[3.5] Does a Pearl of Speech allow a familiar to speak?

[The Shadowmind]

Does the pearl of speech in the Magic Item allow a familiar to speak?
Ie. giving a familiar a pearl of speech common(common) the ability to speak common, even it they are not capable to speaking.

The familiar in question is a blink dog.
"Blink dogs have their own language, a mixture of barks, yaps, whines, and growls that can transmit complex information."

the wording of the Pearl is ",while absorbed the pearl grants you the ability to speak and understand one one language"

Grammatically this seems like it could mean two things, the physical ability to speak that language and the mental ability to understand it. Or the mental ability to understand the language and know how to speak it, but not the physical ability to speak it.

[Yora]

Well, it's called Pearl of Speech and not Pearl of Language.

[Curmudgeon]

It's magic, so it works as stated. Do note that a familiar with an INT of 6-7 will be pretty moronic, so don't expect scintillating conversation.

[gbprime]

Magic Item Compendium drives me nuts. Some Pearls are listed as Tools, some are listed as clothing, which puts them in completely different sections of the book. And there's no index.

[The Shadowmind]

I use this for an index:http://www.launchpadzero.net/DND/Mag...um%20Index.pdf.
The pearl is on page 118.

I'm trying to convince my DM that is pearl does what it says, I'm also going to have to point out that the speech ability is a non-action to activate, not a command action, and that only removing it, and the Command(spell) ability require the command(action).

I'm just trying to get the blink dog able to use command action magic items like the Healing Belt.

[Ranos]

Magic Item Compendium drives me nuts. Some Pearls are listed as Tools, some are listed as clothing, which puts them in completely different sections of the book. And there's no index.

It does make things pretty hard to find, but the distinction is that clothing takes an item spot and tools don't. Anyway, here's your index.

Edit : Swordsage'd

[gbprime]

I'm just trying to get the blink dog able to use command action magic items like the Healing Belt.

Heal boy, heal.

[The Shadowmind]

While it seems my interpretation is the agreed upon one, the there hasn't been much argument on why the the Pearl allowing the familiar to speak is the correct interpretation.
If I just point that most agree with this interpretation, I would just be using the Bandwagon fallacy.
Minor question:You the familiar has a normal int score higher than the one on the chart, would the familiar retain its int score, or would it get dumber?

[Curmudgeon]

Minor question:You the familiar has a normal int score higher than the one on the chart, would the familiar retain its int score, or would it get dumber?

It would get dumber, according to the rules.

Int: The familiar’s Intelligence score. Familiars are as smart as people, though not necessarily as smart as smart people.

If your familiar started out equivalent to a smart person, they'd be dumbed down to fit the table entry.

[The Shadowmind]

It would get dumber, according to the rules. If your familiar started out equivalent to a smart person, they'd be dumbed down to fit the table entry.

That is a dumb rule, but is the nature of RAW I suppose. I think the person who wrote the rule didn't realize several of the improved familiars have higher INT scores at the time you get them then what the table has.

I still need a decent argument that the pearl does indeed allow the ability to speak. Some along the lines of:
Which the wording being as such "while absorbed the pearl grants you the ability to speak and understand one one language" The underlined parts means you are able to speak. And, that the "understand one language" part gives the ability to understand the language the pearl is keyed to. Since it only granted the knowledge of one language it could contain the "[Blank] does not enable the subject to speak with creatures who don’t speak." that the tongues spell has, nor does the wording says you simply gain knowledge of a language.