D&D 5E Bats and Silence

[lowkey13]

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[Tectuktitlay]

Something I'm going to touch on which hasn't been fully addressed. How do the characters (as opposed to the players) know that the bats are using echolocation, and therefore silence might work (subject to the actual science being discussed in this thread regarding bats' eyesight)?

It wasn't until 1790 that it was determined that bats used hearing to help them navigate, and echolocation wasn't uncovered until the 20th century.

It's something that I'd be curious about. In game terms (if you wanted that), it would probably be a very high nature (intelligence) DC check.

This is a good point. But, this is also a world where there are intelligent races with much better hearing than a human (elves come to mind), and thus this knowledge might have been discovered much, much sooner. I am picturing elves and humans in early adventures together, and the elves shaking their head in frustration that those poor humans can't hear that there are bats in the area. Whether or not they understand why the bats are making the pulses of chirps they are making to steer, who knows? Same with dolphins, although perhaps sea elves being aware of the latter communicate to land elves, and a lightbulb moment goes off?

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Yeah, he tends to 'bleed' knowledge a bit, but as a Druid I figured he knows a thing or two. Benefit of the doubt.

I do have to administer a verbal slap from time to time, including insisting when in wild shape he communicates only in growls/barks/squeaks as appropriate. And that everything they say is what the characters say. Which got one of their characters a punch in the nose last time!

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Also, it's possible that Speak with Small Animals revealed the echolocation which, without it, in our world took longer to discover.

 

[Sunseeker]

I would probably give them disadvantage on their attacks against anything else, but no real punishment to the bats for "bumping into each other". Might require them to make a perception check before making an attack, but probably one or the other, not both.

As for "how did the players figure it out" is one of those age-old player/character knowledge issues. If it's worth it to the DM, one could demand an intelligence check, or specifically a Nature check to see if their character could have the same idea as the player. I'd keep it fairly simple, maybe DC 12. It's a magical world and magical knowledge is likely going to be different. Perhaps the wizard read about bats when they were studying magic, perhaps this magical world knows more about bats. Maybe some vampire wizard or a druid wrote it all down after turning into one!

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Tectuktitlay]

Also, it's possible that Speak with Small Animals revealed the echolocation which, without it, in our world took longer to discover.

Lol, that's true. Very true. Again, it conjures amusing images. Of a druid speaking to a bat, who is trying to describe how they perceive the world, with the same difficulty describing color to someone who only sees in black and white has.

There's also the whole shapeshifting issue. A druid turning into a bat would have to figure out very quickly how to echolocate. A druid flies around haphazardly, bumping into things occasionally, until it finally makes her exclaim out loud, at which point she SEES SOUND, OMG!!!

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Makes you wonder, if humans are considered generally the dominant species, and everyone else has darkvision pretty much, why Potions of Darkvision (or Goggles of the Dwarven LordsTM) aren't considered a staple like Healing Potions.

 

[lowkey13]

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[The Grassy Gnoll]

Internal consistency is hard.

...said the actress to the gelatinous cube.

Drum roll. High hat.





Tumbleweed.



A single cough.


The jazz hands starting to ache, the grin now a rictus.



The inevitable hook from behind the curtain a blessing.