Languages for Celestial Animals?

[Thanee]

Besides, just in case, I don't think that by the RAW they would understand anything but Common.

Here's my initial post:

I let them understand Celestial but not Common in my game.

I just think it fits better the way I described it above. I'm aware, that by the rules they would understand Common.

And as far as I am concerned, that's exactly what this topic is about.

Bye
Thanee

 

[werk]

I personally agree with the decision that extraplanar creatures that are intelligent enough to possess language skills would speak and understand the language of the plane or area that they are from.

Now the question is, do the outsiders and other talking things use the special language of their type casually, i.e. do celestials speak celestial all the time or do they usually speak in common? I use the 'race' languages much like the old alignment languages. You don't want any random demon or devil to be able to grab a smart celestial badger and now that demon knows celestial and can more easily intercept communications, spy, stuff like that. Same in reverse. I play it that the specific languages used by intelligent creatures (like angels, devils, and even including orc, gnoll, draconic, etc) are only learned through study as a second language in addition to common. It also explains why you pick bonus languages from a short list when creating your character.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Personally, I don't see Celestials chatting up the local wildlife often. Petitioners, maybe, or even fey. Does a fiendish tiger who has never heard a word spoken understand a language at all?

In any case, I just let 'em understand Common so that summoners can tell them to do things. I just assume that they innately know Common so that they can aid those wizards, sorcerers, clerics, etc who call for their aid with the summon spells. And so the ranger in my game with the Celestial Wolf can talk to it.

 

[werk]

*cough*Lantern Archon*cough*

There are a few of these, like the ghaele, but I consider them to be in a different situation with regard to weilding weapons since they have none when in their glowing ball forms.

The comparison I was making was to creatures that use weapons, or have physical attacks.

I don't feel that your spoiler to my argument is valid. But don't worry, I'm sure Thanee will shoot me down

 

[werk]

Personally, I don't see Celestials chatting up the local wildlife often.

Celestial outsiders classed as druids and rangers or anything nature-related, I would think, talk to the animals and such quite often, especially if they are intelligent enough to talk back. And once one celestial badger knows a language...forget it, he's going to talk to everything all the time.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I don't feel that your spoiler to my argument is valid.

Wasn't your argument that to be an Outsider you have to be able to wield a Simple weapon?

Celestial outsiders classed as druids and rangers or anything nature-related, I would think, talk to the animals and such quite often, especially if they are intelligent enough to talk back.

The question becomes, is that a large enough population that most of these templated creatures have had contact with a druid or ranger Celestial? And, they don't talk back...

 

[IcyCool]

I don't understand how a Celestial animal knows common when no intelligent creatures on that plane would ever speak it. They'd choose to speak Celestial first over Common, even if they can speak Common.

You know, there's bound to be more Petitioners on any of the outer planes than anything else. They speak common. Chances are pretty high that the celestial dog you just summoned has had far more contact with a Petitioner farmer than with an Angel or an Archon.

 

[ThirdWizard]

You know, there's bound to be more Petitioners on any of the outer planes than anything else. They speak common. Chances are pretty high that the celestial dog you just summoned has had far more contact with a Petitioner farmer than with an Angel or an Archon.

I, obviously, agree.

 

[werk]

Wasn't your argument that to be an Outsider you have to be able to wield a Simple weapon?

Yes but I'm now completely renigging on that argument and adding 'if they have a physical attack' on the end.

The question becomes, is that a large enough population that most of these templated creatures have had contact with a druid or ranger Celestial? And, they don't talk back...

Once one creature knows the language I suggest that it would talk to other capable animals spreading the knowledge. Consider this to work much like the way humans developed language, or 'how to develope language in a vacuum'. A few individuals picked up or created language and shared it with others that had the capacity for laguage, who in turn did the same. The original person that learned the language was not required for others to learn it.

Keep in mind, I'm arguing that magical bests, etc, know common and pick up other or bonus languages from a short list of languages that they may be exposed to. I don't think a Hound Archon Druid would teach his animal friends celestial, but rather common...unless the creature asked to learn the special language.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I don't understand how a Celestial animal knows common when no intelligent creatures on that plane would ever speak it. They'd choose to speak Celestial first over Common, even if they can speak Common.

Well, because:

All the following from the SRD:

Angels: Angels speak Celestial, Infernal, and Draconic, though they can speak with almost any creature because of their tongues ability.

Archons: Archons speak Celestial, Infernal, and Draconic, but can speak with almost any creature because of their tongues ability.

Bralanis: Bralanis speak Celestial, Infernal, and Draconic, but can communicate with almost any creature, thanks to their tongues

Demons: Except where otherwise noted, demons speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Draconic.

Devils: Except when otherwise noted, devils speak Infernal, Celestial, and Draconic.

Ghaeles: Ghaeles speak Celestial, Infernal, and Draconic, but can communicate with almost any creature, thanks to their tongues ability.

So, given the argument that "Celestial is spoken in the upper planes, and therefore magical beasts from those planes should understand Celestial, not Common," an equally strong argument could be made that every major creature type on all the outer planes speaks Draconic, and therefore magical beasts from those planes should speak Draconic.

Furthermore, there's an eminently sensible reason for Celestial and Fiendish creatures to understand Common: it's what the majority of things that summon them will speak, and the outsiders from their home plane can talk to them anyway via their tongues abilities.