With the introduction of Common Sign Language as a new language type, is it possible to cast a spell using Common Sign Language regardless if a character is not mute? Would this be a fair? Would this wind up bypassing the effects of the Silence spell? You’re essentially giving up on learning more diverse and exotic languages for the ability to use a non-audible language. Would that be fair trade-in so your character can talk to other intelligent creatures who don’t have the ability to talk? The RAW says “must be uttered in a normal speaking voice.” It seems to go against the open-minded modern thinking that Dungeons & Dragons is heading towards, that could allow any character who is mute to be a spellcaster? Characters with disabilities help enrich the game as whole by showing that diversity does not mean species or something 100% visible. The book art in various presentations shown a character in a wheelchair. What if a character is missing a body parts, like hands or feet/legs? Could they still meet the Somatic components of a spell or do unarmed attacks? Or that the PC is actually blind? Would illusion spells actually work or do little to nothing?
OR would it be fair by saying the use of Common Sign Language as an act of the Verbal component, that the Sign Language produces a magical tune or humming sound? THUS they are still making sounds needed for the casting of a spell. Could this be the workaround?
It would be helpful to have extra material with the aid of various disabled individuals & medical professionals who understand the issues that these people go through to better understand a situation that could propose new rulings for PCs that have these issues. Expanded rules that can give options to make such a character would offer insight of how to properly address these unique challenges. Maybe even add the cost of buying or making a wheelchair? How seeing-eye Familiars or Beast Masters and their Primal Companion could work out?
I am only asking all this if these can be fairly explained and implemented without player-DM conflicts and can be used in any game? It all feels like the answer will be “whatever the DM says it goes” or “within reason”.
Per the rules for verbal components, "The words themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion." Sign language can include words, but it does not have sounds, pitch, or resonance.
Long story short, a verbal requirement is a verbal requirement. Having the ability to communicate nonverbally doesn’t change the requirements of the spell.
I understand your point, Shane. I also offered the idea of Sign Language used in the spell could “magically” make sounds. In the effect of the Silence spell, Sign Language Verbal component could not work because Silence halts that magical hum or tune. Just as an idea.
From a RAW standpoint, there's nothing to support it, but from a homebrew standpoint I think you have an interesting idea. It doesn't need to be magical, either; you can make a lot of noise with your hands and feet: mostly by snapping, clapping, and stomping.
I point out the other thread for you to join because I think you might find some interesting discussion there.
How does one perform sign language when swinging a halberd to cast true strike? Overall, I'd say no. Additionally there is no such thing as a muted condition but there is a deafened condition, however lesser restoration removes deafened. I would think it would be inferred that lesser restoration would cure a muted condition if it existed (or greater restoration, if not lesser).
If you're a spell caster, you're likely to have what is necessary to pay a Cleric, Druid, Bard, Paladin or Ranger to cast the relevant one of those spells, so a mute spellcaster doesn't make that much sense, in my opinion. But sign language additionally would conflict with somantic and material components on a number of spells.
As a DM, I think that we should definitely find workarounds for this issue, as I think that making a disability weaken half of the classes in the game is very uncool, and we should allow characters of different ability to have the option of playing any class, even if it means that DMs need to take some time to find or make home-brew to support them.
That being said, here are some ideas for how to make a mute spell-caster who still has access to all their usual spells!
Since the magic is in the noise and not the actual words, that would mean a mute character could cast spells with verbal components as long as they have a way of making the correct pitches. This could be via noises. The noise method deals with the issue of silence's use by it still being sound.
They could also use an instrument to mimic the correct tones. An instrument can be "disarmed" by an enemy in combat, making it less overpowered, and is a really interesting concept. Also it's impressive to be able to play that accurately, and draws out backstory questions on how they understand vocalisation and music so well.
Another option is a magic item that makes the sounds for the character. This can be silenced by spells, and is more of a traditional spell-casting experience. The item could even talk on it's own, leading to role-play opportunities and backstory potential on how the character came across the item.
In a similar vein, the character could have a familiar who talks for them during casting. The DM could make it beefier if they want to make the character's spell-casting less fragile, as familiars often are.
There are loads of creative ways to make a mute spell-caster work, and as DMs it's our job to host games that can accommodate for all sorts of ideas, especially if it involves something as sensitive as disability.
RAW there is no workaround- V components require the ability to articulate via speech. Notably, there’s a monster statblock for orc clerics of a particular god who all have their tongues removed, and that block has a specific note exempting them from V components. Mechanically, this is a case of X is X and that’s it barring a handful of class features.
If a given table wants to homebrew differently that’s their prerogative, but also outside the scope of this section of the forum.
As a final note, while it is generally good when a DM is accommodating to character quirks, they are not under an absolute obligation if they prefer to stick close to RAW rather than innovating extra features into their game.
With the introduction of Common Sign Language as a new language type, is it possible to cast a spell using Common Sign Language regardless if a character is not mute? Would this be a fair? Would this wind up bypassing the effects of the Silence spell? You’re essentially giving up on learning more diverse and exotic languages for the ability to use a non-audible language. Would that be fair trade-in so your character can talk to other intelligent creatures who don’t have the ability to talk? The RAW says “must be uttered in a normal speaking voice.” It seems to go against the open-minded modern thinking that Dungeons & Dragons is heading towards, that could allow any character who is mute to be a spellcaster? Characters with disabilities help enrich the game as whole by showing that diversity does not mean species or something 100% visible. The book art in various presentations shown a character in a wheelchair. What if a character is missing a body parts, like hands or feet/legs? Could they still meet the Somatic components of a spell or do unarmed attacks? Or that the PC is actually blind? Would illusion spells actually work or do little to nothing?
OR would it be fair by saying the use of Common Sign Language as an act of the Verbal component, that the Sign Language produces a magical tune or humming sound? THUS they are still making sounds needed for the casting of a spell. Could this be the workaround?
It would be helpful to have extra material with the aid of various disabled individuals & medical professionals who understand the issues that these people go through to better understand a situation that could propose new rulings for PCs that have these issues. Expanded rules that can give options to make such a character would offer insight of how to properly address these unique challenges. Maybe even add the cost of buying or making a wheelchair? How seeing-eye Familiars or Beast Masters and their Primal Companion could work out?
I am only asking all this if these can be fairly explained and implemented without player-DM conflicts and can be used in any game? It all feels like the answer will be “whatever the DM says it goes” or “within reason”.
Per the rules for verbal components, "The words themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion." Sign language can include words, but it does not have sounds, pitch, or resonance.
Thread on sign language already exists, please join the discussion there: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/rules-game-mechanics/205782-common-sign-language-and-spellcasting
Long story short, a verbal requirement is a verbal requirement. Having the ability to communicate nonverbally doesn’t change the requirements of the spell.
I understand your point, Shane. I also offered the idea of Sign Language used in the spell could “magically” make sounds. In the effect of the Silence spell, Sign Language Verbal component could not work because Silence halts that magical hum or tune. Just as an idea.
From a RAW standpoint, there's nothing to support it, but from a homebrew standpoint I think you have an interesting idea. It doesn't need to be magical, either; you can make a lot of noise with your hands and feet: mostly by snapping, clapping, and stomping.
I point out the other thread for you to join because I think you might find some interesting discussion there.
How does one perform sign language when swinging a halberd to cast true strike? Overall, I'd say no. Additionally there is no such thing as a muted condition but there is a deafened condition, however lesser restoration removes deafened. I would think it would be inferred that lesser restoration would cure a muted condition if it existed (or greater restoration, if not lesser).
If you're a spell caster, you're likely to have what is necessary to pay a Cleric, Druid, Bard, Paladin or Ranger to cast the relevant one of those spells, so a mute spellcaster doesn't make that much sense, in my opinion. But sign language additionally would conflict with somantic and material components on a number of spells.
As a DM, I think that we should definitely find workarounds for this issue, as I think that making a disability weaken half of the classes in the game is very uncool, and we should allow characters of different ability to have the option of playing any class, even if it means that DMs need to take some time to find or make home-brew to support them.
That being said, here are some ideas for how to make a mute spell-caster who still has access to all their usual spells!
Since the magic is in the noise and not the actual words, that would mean a mute character could cast spells with verbal components as long as they have a way of making the correct pitches. This could be via noises. The noise method deals with the issue of silence's use by it still being sound.
They could also use an instrument to mimic the correct tones. An instrument can be "disarmed" by an enemy in combat, making it less overpowered, and is a really interesting concept. Also it's impressive to be able to play that accurately, and draws out backstory questions on how they understand vocalisation and music so well.
Another option is a magic item that makes the sounds for the character. This can be silenced by spells, and is more of a traditional spell-casting experience. The item could even talk on it's own, leading to role-play opportunities and backstory potential on how the character came across the item.
In a similar vein, the character could have a familiar who talks for them during casting. The DM could make it beefier if they want to make the character's spell-casting less fragile, as familiars often are.
There are loads of creative ways to make a mute spell-caster work, and as DMs it's our job to host games that can accommodate for all sorts of ideas, especially if it involves something as sensitive as disability.
RAW there is no workaround- V components require the ability to articulate via speech. Notably, there’s a monster statblock for orc clerics of a particular god who all have their tongues removed, and that block has a specific note exempting them from V components. Mechanically, this is a case of X is X and that’s it barring a handful of class features.
If a given table wants to homebrew differently that’s their prerogative, but also outside the scope of this section of the forum.
As a final note, while it is generally good when a DM is accommodating to character quirks, they are not under an absolute obligation if they prefer to stick close to RAW rather than innovating extra features into their game.
If a spell has both a V & S component, how do you use sign language and a somatic component at the same time?
I don't think you can say sign language is both V and S. But I would assume one can argue S is a type of sign language.