects or particularly loud distractions may also be used to conceal this component.
Somatic Components: Somatic components are noticed with a DC 0
Perception check, though like verbal components not all spells have them, and the
Still Spell metamagic feat can be applied to a spell to cast it without one.
Invisibility,
Cover,
Concealment, or distractions can all be used to hide somatic components.
Spell Display: One of the trickiest components of a spell to hide, its display includes glowing runes floating in the air, flashes of arcane energy, and other supernatural manifestations that accompany any spell being cast. These effects can be noticed with a DC 0
Perception check, and they cannot be eliminated from the casting of a spell.
Invisibility does not affect these manifestations (though the caster may remain invisible), and the only reliable means to hide them is to either block their view with
Cover or
Concealment, or provide sufficient distraction to keep others from looking your way as you cast the spell.
Cunning Caster and
Conceal Spell both provide means of hiding the display of spellcasting from others using
Bluff or
Disguise to hide a spell's display.
Noticing Spellcasting
Spotting the casting of a spell is typically a simple act, and under most circumstances does not require a roll. In the event that it does, a
Perception check is rolled for each noticeable component present in the casting of the spell (Verbal, Somatic, and Display). These checks are all modified as normal for perception checks (distance, sound through a door or wall, distractions, etc), and if any of the checks are successful the casting is noticed and a
Spellcraft check can be made to identify the spell as normal.
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