Pact of the Chain warlocks learn the find familiar spell, and they may cast it as a ritual.
They have access to all the familiars mentioned in the spell description, or they can choose one of four 'special' familiars: imp, quasit, pseudodragon or sprite.
Both the imp and the quasit can speak. They know common, and infernal/abyssal respectively.
These two can also change shape into a variety of forms: rat, raven and spider for the imp and centipede, bat and toad for the quasit.
While transformed, they have all their normal abilities, plus the movement mode of the animal.
My question is this: can they speak in animal form? Is it a definite yes because they keep all their abilities when transformed? Is it a definite no because animals can't talk? Is it a maybe, depending on whether or not the animal in question has a mouth that could shape human sounds?
I'm in the process of making a multiclass paladin/warlock, whose backstory is the opposing pull of each side of his personality. He is a fiend warlock, and I've chosen Pact of the Chain because I think his devilish patron has sent an imp to gradually turn him to evil, but the imp takes raven form so as to keep the whole thing subtle.
Can this 'raven' talk? Can it whisper evil thoughts into my PC's sleeping ear?
While transformed, their stats are the same (except speed), but the unstatted bits about their form are different - for instance, an imp in spider form doesn't have opposable thumbs. Or, for that matter, any physiology that lends itself to speech.
That said, it's magic. Rule of Cool and all that. Besides, I thought they (either imps or familiars) had telepathy, but I could be wrong.
FWIW, I used a version of that story for my last 3.5 character: he had a raven familiar (who could talk; that's what the raven did), which, to show how unnatural it was, I described as having both humanoid eyes and a smoking habit (despite having no lips). At level 12, when I took the Improved Familiar feat, I explained what was going on - it was an imp, bound in the form of a raven the whole time, and simply too weak (from the event where I saved it and earned its service) to take on its normal form and assert its full power until my own soul grew in strength to support it. (in this case it wasn't a corruption narrative so much as a loyalty one, but it was also Eberron - good and evil are grayer there.)
Cool story.
I'm wondering if there is an official rules position on this, because even though if I were DM I would allow it via 'rule of cool', my DM is new to DMing and might feel more comfortable if it were expressed in writing.
There's surely no general rule about it. What is the text of the shapechange ability?
There is nothing in writing except to say "rulings, not rules". The rules are a guideline and it's up to the players and DM to determine where they might houserule or adjudicate (in this case) the rules. Make your case with your DM and share your vision of the character, let him/her see your enthusiasm to for your character. The DM has the final say, but most DMs, I imagine, wouldn't take issue with this request. In this case, it facilitates the internal struggle of your character and is key to the concept. A fellow player of mine currently has a paladin that has a similar internal struggle, like an angel and devil on his shoulders.
jaelis wrote:
It it chains off of polymorph, I'd be inclined to say they lose speaking abilities, if you were looking for as "official" a ruling as possible.
jaelis wrote:
Heh. I envision a devil on one shoulder, but the angel is AWOL and the devil is disguised as an angel, but my PC remains sceptical.
I chose the pirate background with the Bad Reputation. He's resigned to the fact that people think he's evil, and actually takes advantage of that reputation to further his ends, but he's actually (trying) to work for the common good.
Wait, you're a pirate? Is your imp disguised as a parrot?
durntaur wrote:
jaelis wrote:
Only for a necromancer 
The imp, never having seen Monty Python and only having raven, rat or spider as choices, will not be a parrot.
He's not trying to disable his enemies by getting them to laugh themselves sick by doing bad Long John Silver impressions. The imp will pretend to be an emissary from Odin. In mythology, Odin had two ravens: Hugin ('thought') and Munin ('memory'), that flew across Midgard and brought back news to Odin.
The imp will pretend to be Hunin, sent by Odin to advise him. The truth is that the imp has been sent by a devil to corrupt him.
My pirate will turn his (mostly) undeserved Bad Reputation to his advantage, and is trained in Intimidation rather than Persuasion.
In my humble opinion, a raven on the shoulder is more intimidating than a Norwegian Blue, but YMMV.
ArialBlack wrote:
lawrencehoy wrote:
ArialBlack wrote: