Familiars & Shifters: A guide to Speech and Languages

[Aegis]

I've had these written for awhile so after some question's about familiars and shifters in concern to languages/speech, I've decided to post them.

These guide's are here to help those in roleplaying more realistically in concerns to familiars and alternate forms, so use them at your own leisure and roleplaying style. They are simply guidelines not a straight-jacket so make your own judgement about it, as a player you have no obligation to use or even read any of the information here if you do not wish it.

Due to game mechanic's and server settings you may not be able to speak the appropiate languages or lack the widget required without taking the nessecary req's, the language is not available on the server, etc. In any case this can be used for reference.

A quick note most creature's will be able to learn new languages if they are capable of it, abit hazy on if languages carry over from the base race to the new form but can be clarified.

Please post any feedback and corrections.

Familiar's guide to Speech & Languages
Faerie Dragon: Can speak Draconic and Sylvan, some also learn Common, Elven, or Gnome.
Imp: Can speak Common and Infernal
Ice Mephit: Can speak Common and Auran
Fire Mephit: Can speak Common and Ignan
Pixie: Can speak Common, Sylvan, * Thieves Cant (Granted from class) * and may also know other languages.
Eyeball: Can speak Common (rarely speak using their mouth's though) prefering to use telepathy instead with known languages.
Pseudodragon: Cannot speak but can vocalize animal noises and can communicate via telepathy with any creature's that know Common or Sylvan.
Hellhound: Cannot speak but understands Infernal.
Raven: See comments

Raven's potentially mimic which is not talking. In NWN raven familiars have an Int of 3. That isn't enough to carry on a conversation anyways. While it is possible to train a raven to mimic speech that would require the Handle Animal skill. Since that skill isn't available, training a raven to mimic speech would be impossible. In anycase I'll leave it up to the players judgement...

(Would appreciate some feedback from the DM's on this one?)

Telepathy
Telepathy can exist between mages and their familiars, depending on the species of familiar. However treat this as empathy between them, with exception of the Eyeball and Pseudodragon who have actual telepathy.

Shifter's Guide to Speech & Languages
Most shifter forms are incapable of speech. I have listed the forms that have vocal chords which allow speech and those that may not:

Wildshape (any animal form): Lose's ability to talk, can communicate with common animal type.

Elementals: Only Auran (air), Terran (earth), Ignan (fire), Aquan (water). Can make elemental noises.

Polymorph Self:
- Pixie: Can speak Common and Sylvan, may also know other languages.
- Umberhulk: Only Terran, can chitter, click and clack with mandibles.
- Zombie: Limited to moaning/groaning, possibly broken-common.
- Troll: Can speak Common and Giant, some also learn Orc.
- Giant Spider: Treat as Wildshape.

Dragon/Wyrmling Shape:
- Dragon: Can speak Common and Draconic, may also know other languages.
- Wyrmling: Can speak Common and Draconic, may also know other languages.

Construct Shapes:
- Iron Golem: Cannot speak.
- Demon Flesh Golem: Can speak and understand Abyssal.
- Stone Golem: Cannot speak.

Outsider Shapes:
- Rakshasa: Can speak Common, Infernal, and Undercommon.
- Azer: Can speak Common and Ignan, may also know other languages.
- Death Slaad: Can speak Common and Slaad, may also know other languages.

Undead Shapes
- Risen Lord: Can speak Common, treat as awakened.
- Spectre: Can speak Common and any languages they knew in life.
- Vampire: Can speak Common and any languages they knew in life.

Humanoid:
- Drow: Can speak Common, Elven, Undercommon and may also know other languages.
- Tyranoid: Can speak Common, Draconic and may also know other languages. (Would appreciate some feedback from the DM's on this one, if a tyranoid language widget exists?)
- Kobold: Can speak Common, Draconic, and Undercommon.

Greater WildShape 2 Shapes:
- Minotaur: Can speak Common and Giant, may also know other languages.
- Harpy: Can speak Common, may also know other languages.
- Gargoyle: Can speak Common and Terran, may also know other languages.

Greater WildShape 3 Shapes:
- Basilisk: Treat as Wildshape.
- Drider: Can speak Elven, Common, and Undercommon.
- Manticore: Can speak Common.

Greater WildShape 4 Shapes:
- Tiger: Treat as Wildshape.
- Mindflayer (Illithid): Can speak Common and Undercommon via Telepathy, may know additional languages dependant on their consumption of brains. Their actual voice consists of disturbing gurgles, rumbles, and hisses.
- Medusa: Can speak Common.

Shapechange:
- Balor: Can speak Common and Abyssal, may also communicate via telepathy.
- Fire Giant: Can speak Giant and Common, may also know other languages.

[Milk_Chocolate]

Excellent guide ^^

This also seems like an appropriate place to add that when a character is walking around while shape-shifted, people around the polymorphed character *DO NOT* know the character's identity unless they WITNESSED the shape change

A character that has shape changed to an otherwise hostile creature such as a dragon, balor, risen lord, etc etc. should be treated as a hostile creature due to the same concept... so basically don't see an undead creature walking around in town and wave "Hello Bob!"

[ST_DM_Myle]

This is an excellent basic guide. There are a few points I would like to add, but nothing so important that I need to interject anything at this time.

I will work on the bits I'd like to add and send them to Aegis once they are ready. If it is okay with you Aegis, I'd like to work with you to standardize this and how languages are earned/issued etc... and start a "RP guide" sticky. Of course, the thread will serve as a reference point for players and a source for common ground and will not be a listing of hardcore requirements. Having a RP oriented information thread might be a big help at getting some more RP going - since it would provide a framework of mutual understanding.

I think your OP is an excellent start to a source thread.

Myle

[Aegis]

I'd appreciate any revisions/additions you can give and look forward to working towards a 'RP Guide'.