[RPG] Are there any good alternatives to the Move Silently skill, preferably magic or spell based

dnd-3.5emagicskillsspellsstealth

I want to create a spellcaster who specializes in stealth. I know that I can substitute spells like Invisibility for the Hide skill, and I can use either the Mindsight feat or the Tremorsense spell to replace Listen/Spot skills to prevent someone else from sneaking up on me. Is there any good alternative to Move Silently? Assume the spellcaster is currently character level 10, capable of casting up to 5th level Wizard spells.

The description for Invisibility makes it very clear that you can still be heard, and detected through other non-magical means aside from vision:

Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle).

I have already considered the Silence spell, but the fact that it prevents verbal communication amongst my party and also prevents me from casting spells with verbal components is a big sacrifice that I don't think I'm willing to make quite yet. I have a limited number of skill points and I would like to avoid investing heavily in Move Silently if I can avoid it. I know Superior Invisibility will do what I want but it's a 9th level spell and I would like to save that kind of firepower for emergencies if I can.

Best Answer

Miscellaneous tricks that should make a Wizard (or in most cases, anyone) move more silently:

  • Get a Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (Tome of Magic). Grants a move silently bonus as the least of its abilities, the others include Hide in Plain Sight.
  • Get some Silent Moves armor for up to +15 circumstance to move silently. Use ASF lowering techniques for best results. Alternatively, take Craft Wondrous Item and craft a custom item of +yes to move silently - if your DM is cool with that kind of stuff.
  • Make that armor out of shadow silk (Tome of Magic) for an additional +2 untyped bonus. Add a Muffling armor enhancement (Underdark) for another +2.
  • Buy a (cheap-ass) Rod of Silent Spell. Successfully sneaking only to call the horde of guards by speaking abracadabra "in a strong voice" is just embarrassing.
  • Buy a Ring of Silent Spells (Magic Item Compendium). Even cheaper than the Rod of Silent Spell, and it grants you your own personal field of Silence that you can cast through, although to a limited degree. Keep the Silence cake and eat it too.
  • Alter Self into something like a Whisper Gnome (Races of Stone) for a move silently bonus. For shorter excursions, Polymorph into something even better. Like a cat. That sounds stealthy.
  • Don't go in yourself. Summon something stealthier than you and have them do stuff. A 10th-level Wizard can cast Summon Undead V (Spell Compendium), which allows summoning Shadows.
  • Apply Softfoot powder (Complete Adventurer) to your boots. +1 alchemical bonus to move silently. Yes, it's +1, but you don't have an alchemical bonus already that overlaps.
  • Heroism up your skill checks. Why not? Lasts forever anyway.
  • Deafen your opponents. Bwahahaha.

Also,Teleport/Dimension Door/Benign Transposition (Spell Compendium) with your familiar whenever you can rather than sneaking like a muggle. Seriously, the good part about being a Spellcaster is that you can get stuff done without playing by rules like "I need to move through space to get places". CatLord's answer has additional suggestions of this nature.

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