Spellcasting Pseudodragons - Your Ruling?

[SolosAddie]

Though the line from the Change Shape and Alternate Form abilities does state "although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components".

-Hyp.

hypothetically, does this rule out the Prez

 

[Shin Okada]

I hope that was facetious.

It does not say a dog cannot learn a language, either, but c'mon, now.

Well, I am serious. A dog does not have int of 10, but a typical Pseudodragon has.

It usually only learn Telepathy because it is one's "mother tongue" and don't need to learn other languages.

But it is an intelligent creature and has vocal chords. If a human can learn Draconic or even languages of more anatomically different creatures (such as various elemental languages), why not a pseudodragon can at least Draconic?

 

[Zurai]

I hope that was facetious.

It does not say a dog cannot learn a language, either, but c'mon, now.

Actually, it does. Dogs have animal intelligence, and creatures with animal intelligence can never learn a language.

Saying it can "can also vocalize animal noises" without any other explanation pretty clearly implies it does not have the vocal cords to support normal vocal language.

Where do you think languages came from, if not animal noises? Hell, there's an African (IIRC) language which uses clicks extensively instead of actual verbalized words.

 

[Animal]

the feat you're looking for already exists in Planar Handbook.

Nonverbal spell [General]
you can cast spells that have verbal components without actually verbalizing the words.

 

[Artoomis]

Well, I am serious. A dog does not have int of 10, but a typical Pseudodragon has.

It usually only learn Telepathy because it is one's "mother tongue" and don't need to learn other languages.

But it is an intelligent creature and has vocal chords. If a human can learn Draconic or even languages of more anatomically different creatures (such as various elemental languages), why not a pseudodragon can at least Draconic?

Because the description strongly implies that it simply does not have the same sorts of vocal chords. It's got the intelligence, but not the means.

If want want to be generous, then let it speak whatever language(s) it learns from using skill points. That would be a rather generous ruling somewhat at odds with the description, but, you are correct, the rules do not actually disallow it, by a strict reading of the rules. But, then, the rules don't actually disallow a lot of things.

 

[Lord Slaw]

Oh, I don't know. With it's hide and size bonuses, it makes one heck of a fine Rogue.

That they do! But, I think that favored classes are typically cultural preferences, which is usually a result of a natural proficiency with the class in question. Take Gnomes, for instance. They make fine Bards, and their culture celebrates them (what with their tricky, playful, inquisitive natures, and all). But, they also make naturally good Illusionists. You can be excellent at a particular class, and it doesn't necessarily have to be favored. Since almost all Dragons automatically cast as Sorcerers, and the class is rumored to have originated from Dragons themselves, Sorcerer is both a natural talent (though the game stats do not reflect this), along with a cultural element, whereas Rogue would just be a natural talent. Now, if I were comfortable giving a race a non-Core class as a favored class, I would actually say that Beguiler wouldn't be a half-bad choice, if it weren't for the fact that Beguiler were a learned-caster class, rather than an intuitive.

Actually, it does. Dogs have animal intelligence, and creatures with animal intelligence can never learn a language.

Yeah, I know, that rule always bugged me. I prefer to interpret it as "can never learn a language that we can understand. Take speak with animals, for instance. They must have some sort of complex thoughts running through their heads, since they communicate with us in a matter similar to our own, though we need magical aid to hear it. So, in my opinion (RAW is still contradicting itself on the matter), animals do have a language that is every bit as capable of expressing itself as your average Orc, but it is not a language by our definition of the word, and, as such, we can never hope to understand it without magical aid. What a shame, I'd love to have a Bard that spoke Common, Dog, Binary, Oyster, 1337, and Spanish. B)

 

[Slaved]

Because the description strongly implies that it simply does not have the same sorts of vocal chords. It's got the intelligence, but not the means.

Even though the Monstrous Manual Entry does not support them knowing Languages I would want them to be able to Telepathically Communicate with other Pseudragons which means that they must speak at least either Common or Sylvan.