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GoblinGilmartin
2015-02-28, 04:18 AM
So, in a lot of Tolkein stories at least, many main characters can speak with animals. Without getting too specific about what I'm looking for, how exactly would you handle this in a game of D&D? I know some creatures can understand Druidic or Sylvan, but are these catchalls? Different languages for different phylums of animals? Or could animals just be smarter in your setting, able to speak crude forms of common?

hamishspence
2015-02-28, 04:54 AM
Maybe they're like gnomes?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#gnomes

GoblinGilmartin
2015-02-28, 05:37 AM
Maybe they're like gnomes?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#gnomes

Yeah, but that's a racial, magical ability. What about everyone else?

hamishspence
2015-02-28, 05:41 AM
I could see it being an "at will ability" for Members of the Line of Girion (the thrush is speaking Bird, but Bard understands it because he is "of the race of Dale":

He was a descendant in long line of Girion, Lord of Dale, whose wife and child had escaped down the Running River from the ruin long ago. Now he shot with a great yew bow, till all his arrows but one were spent. The flames were near him. His companions were leaving him. He bent his bow for the last time.

Suddenly out of the dark something fluttered to his shoulder. He started—but it was only an old thrush. Unafraid it perched by his ear and it brought him news. Marvelling he found he could understand its tongue, for he was of the race of Dale.

“Wait! Wait!” it said to him. “The moon is rising. Look for the hollow of the left breast as he flies and turns above you!” And while Bard paused in wonder it told him of tidings up in the Mountain and of all that it had heard.

Then Bard drew his bow-string to his ear. The dragon was circling back, flying low, and as he came the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his great wings.

On the other side of the coin, the thrush appears to be smart enough to understand Common, even if he can't speak it, since he's eavesdropping on the dwarves.

Roac and other giant ravens, might be magical beasts rather than ordinary animals, since they speak "ordinary language":
"This very height was once named Ravenhill, because there was a wise and famous pair, old Carc and his wife, that lived here above the guard-chamber. But I don't suppose that any of that ancient breed linger here now."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the old thrush gave a loud call, and immediately flew away.

"We may not understand him, but that old bird understands us, I am sure," said Balin. "Keep watch now, and see what happens!"

Before long there was a fluttering of wings, and back came the thrush; and with him came a most decrepit old bird. He was getting blind, he could hardly fly, and the top of his head was bald. He was an aged raven of great size. He alighted stiffly on the ground before them, slowly flapped his wings, and bobbed towards Thorin.

"O Thorin son of Thrain, and Balin son of Fundin," he croaked (and Bilbo could understand what he said, for he used ordinary language and not bird-speech). "I am Roäc son of Carc. Carc is dead, but he was well known to you once. It is a hundred years and three and fifty since I came out of the egg, but I do not forget what my father told me. Now I am the chief of the great ravens of the Mountain. We are few, but we remember still the king that was of old. Most of my people are abroad, for there are great tidings in the South—some are tidings of joy to you, and some you will not think so good.

"Behold! the birds are gathering back again to the Mountain and to Dale from South and East and West, for word has gone out that Smaug is dead!"

Thrudd
2015-02-28, 10:22 AM
So, in a lot of Tolkein stories at least, many main characters can speak with animals. Without getting too specific about what I'm looking for, how exactly would you handle this in a game of D&D? I know some creatures can understand Druidic or Sylvan, but are these catchalls? Different languages for different phylums of animals? Or could animals just be smarter in your setting, able to speak crude forms of common?

As was pointed out, in Tolkien's works, some animals can understand and speak common languages. Others, even though they don't speak, can clearly understand speech (like the horses Asfaloth and Shadowfax).

In your game, you could have certain types of animals that are like this, like 3e has "celestial" animals (tolkien's giant eagles) which are more intelligent than normal. If you want to be like Tolkien, let them speak common sometimes, probably only when it is really important. Having them speak a less common language like Druidic or celestial also makes sense, probably more sense.

Some giant or monstrous versions of animals may be more intelligent, and speak common as well, or at least have their own languages (tolkien's giant spiders and wargs). Wargs have their own language and also speak or understand the language of orcs.

I wouldn't have all animals be this intelligent, just some of the giant versions and special particular ones. That's why Druids need a spell to communicate with them most of the time.

hamishspence
2015-02-28, 10:32 AM
Giant Eagles in 3e are best represented by the MM monster, which is a magical beast rather than an animal:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/eagleGiant.htm

For those who want a big animal instead, rather than something that talks, Dire Hawks (MM2, Races of the Wild) Dire Eagles (Races of Stone) and Rocs (MM) all have the Animal type instead of the Magical Beast type.

The Celestial template would probably work better for creatures of Valinor, if Valinor is treated as effectively an Upper Plane:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/celestialCreature.htm.

Huan from The Silmarillion could probably be represented as a celestial canine of some kind (Advanced Riding Dog? Dire Wolf)?

Jay R
2015-02-28, 02:03 PM
Either define the animals that can do this, or define the people who can talk to animals.

Twice
2015-03-10, 08:34 PM
It may help to look at how Tibbit (Dragon Conpendium p.21) race deals with talking to other creature who know the feline language. The Feline language is spoken by all tibbits and cats with an Intelligence of 3 or higher. Rules for them allow them to use diplomacy with cats.

Going by that, you can make it so conversation with animals is possible with animals of 3 intelligence or higher. Otherwise, speech shouldn't be possible except by magic. It might be assumed different languages are shared by different genera. Things such as ape speech or canine speech are likely to exist by these rules for 3+ intelligence creatures.