Mute Spellcaster?

[FishBonePendant]

I recently started a Gestalt Campaign with some friends (Oh my god, we have so many different campaigns in case someone isn't available, please kill me) and one player wanted to play a Mute Bard/Psion (Think Sona from League of Legends).

The problem is that without the ability to speak she can't technically cast spells with Verbal components and the Silent spell feat increases the spell slot required for the spell. I'm having trouble coming up with a fair way to give her normal spellcasting but take some other penalty in place. Is being a Mute enough of a penalty or should we take away the ignoring armor failure from the bard class? One player keeps telling me I'm being a jackass by making this big of a deal out of the problem, is he right and it doesn't matter or should I separate him from the party with a gargantuan Monstrous Spider?

Thoughts? Ideas?

thanks for the help!

[HammeredWharf]

Let's see... (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/bard.htm)


A bard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music).

He can play an instrument instead of chanting. No house rules required.

[Rebel7284]

SILENT SPELL
[METAMAGIC]
You can cast spells silently.
Benefit:
A silent spell can be cast with no verbal components.
Spells without verbal components are not affected. A silent spell
uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.
Special:
Bard spells cannot be enhanced by this metamagic feat.

There is also the part that you CAN'T remove verbal components from a bard.

There is some feat made for buomman that allows you to substitute other sounds though.

Edit: or have him play a buomman in the first place? Their racial vow of silence is close enough to being mute.

[JHShadon]

He can play an instrument instead of chanting. No house rules required.

That gives me an idea. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akjUcRHSPdU)

[FishBonePendant]

I like the idea of Playing the instrument instead of chanting. I'm rolling with it. Thanks guys!

[weckar]

if you can take PF material, an Oracle dip could solve this. They would also be Deaf, though...

[Shining Wrath]

I once imagined a race with a genetic pre-disposition toward stammering. Their spellcasters would dance their spells.

[mr_odd]

I think you could come up with any replacement for verbal components as a saying or chant. You could use instruments or you could also be a bit more.....creative. Imagine a tap dancing mute sorcerer.

[torrasque666]

The way I see the components are this:
Verbal: A way to communicate to the universe what is you want to do.
Somatic: A way to communicate to the universe how you want to do it.
Material: An item that is transformed into the spell effect
Experience: The spell saps life energy and possibly even memories to power it
Divine Focus: A more specific method of communication to your deity so you don't get some random murderhobo granting permission. (Or Pelor when you're CE.[Oh god, he'd probably just turn it on you.])

[ryu]

The way I see the components are this:
Verbal: A way to communicate to the universe what is you want to do.
Somatic: A way to communicate to the universe how you want to do it.
Material: An item that is transformed into the spell effect
Experience: The spell saps life energy and possibly even memories to power it
Divine Focus: A more specific method of communication to your deity so you don't get some random murderhobo granting permission. (Or Pelor when you're CE.[Oh god, he'd probably just turn it on you.])

Now what on earth would Pelor the Burning Hate have against evil clerics?

[Doc_Maynot]

The Mind Mage PrC lets one spend PP in exchange for the benefits of silent spell, Still spell, and/or eschew materials no feat or spell level adjustment needed.

[torrasque666]

Now what on earth would Pelor the Burning Hate have against evil clerics?

Sorry, probably should have used Heironeous instead. Or for a PF mention, Rovagug for a LG cleric.

[ryu]

Sorry, probably should have used Heironeous instead. Or for a PF mention, Rovagug for a LG cleric.

Fair enough.

[Gemini476]

Now what on earth would Pelor the Burning Hate have against evil clerics?
It depends. Are they Undead? The All-Consuming Sun hates those in particular.

[ryu]

It depends. Are they Undead? The All-Consuming Sun hates those in particular.

I don't assume racial specifics when none are given.

[Inevitability]

You can also give him Surrogate Spellcasting for free. Treat it as if muteness was a flaw, and therefore worth a feat.

[FishBonePendant]

Surrogate spellcasting might work, since I've let a lot of players use other feats from 3.0, but it requires that the subject beable to create some kind of noise with their vocal cords. This character however, can't make any noise.

[jedipilot24]

I recently started a Gestalt Campaign with some friends (Oh my god, we have so many different campaigns in case someone isn't available, please kill me) and one player wanted to play a Mute Bard/Psion (Think Sona from League of Legends).

The problem is that without the ability to speak she can't technically cast spells with Verbal components and the Silent spell feat increases the spell slot required for the spell. I'm having trouble coming up with a fair way to give her normal spellcasting but take some other penalty in place. Is being a Mute enough of a penalty or should we take away the ignoring armor failure from the bard class? One player keeps telling me I'm being a jackass by making this big of a deal out of the problem, is he right and it doesn't matter or should I separate him from the party with a gargantuan Monstrous Spider?

Thoughts? Ideas?

thanks for the help!

I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned yet.
Nonverbal Spell. (http://dndtools.eu/feats/planar-handbook--79/nonverbal-spell--2072/)

[torrasque666]

I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned yet.
Nonverbal Spell. (http://dndtools.eu/feats/planar-handbook--79/nonverbal-spell--2072/)


Surrogate spellcasting might work, since I've let a lot of players use other feats from 3.0, but it requires that the subject beable to create some kind of noise with their vocal cords. This character however, can't make any noise.

Note that the character can't make any sort of noise that might be able to be construed as vocal, and thus cannot make use of nonverbal spell.

[Razanir]

He can play an instrument instead of chanting. No house rules required.

Solresol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solresol). Your bard is still "speaking". He's just using a musical instrument as a surrogate voice.

[Andezzar]

I once imagined a race with a genetic pre-disposition toward stammering. Their spellcasters would dance their spells.This makes me think of a Truenamer who graduated from a Waldorf school. He can dance more than his own name.