[Fenix]

Hey guys, back with another stupid question This should be a quick one, but I just wanted to get some second opinions. Last session the players got the drop on some guards in the next room who failed their perception tests to see them peeking through the door. In the interest of keeping the mission as stealthy as possible, the mage cast Blast on them, powerful enough to render them unconscious and doing so silently, since it was "invisible psychokinetic force." I wasn't so sure I agreed that it was silent, but let them have it this time....especially since the adept was already prepping a breach charge on the door that I knew he wasn't going to let go to waste (he didn't).

After the game I got to thinking about it. Would it make a sound? On the one hand it's magical psychokinetic force, just as the description says, so I could easily see it not making a sound. On the other hand, Blast is an area effect, similar in both function and mechanics to a flash-bang grenade, with all of the benefits and none of the disadvantages (well, aside from taking F drain, which the casters in the party can take like champs). In my eyes it comes down to interpretation of how it works, I guess; is it a wave of magical energy that just silently slaps guards around, or is it a shock wave of the instantaneous acceleration of physical force expanding from the point that the mage cast it (the loud interpretation)?

[Lethal Joke]

Blast is a physical spell, isn't it? Shouldn't that mean the area is also being blasted? Loose stuff flying around?

That said, I have no idea if the spell itself actually creates a noise...

[Fenix]

Blast is a physical spell, isn't it? Shouldn't that mean the area is also being blasted? Loose stuff flying around?

That said, I have no idea if the spell itself actually creates a noise...

Yeah, I was thinking as much (tables, chairs, antique china sets, etc also affected). I'm leaning on the side of it being silent, just based on RAW, but it just seems a little OP that way imo.

[Lethal Joke]

Well, maybe it's only silent until it hits something loose that might rattle around (then perception check for the guards.) Or if something is fragile enough to break.

[Namikaze]

I would argue that since the spell is physical in nature, it affects the physics around the detonation point.  Basically, all the spell is doing is creating a tremendous amount of friction in a single small space, then letting it go.  So while casting the spell would certainly be silent, and the initial implementation of the spell would be silent, everything from the nanosecond after casting would make noise.  Though, if it was in a vacuum...  hmm, I wonder if it would even work?  Even space isn't a true vacuum, but it's enough of a vacuum that there is no likelihood of creating a shock wave.  I'd argue that in space, no one can hear you Blast.  And no one would feel it either.

[Top Dog]

I would argue that since the spell is physical in nature, it affects the physics around the detonation point.  Basically, all the spell is doing is creating a tremendous amount of friction in a single small space, then letting it go.  So while casting the spell would certainly be silent, and the initial implementation of the spell would be silent, everything from the nanosecond after casting would make noise.  Though, if it was in a vacuum...  hmm, I wonder if it would even work?  Even space isn't a true vacuum, but it's enough of a vacuum that there is no likelihood of creating a shock wave.  I'd argue that in space, no one can hear you Blast.  And no one would feel it either.

If you're in a vacuum, you wouldn't be able to hear anything, regardless of if Blast works.

If it's "magical psychokinetic force" as Fenix quoted, it wouldn't need air to work either. It should hit the whole area with the force, not just a tiny spot and then depend on air.

Meanwhile, however, the magical force would also presumably hit the air (back on earth, now) and cause a shockwave in that, which would produce quite some sound.

[Michael Chandra]

I'd assume the shockwave makes a sound, yes.

[Reaver]

It creating a kinetic force on a zone (AoE) large enough to stun and/kill people.... i would say that makes a fair amount of noise.

Especially since that same level of force is acting on every object in the zone of effect.... thats a lot of office furniture and equipment getting tossed about...

[Namikaze]

If you're in a vacuum, you wouldn't be able to hear anything, regardless of if Blast works.

That's fair, but how many times do I get the opportunity to say "in space, no one can hear you Blast."? 

If it's "magical psychokinetic force" as Fenix quoted, it wouldn't need air to work either. It should hit the whole area with the force, not just a tiny spot and then depend on air.

So you see the whole explosion as being magical?  That makes sense.  I just see it a little differently.  Fortunately, the vacuum thing is interesting but not really relevant or likely to ever need to come up.  It certainly begs the question about a bunch of other spells though - if a spell is physical, does it rely on physics?  Can one cast a fireball underwater, for instance?

[Sternenwind]

It is like a rifle with silencer and EXEX ammunition.
Nobody heard the shot, everybody heard the hit.