Is there already an answer to this: Do I keep my ability to understand languages (e.g. common) when I polymorph into a beast (e.g. a rat)?
Wildshaped Druids keep their ability to understand their "old" languages (sage advice compendium). And both spells/features use the same rules text in this regard.
Hm, that would make party communication pretty hard...
I wonder what is intended.
The sage clarifies that druids keep their knowledge including languages when transforming:
"A literal interpretation (RAW) of Wild Shape could reasonably lead you to think that transformed druids can speak only languages that appear in an elemental’s stat block, but the intent (RAI) is that druids retain their knowledge, including of languages, when they transform and can speak the languages they know if an adopted form can speak."
Hm, that would make party communication pretty hard...
I wonder what is intended.
The sage clarifies that druids keep their knowledge including languages when transforming:
"A literal interpretation (RAW) of Wild Shape could reasonably lead you to think that transformed druids can speak only languages that appear in an elemental’s stat block, but the intent (RAI) is that druids retain their knowledge, including of languages, when they transform and can speak the languages they know if an adopted form can speak."
The OP already pointed this out, but as most of the wild shapes cannot speak anyway ("Languages --"), it is rather pointless.
Yeah, you cant speak, that is clear.
But my question is do you UNDERSTAND Common when transformed
As you retain your knowledge and the only limitation is about speaking them, I would rule that you keep understanding them. Of course, you might become pretty dumb because of the form's INT, but that is for DM adjudication of what it actually does.
This isn’t true though...you retain alignment and personality but all other stats, including mental abilities are replaced (major difference from wild shaping). Your languages are replaced, and extremely lowered mental abilities would affect comprehension of speech. I would rule you maintain intent of things previously spoken but new speech would be unintelligible to you unless the beast had a language it can understand listed in its statblock
...or someone used speak with animals (or whatever that spell is called)
Hi!
Is there already an answer to this: Do I keep my ability to understand languages (e.g. common) when I polymorph into a beast (e.g. a rat)?
Wildshaped Druids keep their ability to understand their "old" languages (sage advice compendium). And both spells/features use the same rules text in this regard.
Thanks for your help!
You know what, I never thought of this before.
No, I suppose you don't. You have the beast's languages.
Hm, that would make party communication pretty hard...
I wonder what is intended.
The sage clarifies that druids keep their knowledge including languages when transforming:
"A literal interpretation (RAW) of Wild Shape could reasonably lead you to think that transformed druids can speak only languages that appear in an elemental’s stat block, but the intent (RAI) is that druids retain their knowledge, including of languages, when they transform and can speak the languages they know if an adopted form can speak."
Yeah, you cant speak, that is clear.
But my question is do you UNDERSTAND Common when transformed
This isn’t true though...you retain alignment and personality but all other stats, including mental abilities are replaced (major difference from wild shaping). Your languages are replaced, and extremely lowered mental abilities would affect comprehension of speech. I would rule you maintain intent of things previously spoken but new speech would be unintelligible to you unless the beast had a language it can understand listed in its statblock
...or someone used speak with animals (or whatever that spell is called)