Parrots and Ravens - Speaking

[Nightshadow]

Familiars are supposed to be like more intelligent versions of their own species of animal. According to the 3.5 Player's Handbook, on page 53, 'Familiars are as smart as people, though not necessarily as smart as smart people.' Also, raven familiars are allowed to speak one language, according to the Player's Handbook.

Since these familiars are magically altered to give them increased intelligence, and already had the ability to learn how to speak actual words and phrases, it shouldn't be too difficult for them to learn how to speak.

What do you think?

[lovethesuit]

I think this has actually been covered before, although I don't recall where. Howland said that parrots can mimic simple phrases and Ravens, maybe a word or two, something like that.

[Jayde Moon]

It has been generally agreed that while familiar's may be intelligent enough to understand, they need vocal cords to speak.

So as LTS says, parrots a bit, ravens here and there, and recently added:

SUP IMMA WORG

[Nightshadow]

Yes, at http://www.escapefromunderdark.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21176 it says that they can speak a few simple phrases. I'm suggesting a change from that policy.

[lovethesuit]

Oh! I see what your suggestion is now. It's because familiars are smarter than the average animal, and should be able to speak more easily. Is that it? Man, I vote yes.

[Listen in Silence]

If I understand correctly, ravens and parrots cannot "speak", only learn to squawk in a way that is similar to certain words and phrases. Intelligence therefore isn't the reason why they cannot speak. They simply don't have the vocal chords and pronounciation required to speak entire sentences.

[Nightshadow]

If I understand correctly, ravens and parrots cannot "speak", only learn to squawk in a way that is similar to certain words and phrases. Intelligence therefore isn't the reason why they cannot speak. They simply don't have the vocal chords and pronounciation required to speak entire sentences.

Normal parrots can make squawks that sound like words after you train them to do so. These magical parrots are intelligent, as well, so since they are physically capable of making almost as many sounds as a human can make by using squawks normally, and since they have an intelligence similar to that of a human, it is my opinion that these familiars would be able to learn how to speak, though they would only speak as well as a toddler.

[9lives]

sup im a magic parrot desu

[Nickless]

I'm quite sure that'd be incredibly annoying.

[Semli]

Although this isn't really definitive proof that these familiars should be able to speak or the end all argument by any means, according to 3.5 PnP rules for D&D -

"A raven familiar can speak one language of its master’s choice as a supernatural ability."

This differs from the ability that all familiars gain at a later level where they can communicate verbally with only their master, and even later, animals of their own kind.

[Nightshadow]

Any familiar parrots who go around saying 'sup I'm a magic parrot' should be killed, lol

However, currently no good aligned wizard/sorcerer has an option for a non-demonic familiar that can talk (the only three that can talk are the imp, the floating skull, and the eyeball familiars), and parrots and ravens can only say a few simple phrases. I rarely see any familiars, ever, and I have only seen a familiar used for something other than to buff their owner before a quest about three times now. Such as when a chicken landed on my dwarf's head and decided to crap there, when Johnson was trying to teach his raven an odd phrase, and, last but certainly not least, Ahmed Khaliwazi (sorry if I spelled that wrong) had a chicken, I believe, and that chicken was awesome.

If we make it so that raven and parrot familiars can speak intelligently, as they can in PnP, we'll see more RP with familiars.

[Mort]

I think a parrot being roleplayed as a parrot is fine and has been done before. (i.e. talking learned simple phrases)

Talking Raven? Eh', not so much.

As long as it's logical and good, we'll trust you. We just dont want familiar to start long discussions like this: "No I believe the vector speed is the same as the parallel of the distance vector times the time vector divided by the acceleration vector based on the theorem of Isaacinus Newtonus at the University of Waterdeep."

[FanaticusIncendi]

Ravens can mimic human language IRL just as parrots can. They also have the largest brain of any avian species and are considered to be better problem solvers than parrots are.

[Oskar Maxon]

...and better than chimpanzees.

[Mort]

Saint Thomas wishes you to support your claims. Half of those sounds Half-made up to me, extrapolated from pseudo research.