Languages for Celestial Animals?

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It just makes sense, that they understand the predominating language of those planes, which is Celestial, the language of the Celestials, and not Common.

Which is why a Fiendish viper understands Fiendish, a language which doesn't exist?

 

[Thanee]

No, this is why a fiendish viper understands either Abyssal or Infernal, the languages of the Fiends, depending on whether it comes from a demon or devil inhabited plane.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

No, this is why a fiendish viper understands either Abyssal or Infernal, the languages of the Fiends, depending on whether it comes from a demon or devil inhabited plane.

So what about those fiendish vipers that don't come from either Baator or the Abyss?

 

[Hypersmurf]

So what about those fiendish vipers that don't come from either Baator or the Abyss?

Fiendish Boar, for example - Neutral Evil.

It's not a devil or a lawful evil outsider. It's not a demon or a chaotic evil outsider. It's not even a neutral evil outsider.

It's a neutral evil magical beast.

-Hyp.

 

[kirinke]

CREATING A CELESTIAL CREATURE
“Celestial” is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal animal, aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, plant, or vermin of good or neutral alignment (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A celestial creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skill points if its type changes.

Celestial creatures dwell on the upper planes, the realms of good, although they resemble beings found on the Material Plane. They are more regal and more beautiful than their earthly counterparts.

Celestial creatures often come in metallic colors (usually silver, gold, or platinum). They can be mistaken for half-celestials, more powerful creatures that are created when a celestial mates with a non-celestial creature.

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Magical Beast Type: Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2. Magical beasts usually have supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but sometimes are merely bizarre in appearance or habits.
Features: A magical beast has the following features.
—10-sided Hit Dice.
—Base attack bonus equal to total Hit Dice (as fighter).
—Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.
—Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.
Traits: A magical beast possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—Darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.
—Proficient with its natural weapons only.
—Proficient with no armor.
—Magical beasts eat, sleep, and breathe.

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These are taken directly from the srd. From this, celestial creatures are simply creatures from the upper planes, who have abilities because they are outsiders. Magical creatures are natives of the prime material plane which have been altered by magic to be something 'more'

I'd rule that Celestial creatures understand Celestial as their base language. To them, Celestial is their common. If they have the intelligence for it, they may take additional languages. Same thing for creatures from the infernal and abyssal planes respectively.

Magical beasts, if they have the intelligence for it would understand common as their base language. Or perhaps sylvan would be a better choice.

 

[Hypersmurf]

From this, celestial creatures are simply creatures from the upper planes, who have abilities because they are outsiders.

They aren't outsiders.

They're extra-planar aberrations, dragons, fey, giants, humanoids, magical beast, monstrous humanoids, or plants.

You missed an important quote from the SRD:
Size and Type: Animals or vermin with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged. Size is unchanged. Celestial creatures encountered on the Material Plane have the extraplanar subtype.

Good outsiders speak Celestial? Fine. But Celestial Bunny Rabbits aren't outsiders. They're magical beasts.

-Hyp.

 

[kirinke]

Celestial creatures encountered on the Material Plane have the extraplanar subtype.

But Celestial Bunny Rabbits aren't outsiders. They're magical beasts.

Um, have to ahh dispute you on that. By the reading of the first quote, the celestial fluffy bunny rabits are outsiders. Extra-planer = outsiders. So they are both magical beasts and outsiders at the same time.

Let the secret war continue! Down through the ages, the mighty and noble celestial fluffy bunny rabbits wage a bitter struggle against their evil brethern from the abyssal planes. These strange, horrible fiendish creatures are simply known as the "RABBITS WITH BIG TEETH! RUN! RUN AWAY!"

 

[Hypersmurf]

Um, have to ahh dispute you on that. By the reading of the first quote, the celestial fluffy bunny rabits are outsiders.

Yes.

Extra-planer = outsiders.

No.

Outsider Type:
[sblock]An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence.

Features: An outsider has the following features.
8-sided Hit Dice.
Base attack bonus equal to total Hit Dice (as fighter).
Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.
Skill points equal to (8 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.

Traits: An outsider possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
Darkvision out to 60 feet.

Unlike most other living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an outsider. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore it to life. An outsider with the native subtype can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.

Proficient with all simple and martial weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Outsiders not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Outsiders are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can do so if they wish). Native outsiders breathe, eat, and sleep. [/sblock]

Extraplanar Subtype:
[sblock]A subtype applied to any creature when it is on a plane other than its native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane. Monster entries assume that encounters with creatures take place on the Material Plane, and every creature whose native plane is not the Material Plane has the extraplanar subtype (but would not have when on its home plane). Every extraplanar creature in this book has a home plane mentioned in its description. Creatures not labeled as extraplanar are natives of the Material Plane, and they gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a transitive plane, such as the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, and the Plane of Shadow.[/sblock]

If I - a humanoid [human] - travel to the Abyss, I become a humanoid [human, extraplanar]. I do not become an outsider.

If a Celestial Bunny Rabbit - magical beast - travels from Seven Heavens to the Prime Material Plane, it becomes a magical beast [extraplanar]. In no case is it an outsider.

Outsider type and Extraplanar subtype are completely separate and mean utterly different things.

-Hyp.

 

[kirinke]

I getcha. But.....

I just can't get the image of celestial bunny rabbits wielding holy carrots against their evil brethern outta my head.

Hay, tis a game. If somebody wants celestial bunny rabbits in their game, then celestial bunny rabbits are born. lol. If somebody wants magical bunny rabbits in their game, then magical bunny rabbits are brought into existence.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hay, tis a game. If somebody wants celestial bunny rabbits in their game, then celestial bunny rabbits are born. lol. If somebody wants magical bunny rabbits in their game, then magical bunny rabbits are brought into existence.

Uh, absolutely.

But if the celestial bunny rabbits are created by applying the Celestial template to an animal, then by the rules, they become Magical Beasts who understand Common.

The DM can alter that if he chooses, naturally, but he should probably inform the players before one of them decides to play a conjurer that he's not using the rules as written, and that the conjurer's Celestial Badger won't be able to understand a command to "Dig a hole under that wall, please".

-Hyp.