Playing a mute character

[JoeBlank]

Many thanks for all the helpful suggestions and warnings. As noted by others, I won't be going with the familiar or cohort, as it just would not fit the character at all. Likewise, no telepathy or the like. I'm not looking for a way around the disability, but rather a way to work within it without being a nuisance to the group, both in character and out of character. As diaglo noted, he has a 6 Cha, and would not be involved in much social interaction even if he could speak. The DM has allowed for the alternatvie rule making the Intimidate skill Str-based for this character.

So, my plan is for the character, Sargazzo the half-orc barbarian/rogue, to communicate mainly by 3 methods:

1. Sign language, which I have paid the skill points for. So this should work as well as a regular language. But Omar (diaglo's bard) is the only other person, at present, who understands it. I figure no real sign language exists in Faerun, but that Omar and Sargazzo have developed the language. Using sign language will be obvious to others that he is communicating, but they won't understand the language.

2. Simple gestures, as mentioned before. Like anyone would use if trying to be quiet. Motion to come, finger to lips to be quiet, that sort of thing. Again, it will be obvious to observers that Sargazzo is conveying a message, and the message itself will be equally obvious.

3. Signal whistle. This is something I thought of while rounding out equipment. Looking further, I noticed that Omar's perform skill is penny whistle. So this could even have been Omar's idea, and he helped set it up for Sargazzo. It might make sense, for times when they are not in sight range, that Sargazzo has 3 or 4 different whistles that he wears on a necklace. We can come up with a few meanings he could convey, depending on which whistle is used. Kind of a poor man's morse code. Basically the sort of messages that might be shouted back to the group, when we are not worried about being overheard. So things like "help, come quick", and "danger, stay back" or "all clear, come on". Any other suggestions for things he might need to "shout" to the group?

I'm really looking forward to playing this character, and again I appreciate everyone's helpful advice.

 

[diaglo]

3. Signal whistle.

you need a horn. like someone else suggested. take a look at some old Marx brothers stuff.

poor DM is gonna have a heck of a flashback when i break out the fake mustache and glasses.

 

[buzzard]

Actually this is an issue that I've seen plenty of. In Living Jungle (ok, now it's Jungle Tales, but we don't need to get into that) there are a number of races that simply can't speak. You have Lacerials, who speak using pheremones and ultrasonics, and plantmen who speak using sign. Also, given that it's jungle you often end up with characters with too low an intelligence to speak the equivalent of common.

Most of these examples result in more amusement than difficulty. It has become somewhat normal for people to take sign as a language in case of the presence of these characters (or to speak Saru, since Sarus always tend to be the dumb brutes). One great example was a case in which a rather mischievous PC was doing the translation for a Saru. It wasn't quite a verbatim translation to say the least ("he says you look fat in those pants"). We were dying laughing.

buzzard

 

[JoeBlank]

buzzard, you bring up a good point. My character will have to trust his bard friend to translate his signing accurately. Of course, in most circumstances he will be able to overhear the bard's translation, and react accordingly.

Having seen a halfling rogue played by diaglo, I know to be on the lookout for mischievous behavior!

 

[diaglo]

Having seen a halfling rogue played by diaglo, I know to be on the lookout for mischievous behavior!

but i was a ranger. honestly, just a simple ranger.