Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PalyLeto 07-21-07, 02:42 AM	I'm not sure where to put this. But, what would be the bonuses/penalties you would get for being a mute.
Rerecros 07-21-07, 04:17 AM	The only actual effect is you can't cast spells with verbal components, and your screwed if you play a barbarian (can't even write his own name). Ask your DM to make sign language an actual language, and maybe give it everyone in the party for free. I can see a lot of NPCs learing it to comunicate silently while in enemy territory. It might be hard to communicate with some people if they don't know sign language, so you can't use Cha skills that require talking with them, but you can still feint in combat and things like that.
PalyLeto 07-21-07, 04:20 AM	I was also thinking of bonuses as well. Like he/she doesn't speak, but is really good at listening. Also more quiet than other noisy party members :D By the way, this isn't for a campaign, this is merely out of curiosity.
Rerecros 07-21-07, 04:23 AM	I'm not the type to give arbitrary bonuses/penalties, not being able to speak grants no special bonuus to move silently as far as I'm concerned.
PalyLeto 07-21-07, 04:31 AM	okay, so the only thing is that the person now can only speak through sign language. and no somatic spells and cha skills are affected. okay, thanks for the help.
Rerecros 07-21-07, 04:36 AM	Your welcome :)
Ghostwheel 07-21-07, 04:46 AM	In real-life, there are few people that are truly, totally mute. So I am wondering what mechanism you are thinking of for this line of inquiry. :confused:
Malchius 07-21-07, 06:17 AM	There is of course both Drow Sign and Battle Signals as nonverbal languages and there is nonverbal spell meant for the Buomman(who can speak but have vowed not to) they're in the Planar Handbook, might be worth taking a look at them.
AnonymousInternets 07-21-07, 06:41 AM	I'd give the usual penalties and limits, but I'd probably give a bonus to non-verbal innuendo.
AMGriffin 07-21-07, 11:44 AM	Penalties: Cannot cast spells with verbal components, monstrous penalty to intimidate and diplomacy checks, cannot talk (obviously) Bonuses: None! :D
Rotfl_and_Lol 07-21-07, 12:08 PM	Penalties: Cannot cast spells with verbal components, monstrous penalty to intimidate and diplomacy checks, cannot talk (obviously) Bonuses: None! :D Why none? Just make it a flaw, and u get free feat. Those penalties are worth at least one feat.
rex_subterrae1008 07-21-07, 01:13 PM	Well, he can't be a bard, unless, of course, he/she decides to be a mime... lol.
Lionhearted 07-21-07, 01:41 PM	would a mute benefit from vow of silence?
rex_subterrae1008 07-21-07, 01:44 PM	would a mute benefit from vow of silence? I should put that in my sig...
Lionhearted 07-21-07, 01:45 PM	I would be honoured :)
neo-Aeris 07-21-07, 01:52 PM	I actually played a "mute" character in my last campaign. (Well, she made everyone think she was mute, so close enough). It was fun. My DM didn't set up any specific set-backs/rewards, but the roleplaying got tricky. I was the group's rogue, so the wizard would always make me invisable to scout ahead. The problem was, they never knew when I came back... I'd usually fix that by attacking the wizard. (Nothing evil! Just smacking him upside the head. ) Oh, I also got EXP for a roleplaying bonus. YUM.
AMGriffin 07-21-07, 09:51 PM	Why none? Just make it a flaw, and u get free feat. Those penalties are worth at least one feat. o_o;; Are you serious? Even by DND standards, that doesn't make much sense.
AnonymousInternets 07-21-07, 10:32 PM	o_o;; Are you serious? Even by DND standards, that doesn't make much sense. Treat muteness as a custom-made flaw (Unearthed Arcana), and it makes perfect sense.
Meep326 07-22-07, 03:59 AM	Well, he can't be a bard, unless, of course, he/she decides to be a mime... lol. I always wanted to do this one... a Bard who's perform is Interpretive Dance.
one_eyed 07-22-07, 04:56 AM	a mute character could be a Bard, they could play an instrument.
Lionhearted 07-22-07, 06:46 AM	out of curiosity.. can mutes play wind instruments like trumpets?
JolanthusTrel 07-22-07, 07:03 AM	out of curiosity.. can mutes play wind instruments like trumpets? Of course they can, they just can't talk
AMGriffin 07-22-07, 11:45 AM	Treat muteness as a custom-made flaw (Unearthed Arcana), and it makes perfect sense. Nevermind.
Fwib 07-24-07, 12:21 PM	Penalties: Cannot cast spells with verbal components, monstrous penalty to intimidate and diplomacy checks, cannot talk (obviously) Bonuses: None! :DBonus: If captured, no matter how hard they torture you, you won't speak. :)
CaoSlayer 07-24-07, 01:59 PM	If being mute were a flaw then I can imagine every other psionic character or ghostwise halfling taking it.
RealSorceror 07-24-07, 02:12 PM	Be sure to learn Dwarven Hammer speak. Its kinda like morse code, where you just tap on a stone or metal. Its a very obscure language, so most non-Dwarves (and therefore most monsters and NPCs) won't have a clue what is being said.
Holy_Beholder 07-24-07, 02:12 PM	I don't know, I find it really helps people to be able to say a few basic words, like "potion" or "help" in combat. Plus, if your a mute you should be restricted from OOC conversations too. There are plenty of reasons not to be a mute, even without looking at how annoying it would get.
CryoSilver 07-24-07, 09:19 PM	Being mute... well, it's better than asking what you get for being blind... If you CHOOSE silence, maybe that could be made into a vow-like feat, albeit non-exalted and less powerful. You'd probably take a penalty to Diplomacy (since you can't talk) but perhaps gain a bonus on... Wisdom based checks, because you're not distracted by communicating?
Mai_ariti 07-25-07, 09:56 AM	Actually, there is a way to cast spells with a verbal component, I believe, the Nonverbal Spell feat from the Planar Handbook allows this. There it is for the Boumen which are also pseudo-mute, however, it is a choice for them. . .though they take awful penalties if they talk.
thepsionicbard 07-25-07, 10:25 AM	a mute character could be a Bard, they could play an instrument. exactly just look at one of Faerűn's most famous mute bards a harper named marks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpo_Marx):D
obrysii 07-25-07, 10:34 AM	Uh, you can't hyperlink to your C: drive.
fridesgerte 07-25-07, 10:20 PM	I don't know, I find it really helps people to be able to say a few basic words, like "potion" or "help" in combat. Plus, if your a mute you should be restricted from OOC conversations too. There are plenty of reasons not to be a mute, even without looking at how annoying it would get. I agree about the OOC conversation restriction (see below) but also think playing a mute character can be interesting and not too annoying. I'm currently playing a character (Fighter 11 in a D&D 3.5 game) who recently gave up her ability to speak for a year and a day as part of her chosen atonement/repayment for doing something really stupid. So far it's working out, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. (My group is taking it pretty well, too.) She has a slate board and chalk (a small whiteboard and markers) and can write things to the rest of the party if they are just sitting around. She can also make ordinary gestures. It isn't clear yet if she will be able to learn any kind of sign language. (My DM did say being mute would be "inconvenient.") My DM ruled that once initiatives have been rolled, writing is at least a move-equivalent action, and may be a standard action if it’s more than a few words. It also requires another PC to be close enough to read what she writes. She can make gestures as a free action if her hands are free, but she fights with a Greatsword (or a Bow), so she usually doesn’t have her hands free during combat. The party agreed that my PC would not take rear guard any more, or take a solo watch. Other than that, it hasn't had much affect on her role in the group. She never was much of a talker. The most important thing my DM and I decided (when he agreed to let me do this) was that while I would be able to describe my PC’s actions normally, I would not be able to say what my PC was thinking. I agreed, as it would otherwise be too easy to get around her muteness with OOC comments. Therefore, my PC has to have “discussed” her thoughts, opinions and suggestions in-character (by writing or gestures) before I can talk about them OOC. This leads to the slightly weird situation of my continuing to write in character instead of speaking, even when the session is over, if we're having OOC discussions and planning. The other funny thing is that the rest of the group is paying more attention to my PC, and she's participating more in on-going planning and discussions, than she did when she could speak.
nighttree 07-25-07, 10:33 PM	out of curiosity.. can mutes play wind instruments like trumpets? LOL.....ya, they go their whole life without BREATHING :P I would probably give them a -2 on diplomacy (anything like this tends to make other people skittish), and maybe a +2 on Sense Motive (they probably spend a lot of time just observing/listening, and watching others body language because of the communication barrier). :D
Lionhearted 07-26-07, 09:24 AM	LOL.....ya, they go their whole life without BREATHING :P well some mutes cannot make any sounds at all, no screaming no nothing.. why the hell should they be able to play a thrumpet then?
rex_subterrae1008 07-26-07, 09:28 AM	well some mutes cannot make any sounds at all, no screaming no nothing.. why the hell should they be able to play a thrumpet then? Because playing a trumpet has nothing to do with THEM making noise... It's the instrument that makes the noise...
B4_life 07-26-07, 10:38 AM	Have you ever played a wind instrument? all that matters is what holes you block (wether directly with your fingers, like for a flute, or with keys, as for a saxophone) and how you place your lips. mutes can do both.
fridesgerte 07-26-07, 01:17 PM	I think it depends on whether you have a tongue. Without a tongue you could probably still make a sound on a wind instrument, but you couldn't actually play it. If you were mute because your vocal cords didn't work you could play a flute or horn.
Asra 07-26-07, 02:47 PM	It probably depends on the instrument. Its most important to position the lips on the right place and just keep your fingers covering the right parts. I'm not familiar with any musical instrument that would really be too affected if you don't have a tongue.