Do Ravens talk?

[hammymchamham]

A talking, raven familure came in handy when the party was split between 2 rooms fighting in a dungeon. I knew what was going on, and thanks to the raven,we could send messages between the rooms

 

[AuraSeer]

[...]After that sinks in, bring up Command Word activated magic items.

Suddenly all those toads don't look so munchkiny...

What's so munchkiny about command-word items? They don't seem common enough to be game-breaking.

You don't need words for a use-activated item, which includes all potions, most weapons, armors, and wondrous items, and many of the rods and rings too. Even a non-speaking familiar can use those, as long as its body type makes it possible.

Wands and staves are activated by spell trigger, and scrolls by spell completion. These can't be used by any familiar, even one that can talk.

In any case, if you're crafting an item yourself, making it depend on a command word only gives you a 10% discount on the price. (The cost factor shrinks from 2,000 gp to 1,800 gp.) Pay full price, get a use-activated item, and a non-speaking familiar can use it just fine.