Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Silence spell seems too underpowered

When I first got the Silence spell I was excited, I abused this spell so much in Pathfinder. In BG3 through, I'm struggling to find a practical use.
It seems like its so easily avoidable that nobody is ever even inconvienced by it. When I fought the Githrayki in ACT I I was overjoyed because one of them used a turn to cast silence on my party, because it was such a waste. Oh no, I have to move slightly to the right to cast spells again, what shall I do.
It has so much potential too, maybe if it could be used to muffle sounds (like when your trying to break down a wall around a bunch of sleeping goblins) Or if you could use it to prevent people from calling out for help.
Giving the spell more utility might make it more useful, that or just give it a significantly larger radius that it affects.

You are right, its supposed to have a lot more utility than just combat related. It should indeed silence everything in there sphere.

Silence is great for corridors, rooms etc.

If you are out in the open field you will need to try and CC the mobs. I have shoved casters in my silence a handful of times and lock them down in there.

Sorcerers when they are added get an option to be able to cast spells without Verbal components, With the PHB there are a handful of spells that actually dont use verbal components but unsure if BG3 gives them all Verbal required.

Did any of you guys try using it in situations where you actually need to muffle sound? When stealing stuff in the spider/well section or breaking down the wall above the main entrance in the goblin fortress?

I haven't tried it myself, but if it worked in such situations one could definitely make more use of it. Create a silent bubble and start a fight without aggroing the entire neighborhood.

I tried to use it to silence Priestess Gut, the war drums and the screeching hook horrors. It doesn't stop any of them from making noise or sounding the alarm - I think it's supposed to and hasn't been implemented. I say this because the spell's description indicates that it blocks noise, and when a hook horror started shrieking, Laezel actually shouted "somebody silence that thing".

It really needs to work on Priestess Gut. If she's silenced, she shouldn't be able to call for help. It does more to nerf my own party than to serve its intended purpose. Instead, every enemy in the chapel joins initiative and screws you over.

Silence 2nd-level illusion (ritual)

Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

For the duration, no sound can be created within or pass through a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point you choose within range. Any creature or object entirely inside
the sphere is immune to thunder damage, and creatures are deafened while entirely inside it. Casting a spell that includes a verbal component is impossible there.

^ Let's hope they try to implement it according to the PH.

Question. In 5e and/or BG3 how long does a round last in time? I know traditionally 6 seconds was the number, but with a lot of skills stating in minutes, has the time change per round or stayed the same so 1 minute =10 rounds?

In 5e 1 round is 6 seconds, yes. Silence can also be cast as a ritual in tabletop (though it takes 10 minutes to do so).

There also the issue that stealth rolls in BG3 are just taking sight into account, not noise.

Like others said already. Silence is broken.

I have noticed that it DOES effect the player but not npc's. In any shape or form. Guess they still need to activate the part that activates npc's?