Griffon Public Speakers

[Lord Pendragon]

A griffon has an average intelligence of 5. This seems intelligent enough for language, but looking at the 3.5 srd and the 3.0 Monster Manual, I cannot find any languages listed for the Griffon.

Does it not understand language? Is it capable of understanding language if it spends the skill points on Speak Language?

Also, assuming it can in fact learn to understand a language, could it learn to speak a language? I don't think there are any rules precluding this, AFAIK, but I thought I'd check just in case there are.

 

[Len]

A griffon cannot speak, but understands Common.

In general:

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).

In my experience, griffons neither speak nor listen. They just grab our horses, usually with us on them, and take off.

 

[dcollins]

No rules against it, thus, up to the DM. I would rule "no".

 

[Lord Pendragon]

No rules against it, thus, up to the DM. I would rule "no".

To which question? All of them?

Len: I must be blind to have missed your first quote! Thanks for pointing it out. So RAW, a griffon can understand Common, although it cannot speak it. And since it specifically mentiones a griffon being unable to speak, I can only assume the reason behind that is a lack of physical "speaking parts" as it were.

Interesting. So a griffon mount can understand Common, and thus accept complex commands, but cannot speak to its rider. I wonder if there's any way to overcome this obstacle. Perhaps a magic item that enhances the Empathic Link ability of paladin mounts? It'd have to be some kind of telepathy, if the reason a griffon doesn't speak is a lack of physical capability...

 

[dcollins]

To which question? All of them?

"Can it speak or take Speak Language skill?"

 

[Patlin]

I've always liked Mercedes Lackey's Gryphons better than the D&D Griffons, personally. House rule! House Rule! Not that I disagree with the other posters from a rules-as-written standpoint...

 

[Lord Pendragon]

"Can it speak or take Speak Language skill?"

Fair enough. Looking at the quote Len provided it seems to be the intent that griffons can't physically speak. But would you allow a griffon to put a rank into Speak Language to understand another language? Celestial, for example?

 

[Corsair]

Fair enough. Looking at the quote Len provided it seems to be the intent that griffons can't physically speak. But would you allow a griffon to put a rank into Speak Language to understand another language? Celestial, for example?

That makes sense to me. Again, it would be unable to speak it.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

That makes sense to me. Again, it would be unable to speak it.

You know, the more I think about it, the more this bothers me. Griffons have an average Int of 5. On average they aren't as smart as humans, but seeing as a human with an Int of 3 is still capable of language, I don't understand why Griffons lack it.

I can understand Griffons not speaking Common, but with clear sentience there should be some kind of language that griffons use to communicate amongst themselves and, possibly, other races. Sylvan, or perhaps some sort of racially unique language, would be appropriate.

This is annoying. If it had three points less Int, it could be classified as an animal and Speak with Animals would allow one to speak with one. As it stands, you'd need Rary's Telepathic Bond. If even that would work.

 

[Anti-Sean]

Perhaps the rider could be allowed to use a rank of Speak Language to understand and communicate with the griffon a la Han Solo and Chewbacca? (granted, Chewbacca was smarter than a griffon - perhaps cowboy & horse pairs from movie/TV westerns is a better comparison.) It might not be fully supported in the RAW, but I like the flavor of it.