Speak with Animals & Magical Beasts

[Starglim]

Abilities
Intelligence: A creature can speak all the languages mentioned in its description, plus one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus. Any creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher understands at least one language (Common, unless noted otherwise).


Celestial Creature
Abilities: Same as the base creature, but Intelligence is at least 3.

Neither the Celestial Creature nor the Hippogriff description 'notes otherwise', therefore a Celestial Hippogriff, with an Int of 3, understands Common.

Likewise, a Fox's Cunninged Hippogriff, with an Int of 6, understands Common.

-Hyp.

Retrospective gain of a skill due to a (temporary) INT increase? Ugly. Languages are a bit different, though, so you may be right.

More likely, a hippogriff with INT 6 has the capacity to understand a language if it happened to know the words, so it should be granted some kind of Sense Motive check to guess what someone is trying to say.

I'd go by dcollins' quote to establish that it has indeed been noted that good-aligned beings from the Outer Planes speak Celestial.

 

[Creat]

Likewise, a Fox's Cunninged Hippogriff, with an Int of 6, understands Common.

I'm not so sure about that. The creature normally has int 2, which doesn't allow it to speak any language at all. Since foxcunning increases the int score by at least 2 it would be well able to speak common, but it only got more intelligent, nobody actually taught him to speak any language yet. Technically he'd have to spend 2 skill points to learn a language I think. At least I wouldn't allow him to speak a language just because he's intelligent enough to do so for a while. He still has to learn it.

Tongues should work though...

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm not so sure about that. The creature normally has int 2, which doesn't allow it to speak any language at all. Since foxcunning increases the int score by at least 2 it would be well able to speak common, but it only got more intelligent, nobody actually taught him to speak any language yet. Technically he'd have to spend 2 skill points to learn a language I think.

"Any creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher understands at least one language (Common, unless noted otherwise)."

The FC Hippogriff has Int of 3 or higher. Nothing 'notes otherwise', therefore it understands Common, strictly as written.

-Hyp.

 

[Creat]

No, it does not actually have an int of 3 or higher, it just gets a magical enhacement bonus for a certain period of time. When you cast FC on a wizard he doesn't get additional bonus spells, nor does he speak more languages (even though he would gain at least 1 from the score, since bonus languages are dependant on int). All these "ability increase by 1d4+1"-spells have no effect on long time abilities like languages. It would probably be able to speak common if it was provided with a headband of intellect or some other permanent enhancement, but again only after a longer period of time (I think a wizard has to wear it for a week to get bonus spells, so that would be an appropriate amount of time I'd say).

 

[Hypersmurf]

No, it does not actually have an int of 3 or higher, it just gets a magical enhacement bonus for a certain period of time.

Of course it has an Int of 3 or higher. The magical enhancement bonus increases its Int to 6.

When you cast FC on a wizard he doesn't get additional bonus spells, nor does he speak more languages (even though he would gain at least 1 from the score, since bonus languages are dependant on int).

He doesn't get additional bonus spells because the spell text prohibits it. He doesn't speak more languages because bonus languages are explicitly dependent on Int at character creation.

Neither of those applies to the rule about understanding Common. There are only two questions to answer: Is Int 3 or greater? Is it 'noted otherwise'?

Int 6 is 3 or greater. It is not 'noted otherwise'.

It would probably be able to speak common if it was provided with a headband of intellect or some other permanent enhancement, but again only after a longer period of time (I think a wizard has to wear it for a week to get bonus spells, so that would be an appropriate amount of time I'd say).

That's not a rule. Fox's Cunning does not provide bonus spells; a Headband of Intellect has no such prohibition, and there is no mention of any time period before it can do so.

-Hyp.

 

[HalfOrc HalfBiscuit]

He doesn't speak more languages because bonus languages are explicitly dependent on Int at character creation.

Which must surely also be the case with the Hippogriff ...

 

[Wolfix]

Thanks for all the replies! Too bad it won't work, though I like the ideas of using Fox's Cunning or Tongues

I will use Speak with Animals in conjunction with a summoned Dire Bat then. He has a pretty good grapple modifier as well. That would work as it is an Animal, right?

 

[dcollins]

Yes, speak with animal would work on a Dire Bat.

Separately, I also agree with the posters who reject the "buffed Hippogriff Int provides a new language" argument. Again, Hyp's being a bit too literal. Notice in the definition of "Intelligence" it says this:

You apply your character’s Intelligence modifier to... The number of languages your character knows at the start of the game.

No one gets extra languages by getting an Intelligence buff. Raw Intelligence only provides languages known when the base creature is drawn up.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

When the hippogriff has the Fox's Cunning spell cast on it, it moves from non-sentience into sentience.

I gains the ability to perform complex problem solving using the application of knowledge, rather than instinct.

Is it that much of a stretch to believe that it also comprehends basic instructions? After all, a dog (Int 2) can be taught to perform basic instructions given in Common - even by people who aren't the original trainer.

Flowers for Algernon, anyone?

 

[qaaral]

I'd suggest modifying "speak with animals" to "speak with anything that has no language and is kinda like an animal".

Otherwise there's this whole subgroup of things that cannot be communicated with by anyone, just because their "for d&d purposes only" creature type says that they're the wrong type.

Well, you can take 17 levels of monk.