Communication while Transformed

Discussion on playing Earthdawn. Experiences, stories, and questions related to being a player.
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Leigh Keegan
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Joined:Wed Mar 02, 2022 3:41 pm
Communication while Transformed

Post by Leigh Keegan » Mon Mar 28, 2022 3:18 am

Falcon's Cloak and Beastform (are there others?) allow the adept to take the form of an animal for [Rank] hours. I was pondering if there was a way to communicate verbally with other party members using language in some way. I have had a few thoughts ...

1) Air Speaking: It seemed promising but the talent specifically says the adept must speak a language the target understands. The talent limits who can hear rather than creating sound the target understands.

2) Animal Talk: Are people animals? A liberal interpretation may let this one work.

3) Wind Dance: If in a winged form, I see no reason this can't work. The only problem is other party members need the skill/talent to understand what is said.

4) Thought Link: This will work, but it is quite high level and not available to the Shaman.

5) Writing: This is a last resort. Is there a better way?

ChrisDDickey
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Re: Communication while Transformed

Post by ChrisDDickey » Mon Mar 28, 2022 6:57 pm

As for other ways of being in animal form, there is the Nethermancer spell "nightflyers cloak", and the "Animal Possession" talent.
  • Thought Link would be perfect.
  • I agree that Air Speaking would not work.
  • I would say that Animal Talk would not work on a normal namegiver, but it would work on somebody who has transformed into an animal. The rules say that somebody under nightflyers cloak is considered a nightflyer for purposes of "Command Nightflyer", so the magical transformations seem to be comprehensive).
  • If the target and one other party member both have the talents they might speak through Elemental Tongues, or through a third party with plant talk.
  • This might be the perfect use case for the first circle illusionist spell "Send Message".
  • The 7th circle Wizard spell "Call" would also work assuming the GM rules that the form in question is capable of weaving the two threads required. Note that the parties Wizard could possibly "Loan Spell" that spell to the transformed caster.
  • Skills that might assist in communication but would require good rolls would be pantomime and empathic sense.
  • Scratching a short message out in the dirt using writing would be very slow (just a word or two per round) but should usually work.

Slimcreeper
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Re: Communication while Transformed

Post by Slimcreeper » Tue Mar 29, 2022 8:56 pm

  • Charades, but the players must act it out and one of the players must be pretending to be an animal the whole time

Leigh Keegan
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Joined:Wed Mar 02, 2022 3:41 pm

Re: Communication while Transformed

Post by Leigh Keegan » Wed Mar 30, 2022 4:31 am

Thanks for the replies! This has given me more options to consider.

Belenus
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Re: Communication while Transformed

Post by Belenus » Sat Apr 02, 2022 10:19 am

Just play the Legends of Barsaive: Haven Volume 1 campaign and you will find your solution ;-)

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