Natural Spell and voiceless/immobile creatures

[Bad Paper]

You can complete the verbal and somatic components of spells while in a wild shape. You substitute various noises and gestures for the normal verbal and somatic components of a spell.

I have dropped a Pretty Strong Hint on the party that their next foray will be primarily underwater. The 12th-level druid is excited to try out her aquatic forms. She has Natural Spell. Does this mean she can automatically cast her spells? For example, I don't think sharks can vocalize. If she chooses shark, can she cast spells with verbal components? Same with octopi and many other watery creatures. I don't want to *force* her to be a friggin whale or something just to get a voice...what's the collective opinion here? What about somatic components, and fishes that don't really have limbs to wiggle around to complete those spells?

Furthermore, I have gotten rather strict on the items-melding-into-her-wildshaped-form rule. Most of her favored shapes have necks, but I've never seen a shark with a neck, so...methinks her favorite periapt will be nonfunctional during all this. Druids out there, speak up! What are your favorite underwater fully functional forms?

 

[shilsen]

I have dropped a Pretty Strong Hint on the party that their next foray will be primarily underwater. The 12th-level druid is excited to try out her aquatic forms. She has Natural Spell. Does this mean she can automatically cast her spells?

Yes.

For example, I don't think sharks can vocalize. If she chooses shark, can she cast spells with verbal components? Same with octopi and many other watery creatures. I don't want to *force* her to be a friggin whale or something just to get a voice...what's the collective opinion here? What about somatic components, and fishes that don't really have limbs to wiggle around to complete those spells?

The feat description says that the caster "can complete the verbal and somatic components of spells while in a wild shape." There's nothing in the feat that says the wild shape form chosen must be able to vocalize or have limbs, so I wouldn't restrict the feat that way. The following hawk example is just an example.

Furthermore, I have gotten rather strict on the items-melding-into-her-wildshaped-form rule. Most of her favored shapes have necks, but I've never seen a shark with a neck, so...methinks her favorite periapt will be nonfunctional during all this.

That's how I'd do it too.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I'm basically in complete agreement with Shilsen. I'd allow Natural Spell to function normally. The fact that a creature is underwater is moot. The creature can cast spells using its natural voice and movements, even if that voice is virtually silent and the movement is basically a flaring of gills.

But if something doesn't have a neck, then bye-bye periapt.

On a side-note, I don't treat Natural Spell as Still Spell + Silent Spell, so foes nearby would still get their Listen/Spellcraft checks, even underwater. Of course, creatures that don't naturally belong underwater would have a massive penalty to that Listen check, but it'd still be there.

 

[Dimwhit]

If you want a third vote, I agree with Shilsen and Pendragon on all counts.