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Author Topic: Attention ED  (Read 331 times)

Aerimor

Attention ED
« on: June 13, 2008, 07:10:32 pm »
I was told to put this to your attention ED.  Which Shifter forms can not speak?

Dire Tiger (except animal)
Basilisk  (except animal?)
Manticore (except animal?)

Are there any others? Gargoyle for instance?


Thanks in advance.  If someone els ehas had this answered before, feel free to post as well.

~D
 

minerva

Re: Attention ED
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2008, 07:26:36 pm »
It has been established that anything that lacks vocal cords in the human anatomic form cannot speak a humanoid language. This applied to shifted forms, familiars and animal companions.
 
 Animal language is not a language. It is meerly a way of communicating simple ideas and emotions - not complex thoughts and sentences.
 

Aerimor

Re: Attention ED
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2008, 09:54:58 pm »
Not exactly the answer I was looking for?

Are you saying dragons do not speak?

Do Gargoyles have a humaniod anatomy capable of speach? They have a head, mouth and tounge.

Do Harpies at 90% human anatomy speak or just sing?

Lizardmen? Slaads? Wraiths?

I am not trying to be difficult, but I need more information to accuratly portray the world as it is written. If it would help I could list them and just have someone put an X next to the ones that can speak.

Thanks again,
~D

PS: As for the animal language, I believe I am doing that right. A common sentence for me is : You go with her.  Good Bear.  No, stop!  You see big baddy? Kill that one! You okay?
 

lonnarin

Re: Attention ED
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2008, 04:34:26 am »
Well, with animal empathy, it's not so much that you are speaking their language in the sense of making sounds that make sense to them, but moreso respecting the animal's territory, not making sudden moves, speaking softly (or aggressively and spitting, if to a badger) and generall fitting in with their disposition.

Now when it comes to lizardmen or kobold forms, they likely would be able to speak common.  Drow shifter form?  Heck yeah.  If you're a beast you probably could "speak" animal or beast, but it's less of you being able to confer words as you are maybe growling at them "back away!" or groaning "danger".  In PnP I always used to be funny about that animal talk, since many of the creatures had a 1 or a 2 intelligence, only great cats or apes ascending to 3.  So what does a mole say when you ask him, "which way did the orcs go?".  Probably... "eek eek, you got food?  me a mole! grubs, yes? give grubs!"  Just imagine the inane things our housepets likely say when they meow at us by the door "open, now!  now now now!" or bark... "come on, thats my beef jerky... gimme gimme beef jerky!"

So portraying complex messages in animal speak is rarely literate.  It's more like beating your chest as tarzan and staring down the ape that's trying to steal jane from you.  More like crawling around wolves and growling at them to say "stay away from my food!  I'm the alpha!" and less of "so and so went here, he looked like an elf, etc"

Generally though, If you're mostly humanoid, like a lizardman or a harpy, should be no problem to talk to them.  Manticore?  "braghhhh! *rears on its hind legs* GARGHRAGH!" *roars*.  you can tell that's not friendly, whatever he's saying, and if you "speak" animal, then you either roar back to tame him by fear, mewl like on of his kind and make him curious to find out more, or roll on your back, belly exposed to submit like a younger one of his own, and pray he doesn't kill you.  That's at least my idea on how the animal empathy and woodspeak works, from what I've been told.

But ultimately though, Ed wrote the Lore and I concede that whatever explaination he gives here is the correct one. ;)
 

Drizzlin

Re: Attention ED
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2008, 04:47:58 am »
Not that this is 100% right, but because nwn and layo are based off of D&D 3.0, I always crack open a monster manual. If it says the creature can speak a language, then I go with that unless told otherwise or stated in LORE to be different.
 

EdTheKet

Re: Attention ED
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2008, 07:25:36 am »
Well, I never defined it per shifter creature, but here we go! (Just did this)

Can Speak:

Minotaur, Harpy, Gargoyle, Drider, Manticore, Drow Warrior, Kobold Commando, Lizardman, Medusa, Mindflayer, Dragon, Azer Chieftain, Rakshasa, Vampire, Death Slaad

Can not speak:
Basilisk, Wyrmling, Large Dire Tiger, Iron Golem, Stone Golem, Demonflesh Golem, Risen Lord, and Spectre

I think the above makes sense :) Although I couldn't quite find what a Risen Lord was...
 

Aerimor

Re: Attention ED
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2008, 11:04:03 am »
Great thanks Ed.  The only one we disagreed on was wyrmling, so that is not too bad at all.  I figured wyrmlings had the equipment just generally too young to have had the practice and brians to use it.

But in any case this is a can do.  I can get back to role playing (and talking) in groups instead of being very quite because I am unsure if the form can speak in Layo or not.

Thanks,
~D
 

EdTheKet

Re: Attention ED
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2008, 11:13:43 am »
You're welcome.