Registered Member #157
Joined: 5:18:57 pm GMT 06/25/04
Posts: 15510
Not anything particularly to do with changing the spell because atm we don't have anyone about that could really do those changes ..
.. but deafness could in theory limit someone's AC from dex possibly. The balance centres are found in the ear, and should you do something to harm them, it could in theory put you off balance and possibly ruin your connection of dex-ac bonus perhaps? Just a biological reasoning for a possible dex AC reduction .. not really any particular reason why it should happen though .. it would depend upon the mechanism of the magic I suppose
Edit: peeking at the wiki, silence also stops bardsong from working if it's done to a bard .. but it doesn't say if deafness stops a bardsong or dragon knight call from working on a PC?
*lurks from behind the screen* Registered Member #682
Joined: 11:18:25 pm GMT 01/09/06
Posts: 2836
Silence is actually a very useful spell if used correctly.
One way is to buff yourself, then cast Silence on yourself and wade into combat. If the area of effect is then near spellcasters, their spells with a verbal component fail (if not cast as a silenced spell through metamagic - don't know about feat based spells). This will also affect you, so you need to plan on not using spells while silence is up or use silence spell metamagic
It will also make the person that it is affecting 100% immune to Sonic Damage. Admittedly there is not many places to get damaged by sonic effects, but hey if you are in one of the places it can help.
[Edit in repsonse to LF's question above]: I do believe that if you have silence on you (whether cast directly or are in the AOE) you are not effected by Bard Song or Curse Song. I do not know about the Purple Dragon Knight "yells".
Registered Member #345
Joined: 2:28:49 am GMT 11/25/04
Posts: 1954
Lightfoot wrote ...
Not anything particularly to do with changing the spell because atm we don't have anyone about that could really do those changes ..
.. but deafness could in theory limit someone's AC from dex possibly. The balance centres are found in the ear, and should you do something to harm them, it could in theory put you off balance and possibly ruin your connection of dex-ac bonus perhaps? Just a biological reasoning for a possible dex AC reduction .. not really any particular reason why it should happen though .. it would depend upon the mechanism of the magic I suppose
Edit: peeking at the wiki, silence also stops bardsong from working if it's done to a bard .. but it doesn't say if deafness stops a bardsong or dragon knight call from working on a PC?
Just adding some additional thoughts...
If the deafness spell were to be changed, then perhaps it could provide immunity to certain spells or effects (e.g., immunity to wail of the banshee, curse song, great thunderclap) etc. To make it a bit more useful as a situational spell, maybe it could offer a +2 or so to will saves (because fear effects, etc., seem to be partially based on wails, roars, etc.). Those sorts of changes might make deafness a useful defensive spell in the right situations.
*lurks from behind the screen* Registered Member #682
Joined: 11:18:25 pm GMT 01/09/06
Posts: 2836
Besides, the staff already altered a Level 1 spell (Protection from Alignment) so that it no longer completely negated the effects of mind spells (including the Charm/Dominate lines and Weird [a level 9 spell]). Now it just gives a bonus to saves against Charm spells and is ineffective against the others.
Why would they now make Silence (a level 2 spell) stop Wail of Banshee (a level 9 spell)? I could see it adding to the save to keep it in line with what has been done already with spells, if anything.
But that said, if the Silence spell is used as I stated above, it can already cause the enemy spell caster to not be able to cast Wail (only has a verbal component and cannot be metamagiced as a Silenced Spell).
[And it should be noted that Wail is Death and Sonic magic, so I wonder if Silence cast upon someone already prevents their death from Wail or not. Or if a protection from death magic is truly what is required.]
Of course as I read back, maybe I am missing something, are people talking about the spell Silence or the Deafness effect in general. (Although if one uses Silence as a buff, then they are in effect giving themselves the Deafness effect)
[Edit]: Vae, I believe the silence spell already protects one from the effects of curse song.
Registered Member #345
Joined: 2:28:49 am GMT 11/25/04
Posts: 1954
C_McG wrote ... Of course as I read back, maybe I am missing something, are people talking about the spell Silence or the Deafness effect in general. (Although if one uses Silence as a buff, then they are in effect giving themselves the Deafness effect)
[Edit]: Vae, I believe the silence spell already protects one from the effects of curse song.
Hey McG, I was referring to the deafness spell, because I agree that its current value is really limited. Immunity to wail and/or a few other effects would make it something that casters may at times want to use in their repertoire.
I imagined deafness having a different effect than silence in terms of curse song, etc. Silence is an adversarial spell cast on the originator of curse song (allowing them a save, but then protecting everyone that would otherwise be affected). Deafness I imagined protecting the target (no save necessary because they are friendly, but only they are protected).
All just pipe dreaming really, since it doesn't seem programmers are about - but while we were brainstorming, I thought I'd throw a few ideas into the pile.
Registered Member #1549
Joined: 8:48:13 am GMT 03/05/10
Posts: 219
Deafening, I've never actually looked it up.
When you cast silence on yourself, it requires no save. So you can Silence yourself, and then use the aura around yourself to disrupt bardsong and casters alike.
I know silencing yourself makes you immune to sonic damage, and deafening might as well.
[ The Island of Thain ]
Deafening: Just what does it do? Also Silence spell
