a deaf character

[Darcand]

my first PF society game is tomorrow and I am playing an oracle with the deaf curse. Any ideas on how to play a character who can't hear would be helpful.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Do you want tips playing one mechanically or roleplaying one?

I'm not going to say not to play one, but this seems like the sort of thing that could get old real fast. Like when, in the heat of battle, your teammates explain a plan and you, of course, can't hear.

[Ravens_Wing]

I would make sure that your character has lots of ranks in perception, and just say that they can read lips. So, so long as you can see someone talking you can "hear" them....

[Adisson]

Boo Ninja'd.

What I was going to say was...

well, in regards to it getting old fast, there are ways that you could workaround it, such as figuring out a way to "teach yourself how to read lips" since that wouldn't force your teammates to have to learn signs. (Sidenote: I'm hard of hearing-- not completely deaf-- and reading lips is how I manage to get by without aids, so I know it's possible.) It would probably rely on Perception + Intelligence + Linguistics kind of deal though. Because it's not just Perceptiveness, but also time taken to study people as they talk. Perception would probably just give you "oh their lips are moving, they're saying something filled with vowels."

Otherwise, Written communication if your teammates are literate. which also gets old fast.

[grarrrg]

Eh? Type louder sonny, I can't read you.

I'm just throwing out ideas, maybe one will work for you:

Telepathy of some kind, not that feasible at low levels, but if you're starting at a higher level it's a possibility.

Take "Nature" mysteries, get a "Bonded Mount", have the DM rule something along the lines of a Familiar like, "Speak with Master" ability (i.e. you can hear if your "Mount" can hear). Feel free to replace with Animal Companion, actual Familiar or something similar.

Work out a skill based communication system. Example: to 'speak' to you, a character must do a "Perform" skill check, opposed by your "Sense Motive" or "Perception". Again, replace skills as appropriate (maybe "Sleight of Hand" = sign language?). In combat make it a Move Action to 'talk' to you, with penalties to the skill check?

The Deaf Curse/Condition does NOT say that you CAN'T talk, but the Curse description says all of your spells are cast as if "Silent Spelled" which implies you can't talk. Depending on interpretation, you may be able to talk to your party and get a head nod or shake as an answer.

[DrWeird]

What? I Don't Think I Got That; Could You Repeat The Question?!

[Noircat]

Magic. Maybe some sort of item that makes what people are saying turn into words above their heads.

[Callista]

One of the most useful magic items I ever crafted was a 3/Day ring of Message. Yes, the cantrip. For silent communication while in the presence of people we don't want to hear us, it's very useful. A ring of Message that can be used at will is probably the same pricing as a Hand of the Mage (i.e., unlimited use of a cantrip), and should go for 1000 gp.

[Cieyrin]

since that wouldn't force your teammates to have to learn signs.

Actually, that's a rather tactically sound method of getting your plans to everybody without worrying about the enemy overhearing your plans. The Drow have Sign Language particularly for that reason, especially since their environment tends to make communication by speaking unreliable, what with the weird acoustics underground.

[Comet]

We actually did a game once that was, for the most part, a pretty standard prison escape scenario. Except that everyone was severely handicapped. One was blind, the other deaf, one couldn't use his hands etc.

It was a blast. It was also a one-shot deal. Any more than that and it would have gotten really old really fast.

As for your situation... Learn to read minds ASAP?

[Callista]

It would be quite a good idea, actually, even if your character weren't deaf, for everyone to put a skill point into sign language. And if you are going with the backstory that "We've known each other forever", as many adventuring parties do--then it would even make a lot of sense that they'd know sign. It's a very good tactical choice.

[Adisson]

Actually, that's a rather tactically sound method of getting your plans to everybody without worrying about the enemy overhearing your plans. The Drow have Sign Language particularly for that reason, especially since their environment tends to make communication by speaking unreliable, what with the weird acoustics underground.

SL is good for this, its true. I was assuming that the character didn't have the "we've known each other forever" archetype, and thus, lip reading would probably be the most feasible in terms of "getting along with people they just met". -shrug-

[Callista]

Well, talk to the others; see if they're willing to try it. For a few skill points, you could have a very good way of communicating. You could even pass notes to simulate it so that the DM really doesn't know what you're saying to each other.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Reading lips in D&D 3.5 is only a DC 15 check (though it increases by an unspecified amount for complex speech), with a max range of 30 feet. This could easily be ported over to Pathfinder and Perception.