Talking Animals.. How? [3.5]

[Roto]

I'm looking to make a cat being able to speak so that people can understand it. What do you think the best way to do that is? I'm open to Magic Items, spells, etc.. Any and all books are fair game.. Just need some advice..

[Acanous]

Tibbit. It's a race.

[Dr.Epic]

I'm looking to make a cat being able to speak so that people can understand it. What do you think the best way to do that is? I'm open to Magic Items, spells, etc.. Any and all books are fair game.. Just need some advice..

Awaken Animal; spell in the PHB.

[ThiagoMartell]

Awaken (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/awaken.htm) spell, in the PHB.

[VGLordR2]

Tibbit. It's a race.

Tibbits specifically cannot speak in cat form.

[Invader]

You could use a pearl of speech but don't expect to get engaging conversation with something with an int of 2 or less.

[Ravens_cry]

Engaging?
No.
Entertaining?
Oh heckles cakes yes.

Bonus points of you role play it in lolcat.

[TuggyNE]

Engaging?
No.
Entertaining?
Oh heckles cakes yes.

Bonus points of you role play it in lolcat.

I second this awesomesauce suggestion.

In fact that is how one of my party members roleplayed her magebred tiger's occasional outbursts: "I CAN HAS EATS NAO?" We didn't get the chance to try Intimidate checks with that, sadly....

[Darrin]

Pearl of Speech. 600 GP, MIC.

Although there's nothing in the rules that says a creature with animal intelligence (Int 2) can't speak, presumably you'd want an Int of 3, which means by RAW they understand Common. The easiest way to bump up a creature's Int to 3 is slap on a fiendish/celestial template (or anarchic, or axiomatic, or pseudonatural).

[JeminiZero]

The easiest way to bump up a creature's Int to 3 is slap on a fiendish/celestial template (or anarchic, or axiomatic, or pseudonatural).

Or just buy a +2 Int item for 4k gp.

[Prime32]

Are you trying to give an existing animal the power of speech, or are you trying to build a PC or NPC from scratch?

[Downysole]

Awaken is definitely the best way if you're going for a magical kitty. But if you're looking to make this just an animal with the ability to speak, I don't think you can.

By adding intelligence, you get a creature that can understand and communicate, but you don't suddenly turn its larynx into something that can provide speech. Awakening does that, but it turns them into a magical creature, not an animal.

[Invader]

Awaken is definitely the best way if you're going for a magical kitty. But if you're looking to make this just an animal with the ability to speak, I don't think you can.

By adding intelligence, you get a creature that can understand and communicate, but you don't suddenly turn its larynx into something that can provide speech. Awakening does that, but it turns them into a magical creature, not an animal.

The aforementioned pearl of speech works perfectly, even better if added with a scarlet and blue ioun stone or some other int bonus magic item.

[Downysole]

Plus, your kitty could tell you what to do! (see command ability once per day).

[Ravens_cry]

Plus, your kitty could tell you what to do! (see command ability once per day).
Nah, all cats have that. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c)
:smallbiggrin: