D&D 5E Blind People Get Dogs or Sticks: What Do You Give A Mute Spellcaster?

[LF219]

Starting a short-term campaign (12 weeks or so, just passing time before my/our current DM finishes classes and continues HotD,) and tonight was character creation and dinner. Everyone seems okay, typical race/class combos...


Chris wants to play a wizard.

One that is mute.

True, true, there are spells a caster can evoke without verbal input. Minor Illusion is one, "its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else's voice [...] or any other sound you choose, etc. etc." That's the current thought.

However, he's my friend and I want to accommodate his character's quirk, and the fact the campaign is so short-term they all know they're going to die in the end anyway. I don't really want to just make a "ye grande scrolle of magical DM healing" and poof, he can talk. I'd rather make some enablement for a slightly disabled spellcaster, (which begs the question how he's learned the spells he has knows... lol)

One idea I have is a magic item with permanent Magic Mouth for x/day uses? Basically replacing his actual spell slots per rest. (Maybe an enchanted 'talking' skull? That would be thematically cool.) He surrendered his extra languages for Thieves' Cant, so is ASL (or would that be 'Common' Sign Language?) able to be accommodated here somehow?
Another option is Sorcerer's Metamagic- Silent Casting. I can't find my handbook, so I don't recall is that's verbal to start with, and beside, that's only feasible as long as you have sorcery points.

I want to make this work. I don't want to make it too easy.

Brainstorm, please.

 

[Leatherhead]

A Variant Find Familiar spell that grants a Parrot who will do the talking for him. This particular variation of the spell can be done without a verbal component.

The challenge is keeping the familiar alive long enough to cast spells, which can be tricky when facing down some AoEs. Fortunately, the spell is a ritual, and can be recast every time you take a rest.

 

[LF219]

I HAD JUST THOUGHT OF THAT. A wizard's Familiar, like Pathfinder. I'll like this idea.

 

[Lanliss]

Starting a short-term campaign (12 weeks or so, just passing time before my/our current DM finishes classes and continues HotD,) and tonight was character creation and dinner. Everyone seems okay, typical race/class combos...


Chris wants to play a wizard.

One that is mute.

True, true, there are spells a caster can evoke without verbal input. Minor Illusion is one, "its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else's voice [...] or any other sound you choose, etc. etc." That's the current thought.

However, he's my friend and I want to accommodate his character's quirk, and the fact the campaign is so short-term they all know they're going to die in the end anyway. I don't really want to just make a "ye grande scrolle of magical DM healing" and poof, he can talk. I'd rather make some enablement for a slightly disabled spellcaster, (which begs the question how he's learned the spells he has knows... lol)

One idea I have is a magic item with permanent Magic Mouth for x/day uses? Basically replacing his actual spell slots per rest. (Maybe an enchanted 'talking' skull? That would be thematically cool.) He surrendered his extra languages for Thieves' Cant, so is ASL (or would that be 'Common' Sign Language?) able to be accommodated here somehow?
Another option is Sorcerer's Metamagic- Silent Casting. I can't find my handbook, so I don't recall is that's verbal to start with, and beside, that's only feasible as long as you have sorcery points.

I want to make this work. I don't want to make it too easy.

Brainstorm, please.

His Spell casting requires both hands free, one for Somatic components, and one for sign language. Basically, he has learned to compensate for his lack of Verbal components by making advanced two-handed somatic based spells.

 

[thorgrit]

Just off the top of my head, I'm reminded of the Star Trek TNG episode "Loud as a Whisper", where a skilled negotiator is deaf, but has a telepathic bond with his "chorus" (three other characters) who speak for him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loud_as_a_Whisper I remember there's a Background with the option of having three non-combat NPCs under the PC's charge, which is what made me think of it. If high enough level, then maybe a permanent telepathy might work, with NPC(s) handling the spell components for him? If lower level, perhaps an apprentice that stays by his side and supplies the verbal parts? In any event, there may be extra actions taken to ensure the proper vocal components are performed, or without careful prep a % chance the helper will give the wrong words. Extra limitation would come from escorting weak NPC(s) along, probably without armor and a tiny amount of health.

 

[LF219]

Like, for example, a hired Acolyte NPC? He'll die in first combat. But a super-cool idea! Can you form a telepathic bond with a beast? And if so, does the beast have to already know how to speak, like ravens, parrots and dragons... or can a cat or even a village goat be a substitute?

 

[Lanliss]

Like, for example, a hired Acolyte NPC? He'll die in first combat. But a super-cool idea! Can you form a telepathic bond with a beast? And if so, does the beast have to already know how to speak, like ravens, parrots and dragons... or can a cat or even a village goat be a substitute?

If you use the Acolyte npc once, he can assist in casting Find Familiar, which you can speak with telepathically. Make it a parrot and you are set.

 

[Harzel]

His Spell casting requires both hands free, one for Somatic components, and one for sign language. Basically, he has learned to compensate for his lack of Verbal components by making advanced two-handed somatic based spells.

Or as a slight variant of this, he is a mime. (And we know just what the routine for Forcecage should look like. )

 

[LF219]

Okay, I WAS going to make a summonable parrot (pining for the fjords, of course,) like the "Figurine of Wonderous Power" but I like this idea better. Thank you to everyone for your inspiration and suggestions.

"Magic-whatever MacGuffin ring" that casts only Tongues.
For regular spells under a minute/action/reaction, Chris has Minor Illusion, that causes one minute of a verbal sound.
Cast Minor Illusion -> Cast all of the spells (from Burning Hands to Thunderwave.)
Actions per turn of combat take about 6 seconds, with the average combat taking a minute or so, [YMMV] therefore I don't see any problems with this method. I don't need to give him any freebie spells, as he can already cast them this way.

For lengthier spells, (ex. Clairvoyance 10m, Glyph of Warding 1h, ect.)
-Cast Tongues (with the ring/whatever) which lasts 1 hour.
-Use Tongues to cast Find Familiar (1 hour) Slightly-nerfed Pseudodragon Familiar appears. Pseudodragon communicates telepathically with caster.
-Cast Tongues on Pseudodragon (another hour) Caster now can telepathically tell Pseudodragon the verbal componant, while manipulating the somatic and material componants himself.
-Total time to get combat-ready: 3 hours That's less time than my ex-wife! jk jk

I'm implementing a (probably 5%) chance to dismiss itself after each turn, and another percentile to misconstrue the given message (for humour.)
IS THIS A GOOD IDEA? I don't see any holes so far. And what should the MacGuffin have in way of charges? I'm thinking 1+1d4/24 hours. That way he gets base 2 uses, and can cast one hour of verbal spells a minimum of once per day.

Also, I want to make the MacGuffin 'cursed' so he can't remove it, and because he can't remove it and it's attached to him, the ring's magic interferes and he can't cast Tongues on himself. Because the DM rules.Though I don't think Chris would anyhow, as that's the whole point of me making this post in the first place.

Feel free to poke holes.

 

[chaochou]

What Do You Give A Mute Spellcaster?

A penalty on buying life insurance.