Making a character no one knows is a caster - Some help needed

[Wiggins]

Is it possible to make a character that no one would think is a caster?

The aim is to be as effective a caster as possible while making everyone think it's a badly optimised non-caster.

Because I don't want to be found out through any combination of detect magic and high spellcraft checks, every spell is going to have to have Disguise Spell Metamagic applied to it. This will also mean the DM will have to make up other sources for the effects other than my character as we go.

Every spell is also going to have no Somatic or Vocal component, as those would obviously give the game away. With Disguise Spell as well that's 2 or 3 Metamagics applied to almost every spell. That's going to be hard to keep up with, so I might want Versatile Spellcaster to stay relevant (Sorcerers get 1 level ahead instead of 1 level behind). Invisible Spell is at least free, but I'll be feat starved with all these Metamagics already.

I might need something for him to pretend to be doing while preparing spells.

And a way to recover spells if his sleep is interrupted, as most parties wake up non casters in response to night raids to avoid interrupting sleep.

I need something for him to be "trying" to do in fights other than, you know, fighting. If only Havoc Mage Battlecasting wasn't so terrible. It might be my only option though. Unless I go Unseen Seer Hunter's Eye Sneak Attack... (But as a Level 5 Spell... That'd suck a lot compared with Halt or Suggestion)

On the plus side he'll have no arcane spell failure for wearing armour. I just need to get him proficiency.

Dream Dwarf, Star Elf, Spirit Hellbred or Spellscale
Sorcerer 5, Unseen Seer 3, Havoc Mage 2, Dragonslayer 1, Havoc Mage 3, Paragnostic Apostle 5,  1 ?

Feats;
1 Versatile Spellcaster
1 (Flaw) Invisible Spell
1 (Flaw) Still Spell
3 Disguise Spell
5 {{Domain Access Oracle}}
6 Dodge
7 (Bonus) Silent Spell
9 Rapid Metamagic
10 (Otyugh Hole) Iron Will
12 Practiced Spellcaster (Sorcerer)
15 Magic Sensitive
18 ?

So it's basically a Sneak Attack Gish build that pretends to be a rubbish Rogue/Fighter build.

Anti-Magic Fields would be an issue I'd hate to contend with, but generally this character is an in-joke with the DM, as the other players are struck by the apparent stupidity and clumsiness of enemies.

So the things I'm lacking;

Ways to avoid suspicion;
Not needing sleep to regain spells, that sort of thing. I believe there's a magic bedroll for that from Magic of Faerun?
Is it possible to get a couple of fighter feats from items? (Other than a wand of heroism or whatever it's called)
Something for my character to "have to do" each morning that other players might believe? Maybe claim to be highly religious and let them think I need to do it for exalted or prestige reasons?
Anything else?

And I need help with my spell list.
Priority is given to spells that have only Somatic or Verbal components rather than both, but I also want to concentrate on spells that scale dependent on Caster Level to quite a degree, so that I won't mind casting a level 1 spell at level 3 or 4 quite so much.

[Wiggins]

Spells to pick from so far;
Mostly just the ones with lower metamagic costs, but I added a few more for higher levels to fill out the options. It all needs trimming down now to his spells known allowance.

Slot	Metamagics	Spell	Level
2	Silent, Disguise	Flare	0
3	Still, Disguise	Distract	1
3	Silent, Disguise	Hold Portal	1
3	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Fatigue	1
3	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Pain	1
3	Disguise	Price of Loyalty	2
3	Silent, Disguise	Slide	1
3	Silent, Disguise	Ventriloquism	1
4	Silent, Disguise	Baleful Transposition	2
4	Silent, Disguise	Blindness/Deafness	2
4	Silent, Disguise	Delusions of Grandeur	2
4	Still, Disguise	Desiccating Bubble	2
4	Silent, Disguise	Greater Slide	2
4	Silent, Disguise	Knock	2
4	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Sicken	2
4	Silent, Disguise	Stay the Hand	2
5	Silent, Disguise	Halt	3
5	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Maladroit	3
5	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Weaken	3
5	Silent, Disguise	Suggestion	3
5	Silent, Disguise	Warcry	3
6	Silent, Disguise	Early Twilight	4
6	Silent, Disguise	Lesser Geas	4
6	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Distract	4
6	Silent, Disguise	Shout	4
7	Still, Silent, Disguise	Black Tentacles	4
7	Still, Silent, Disguise	Charm Monster	4
7	Still, Silent, Disguise	Fear	4
7	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Disable	5
8	Silent, Disguise	Geas/Quest	6
8	Silent, Disguise	Mass Suggestion	6
8	Still, Disguise	Mislead	6
8	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Nauseate	6
9	Still, Silent, Disguise	Entomb (N.B. Material costs 500gp)	6
9	Still, Silent, Disguise	Heartfreeze	6
9	Silent, Disguise	Hiss of Sleep	7
9	Silent, Disguise	Power Word Blind	7

[Wiggins]

Just realised that most of my friends might just assume I'd made a broken diplomancer build, thus giving me an OOC excuse for being rubbish at so many things and for the way NPCs react to my character...

Yeeesssss

[sirpercival]

Another possibility is to pretend to be a bard with no spellcasting ability, using Melodic Casting & such.

[Wiggins]

Nice idea, might work on that as another option

[Kerrus]

The 'Alternate Spell Source' metamagic (from dragon) feat lets you prepare an arcane or divine spell you know as the other spell source type in your slots for that type, but they're a level lower. So a level 6 divine spell prepared as arcane is prepared as a level 5 arcane spell.

Take a dip into archivst or the like then start preparing arcane versions of divine spells for the -1, and sticking your metamagic on them.


Although if you're an arcane caster, you're lacking a crucial feat: Eschew Materials.

Otherwise you'll be rifling through a very obvious small pouch for reagents and crap every time you cast a spell- even if there's no other movements.

You may also want to look into a Casting Glove (level 15, MIC page 84), which works like a glove of storing but lets you consume/activate a magic item stored within. Grab a rod of the appropriate metamagic type and use as needed.

Alternatively, take some ranks in craft (carving) and go and carve yourself a bunch of fake wands, then use them and cast spells openly.

[AugustusGloop]

Well, you listed Invisible spell from Cityscape, which adds nothing to the spell level, has the prereq of another metamagic feat (eschew materials?) and the spell itself can't be seen (although its effects can).  Combine that with the skill trick conceal spellcasting, or the Beguiler ability, and you can use your high bluff to shrug and look confused just like everyone else.

[Solo]

Cloistered Cleric who pretends to be an Expert.

[Rebel7284]

Needs more incantatrix to lower the metamagic costs and give free metamagic feats.

[Amechra]

Seriously, you can reflavor your material component pouch as worry stones or the like; you don't need Eschew Material Components.

You'll need some kind of code between you and the DM; you know, so you can tell him what you are casting.

[AugustusGloop]

Seriously, you can reflavor your material component pouch as worry stones or the like; you don't need Eschew Material Components.

You'll need some kind of code between you and the DM; you know, so you can tell him what you are casting.

Or take ranks in profession: Apothecary, so spending time in shops selling eye of newt and wing of bat looks totally plausable.

[Nanshork]

Seriously, you can reflavor your material component pouch as worry stones or the like; you don't need Eschew Material Components.

You'll need some kind of code between you and the DM; you know, so you can tell him what you are casting.

That depends on your DM.  Well, unless your worry stones are covered with the material components listed in the actual spell description.   

[Wiggins]

We pretty much count it as "So long as you have your pouch, and it hasn't been damaged, stolen, emptied or confiscated, and so long as you haven't been spamming the same spells for weeks without visiting a city or having any downtime, material components don't matter"

[JohnnyMayHymn]

STP Erudite

[DavidWL]

STP Erudite is a good idea.

With that much metamagic, what is your starting level?  An incantatrix with the capstone (level 15 total) could have still, silent, invisible, etc. spells at no LA.

Best,
David

[sirpercival]

You know, it would be easier to do all that as a Shadowcraft Mage... with Arcane Thesis (Silent Image), you can stack a ton of metamagics on for easy peasy.

[skydragonknight]

You could always take Somatic Weaponry from Complete Mage instead of Still Spell. Instead of increasing the slot by one, you just wave your weapon around like a madman, or clumsily strike an enemy while delivering a touch spell as you bump into him. Bonus points if you're always drunk, mutter incoherently to yourself (sometimes casting a non-silenced spell and sometimes just 'cause) and randomly attack the shadows that have come for the money you owe them.

[Bauglir]

If you go the above route, learn Drow Sign Language. It explicitly boosts the DC to identify your spells whether they have somatic components or not, and if nobody can identify your spells, they don't necessarily know they're spells. The Conceal Spellcasting skill trick may also come in handy (already been suggested, I just thought I'd mention it again). That way you can save a few metamagic expenses each day.

[Dusk Eclipse]

IIRC Races of Stone introduced a sleight of hand option to disguise somatic components.

[Elric VIII]

IIRC Races of Stone introduced a sleight of hand option to disguise somatic components.

For some reason, it also works on verbal components. RoS pg 133. You make a SoH check opposed by spot, but I believe that your allies would not even attempt a spot check unless they are suspicious of you.