On Gainful Elemental Communication

[Cieyrin]

So I'm building an elemental minionmancer and I come across the Thoqqua, which are kinda neat when buffed up and have a handy burrow speed that goes through anything. The issue I'm finding is that despite the fact that they're relatively intelligent (well, Int 6, so better than animals, anyways), they don't seem to have a language they understand, so how would one order them about, as per summoning them with Summon Nature's Ally? Does it matter what I talk to them in, whether in Common, Ignan or Terran (I think they should understand Ignan, even if they don't have a discernible mouth or other voice making device to make actual conversation with, given they're native to the Elemental Plane of Fire)?

For that matter, what kind of commands can I reasonably give with and without being able to speak a given summon's language? Can I just direct them to attack the nearest hostile (however it determines that), point out individual creatures for them to charge or creatures to avoid? Can I tell them to stop attacking or change targets? What sort of leeway are we talking here?

[Volos]

What about telepathy or a speak to animals spell? Either one should give you the ability to speak to a reasonably inteligent animal.

[Cieyrin]

Thoqquas aren't animals, though, they're elementals, making Speak With Animals not exactly useful in this instance. Telepathy could work, though not exactly easily acquirable for a druidish type without some weird dips in like Mindbender, which is arcane only, anyways, making it kinda moot without theurging it up into uselessness.

[Jack_Simth]

Technically?

A Thoqqua understands Common. Seriously:

Intelligence: A creature can speak all the languages mentioned in its description, plus one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus. Any creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher understands at least one language (Common, unless noted otherwise).

(Emphasis added)

It ought to speak Terran, Ingan, or both, but technically, it knows Common.

[Cieyrin]

Technically?

A Thoqqua understands Common. Seriously:

(Emphasis added)

It ought to speak Terran, Ingan, or both, but technically, it knows Common.

Huh, interesting. I think I'm going to go with them knowing Terran, as Common probably isn't that Common on the Elemental Plane of Earth, y'know?

[Jack_Simth]

Huh, interesting. I think I'm going to go with them knowing Terran, as Common probably isn't that Common on the Elemental Plane of Earth, y'know?

Yeah. That will be instantaneously house-ruled by roughly 99% of DM's outside of tournament play (unless the DM has a reason for the Thoqqua to NOT know Terran/Ignan well enough to understand them).

[Moriato]

Since you asked what orders you can give without being able to speak to a creature:

It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions.

So presumably, if you can't communicate, it just attacks whomever it percieves as your enemies.