Help with Animal Language

[LordCove]

This has come up a few times... and I'm curious to see how others RP the animal's ear use. Having seen various different ways of it being used, I just made up my own way and went on from there.

I'll list my two examples and hopefully get some input from others ( Rangers / Druids ) on how they use it, and, well, basically hijack who ever shows the best way to use it and RP it that way from now on.  

Ranger

Has an Ear for Animal Language...
But I dont RP him as being able to understand every language.
I basically picked a few animals Id believe he'd understand ( Wolf, Monkey ) and try to only let him communicate with said animals.
He could understand them, but not actually "speak" back to them.
( A thanks to Jacchri for pointing this out once, when I had Sall "speaking" to a dog, and Jacchri started laughing when Sall began "barking" )

Druid

Has an Ear for Animal Language...
He can understand all animals, or should be able to. The Druids wide range of Nature knowledge I'd have thought would make this plausible.
But again... he can only "speak" back to certain ones... ( Monkey, Wolves...) by more or less mentally projecting his meanings.
As previously with some Wemics... all he could do was project "feelings" to them ( ie. " you feel a sense of greetings / thanks / relief... ect ) ... since Wemics are so rare. The same would probably be done for other rare animal species.


I'm just curious how others are using there ear.
I'm not fond of the idea my Ranger can sit and hiss and snakes and chirp at birds and hold entire conversations....
... nor the idea that every time my Druid talks to his monkey ( no jokes please!) he is actually screeching and chittering to it.

Nothing on Lore but a Stub for Animal Ear... so any input folks.
Can my Druid sit and really "talk" to plants and snakes and birds and Wemics?
Can my Ranger understand Kenku's and Minotaurs and what-not?

[Dorganath]

I think the key thing to remember is that it's not a "language".

Most animals lack the intelligence to put together anything more than the most simple thoughts.  The "language" is sort of a reading of the creature and perhaps a degree of empathy.

A typical conversation between a person and an animal might go along the lines of...

"What is wrong?"
"hungry"
"Why hungry?"
"no food"
"Why no food?"
"green skins kill food"

What would NOT happen is this:

"Pardon me, good badger, but have you perchance seen a band of wandering orcs around?"
"Why yes, my good fellow.  In fact, I did just hours ago.  The ruffians stormed through our good forest and trampled the underbrush and other tasty morsels, making them thoroughly inedible.  Indeed, I'd not even wish to place such things in my mouth that have been trampled by soiled orcish boots."

So again...simple thoughts.

And as for types of animals...it's not like each has its own "language".  Sure there are subtleties to how each species might communicate, but the whole point is that someone with the Animal ear has learned the commonalities between them all.  

Also, I think some common sense should be applied.  Some animals are more intelligent than others.  A wolf, for example, would be able to put phrases together whereas a squirrel might simply say, "ACORNS!"

[Hellblazer]

You made my day there Dorg thanks for the laugher

[Frances]

I'm reminded of a commercial I saw.  I don't remember the item advertised, but it came with the ability to speak to animals.  Unfortunately, all the man's dog was saying was "Sausages!  Sausages!  Sausages!"

[ycleption]

While I agree wholeheartedly with you Dorg, I think  lot of people fall into the trap of thinking that omitting things like articles and misusing pronouns somehow makes their communication simpler, regardless of the idea... "me hungry" expresses the exact same idea as "I am hungry," since animal isn't a language per se, there is no need to make it sound like poor english.... likewise, saying "you speak me where be castle?" doesn't magically make the concept of "castle" any more intelligible to an animal because you're using poor grammar.

Personally, I've always felt a wide degree of latitude to describe how my druid is communicating... whether it's "/dm [*yips brightly* blah blah blah]" or /dm [*stares deep into the panther's eyes* blah  blah blah]. I try to think about what kind of animal it is, and decide whether vocal communication is more likely or some other kind... (wikipedia is very useful when you want to know what some random animal sounds like, if you that route:))

[Dorganath]

Oh yeah, agreed.  An animal wouldn't know "castle".  They would know "rock" though.

Like I said...Simple.

And contrary to the belief of one particular ranger, there is no such thing as "deer lore".

[miltonyorkcastle]

*snickers at the "deer lore"*

[lonnarin]

Can my Druid sit and really "talk" to plants and snakes and birds and Wemics?
Can my Ranger understand Kenku's and Minotaurs and what-not?

Maybe and Yes and Yes and Yes and Yes and No.

There is no plant language in layo thus far.  A treant might scream "Defiler of Trees!" at you though while thumping you, so maybe.

Snakes are animals.  If you shake a rattle at a rattlesnake, it will stay out of your way or try to mate with you.  If you spit on a cobra, it will get angry.  You can talk to snakes, just talk like a snake.  so Yes.

Birds are very vocal and even mimic other sounds they try to communicate with.  My cockatiel curses like a sailor, chirps like about 20 species of birds, whistles, coos, begs for food and the like.  When you whistle back to her in whatever bird call you wish, she will respond with that specific call.  Birds not only talk CONSTANTLY, but they even learnt he languages of other birds and other animals that aren't even bird.  so a definite YES there.

All the Wemics I met save for one spoke some common, and the one exception spoke lion.  I was able to speak to the latter with my ranger and druid.  Yes there.

Kenkus scream "I kill youuu!" and "Eeeek! I'm dying!" in combat.  Sure, it's not MUCH of a conversation, but it is communication none the less.  Further, they probably squawk like birds and mimic other birds like most birds do.  a definite yes.

No for the Minotaur.  Every time I met one they just scream that weird giantkin tongue, "Eeeergh? Zonuflux!"  I'd guess that you need to speak to them in giant.  I doubt they speak bovine, since they never seem to moo like a cow, just grumble giant.

I wholleya gree with Dorg though that you need to take intelligence into consideration when depicting the level of communication.  Like his examples, I once was GMing a session where players tried asking detailed questions from a mole about troops formations of orcs.

"Hi there!"

"Hello!"

"what's your name?"

".... hello?"

"did you see any orcs around here?"

"... um...food?"

"oh! hahah, here you go little buddy, ok now about those orcs, which way did they go?"

"YUM!"  *rubs his nose on his shoe* "Looove!" *coos*


Whenever I pick up our cat and she start meowing constantly to complain, I'd just as much assume she's either cussing me out, or screaming "Don't eat me! Don't eat me!  HELP!"

[aragwen]

And contrary to the belief of one particular ranger, there is no such thing as "deer lore".

 
 There is not!? *winks*

[Lynn1020]

Thought this could use a little nudge.  Also here is another thread that touches on it ~ Animal Ears.

From my understanding when speaking in Animal language you can not really have a lengthy conversation. Just short to the point like.. hungry, North, Yes, no...  Is that correct?

[Dorganath]

Thought this could use a little nudge.  Also here is another thread that touches on it ~ Animal Ears.

From my understanding when speaking in Animal language you can not really have a lengthy conversation. Just short to the point like.. hungry, North, Yes, no...  Is that correct?

Yes, it is correct.

[Link092]

Whenever I pick up our cat and she start meowing constantly to complain, I'd just as much assume she's either cussing me out, or screaming "Don't eat me! Don't eat me! HELP!"

sounds like my cat...



hey, also, I think rangers and druids communicate completely different...

I imagine that druids can "impress" images or thoughts to animals, where as rangers would rely more on habits and vocals.... so while a druid can go all beast-master on a wolf(impressing thoughts of "food" or "help" in mind), a ranger would have to remember to hold his ground, and give a stern look in the eye if he want's to challenge the alpha male of a wolf pack....

a ranger in more about tracking and understanding the woodlands rather than communicating with it....

[Gulnyr]

I imagine that druids can "impress" images or thoughts to animals

a druid can go all beast-master on a wolf(impressing thoughts of "food" or "help" in mind)

I don't know.  I mean, I know what you're saying and might normally agree with it in a generic setting, but it sounds a little too much like telepathy for Layonara.

[Dorganath]

Druid's can't "impress" thoughts.  They can communicate on the level of animals, and they can use their empathy with animals to facilitate that communication better.  But they're not imposing anything on the will of animals.

The exception would be the spell Dominate Animal, but that's a spell, not Animal Empathy or any other class ability.

[Link092]

>.< well.. didn't mean like "controlling them... I meant like "showing" them pictures.... giving off a mental image.... but yes, I can concur.... *shrugs* just an Idea....

[drakogear]

>.< well.. didn't mean like "controlling them... I meant like "showing" them pictures.... giving off a mental image.... but yes, I can concur.... *shrugs* just an Idea....

In a since of sending mental images between druid and animal I say would be possible. Remembering back when I played a druid in NWN:Shadows of Undrentide and talking with the deers or maybe just the one unique white dear in a side quest. The two were able to exchange mental images and concerns.

The quest: Elven arcane archer is hunting the elusive white deer for its horns would provide medicine for his family but the deer does not want to die and often blinks away when threatened. Difficult when not a ranger or druid, but as a druid the deer could impose a series of mental images and possibly so could the druid.

Same thing happens in a quest in the original campaign. In a mysterious forest a druid could communicate with the trees through mental images.

With all that said. I would say a druid would have a unique use of animal empathy that maybe like telepathy but not in the since of controlling ones mind merely sharing mental images, visions of both past experiences and mostly with mystical/unique animals the possible future of the surrounding area if things a kept the way they are. Be it good(preservation of the forest) or evil(corruption or destruction of the forest)

Rangers on the other hand may have images imposed onto them but not from them. simply (theoretically) cause rangers are not as intoned with nature as druids who strive to be one with nature. (um... wile still wearing cloths that is)

[Gulnyr]

In Layonara, "players may not role play that they have the ability to communicate telepathically."  That's straight from the rules page on LORE.  Since sending mental images is telepathy, it can't happen.  Somewhere else, sure; here, no.  Animal empathy and the animal language do not involve telepathy of any sort on Layonara.

[Hellblazer]

It's more an empathy, being able to sense the animal emotional state.

Druid's can't "impress" thoughts.  They can communicate on the level of animals, and they can use their empathy with animals to facilitate that communication better.  But they're not imposing anything on the will of animals.

The exception would be the spell Dominate Animal, but that's a spell, not Animal Empathy or any other class ability.

and points to dorg post that applies to rangers also for the impressing thoughts..

[Guardian 452]

Yes im getting off topic but i just love this commercial!!!
YouTube - Bud Light Sausage Commercial

I agree with what Dorg said about talking as an animal.. Keep It Simple.

G-452

I'm reminded of a commercial I saw.  I don't remember the item advertised, but it came with the ability to speak to animals.  Unfortunately, all the man's dog was saying was "Sausages!  Sausages!  Sausages!"

[Hellblazer]

haha hahahaha love that add.