Can Mind Flayers talk normally? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can Mind Flayers talk normally? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Khatoblepas
01-12-07, 06:49 AM I was looking at the entry for the Mind Flayer in the MM, and noticed that it's telepathy was a Supernatural ability. This means that the only obvious form of communication is supressed within an antimagic field or in a null magic zone.

(Counting as if psionics and magic were transparent)

Can Mind Flayers talk normally if in an Antimagic/psionic field? Or even make sounds? Their anatomy appears to be geared towards not using their mouths to talk at all. They could make sounds with their tentacles... but that's disturbing.

Not to mention dopplegangers. They don't have mouths at all.
Mithral Icesilver
01-12-07, 06:58 AM Well, I'm not sure how reliable it is, but the Arms and Equipment Guide mentions illithids training purple worms as mounts, and that, because of the worm's low intelligence, they can't communicate by telepathy, and are lowered to issuing verbal commands in Undercommon.
Shar_the_Black
01-12-07, 07:07 AM Well, in the Monster Manual, it does state that they can speak undercommon but prefer to speak via telepathy. They also dectect thoughts so it wouldn't be too hard to have a mental conversation with the lilithids.

Also, in all the fantasy novels I've read that feature mindflayers, if they do speak normally their voices have always been described as deep and sorta gurgling.
CzarGarrett
01-12-07, 08:39 AM Agreed.

It seems most sources indicate they have the physical ability to communicate in standard verbal ways, however, due to their telepathy, only engage in direct verbal communication when unable to use their psionic abilities.
cog_n_taz
01-12-07, 08:52 AM alas, they are limited to cthulhu quotes...
NerdNumber1
01-12-07, 09:29 AM To them normal speach must seem as crude as bashing rocks together and grunting.
General_Ridley
01-12-07, 05:56 PM To them normal speach must seem as crude as bashing rocks together and grunting.

and you are right about that, too.

The closest they like to get to verbal speech is sign language with their tentacles to punctuate or emphasise particularly important parts of their telepathic conversations.
drakkonflye
01-13-07, 11:00 PM Actually, it would have to be able to speak since they give a mind flayer sorcerer as a sample creature. I don't think it can telepathically verbalize spells; that would mean it had Silent Spell as a free feat with no penalties.
FatMonkey13
01-26-07, 04:46 PM Mind Flayers are gifted linguists in 3rd and 3.5 edition (due to high Int and Cha) but in AD&D they were mute (see The Illithiad) and had developed special psionic voice box items to speak if they had some need to. Also of note is that they are listed as having difficulty hearing in The Illithiad (I think LoM mentions this too).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Khatoblepas 01-12-07, 06:49 AM	I was looking at the entry for the Mind Flayer in the MM, and noticed that it's telepathy was a Supernatural ability. This means that the only obvious form of communication is supressed within an antimagic field or in a null magic zone. (Counting as if psionics and magic were transparent) Can Mind Flayers talk normally if in an Antimagic/psionic field? Or even make sounds? Their anatomy appears to be geared towards not using their mouths to talk at all. They could make sounds with their tentacles... but that's disturbing. Not to mention dopplegangers. They don't have mouths at all.
Mithral Icesilver 01-12-07, 06:58 AM	Well, I'm not sure how reliable it is, but the Arms and Equipment Guide mentions illithids training purple worms as mounts, and that, because of the worm's low intelligence, they can't communicate by telepathy, and are lowered to issuing verbal commands in Undercommon.
Shar_the_Black 01-12-07, 07:07 AM	Well, in the Monster Manual, it does state that they can speak undercommon but prefer to speak via telepathy. They also dectect thoughts so it wouldn't be too hard to have a mental conversation with the lilithids. Also, in all the fantasy novels I've read that feature mindflayers, if they do speak normally their voices have always been described as deep and sorta gurgling.
CzarGarrett 01-12-07, 08:39 AM	Agreed. It seems most sources indicate they have the physical ability to communicate in standard verbal ways, however, due to their telepathy, only engage in direct verbal communication when unable to use their psionic abilities.
cog_n_taz 01-12-07, 08:52 AM	alas, they are limited to cthulhu quotes...
NerdNumber1 01-12-07, 09:29 AM	To them normal speach must seem as crude as bashing rocks together and grunting.
General_Ridley 01-12-07, 05:56 PM	To them normal speach must seem as crude as bashing rocks together and grunting. and you are right about that, too. The closest they like to get to verbal speech is sign language with their tentacles to punctuate or emphasise particularly important parts of their telepathic conversations.
drakkonflye 01-13-07, 11:00 PM	Actually, it would have to be able to speak since they give a mind flayer sorcerer as a sample creature. I don't think it can telepathically verbalize spells; that would mean it had Silent Spell as a free feat with no penalties.
FatMonkey13 01-26-07, 04:46 PM	Mind Flayers are gifted linguists in 3rd and 3.5 edition (due to high Int and Cha) but in AD&D they were mute (see The Illithiad) and had developed special psionic voice box items to speak if they had some need to. Also of note is that they are listed as having difficulty hearing in The Illithiad (I think LoM mentions this too).