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.