With a 2024 Lvl3 Rogue Soulknife using the Psychic Whispers ability, can a rogue now speak with animals?
Psychic Whispers in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything(page 64), said "A creature can't use this telepathy if it can't speak any languages." and "You and the creature don't need to speak a common language to understand each other." But these 2 (seemingly contradicting?) sentences were REMOVED from the 2024 PHB (page 135) description.
The 2024 rules now say nothing about language and simply state "you can establish telepathic communication" and "the chosen creatures can speak telepathically with you."
Telepathy is a magical ability that allows a creature to communicate mentally with another creature within a specified range. Unless a rule states otherwise, the contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language with the telepath to understand this communication, but the contacted creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself to understand.
A telepath doesn’t need to see a contacted creature, and the telepath can start or end the telepathic contact at any time (no action required). Telepathic contact can’t be initiated and is immediately broken if either the telepath or the other creature has the Incapacitated condition. Telepathic contact is also broken if the contacted creature is no longer within the telepathy’s range or if the telepath contacts a different creature within range.
A creature without telepathy can receive telepathic messages but can’t initiate a telepathic conversation. Once a telepathic conversation starts, the non-telepath can communicate mentally to the telepath until the telepathic connection ends.
Cool thanks! So can animals speak a language? If Speak with Animals (2024 PHB p318) lets one "verbally communicate with beasts", for example, wouldn't that imply there's a spoken, understood language, albeit limited? A horse speaks horse. A frog speaks frog. Etc.
And the Telepathy rule you referenced says "the contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language", so I wouldn't need to speak horse in order to communicate with a horse telepathically.
In general, beasts do not have a language (they usually have "Languages None")
If Speak with Animals (2024 PHB p318) lets one "verbally communicate with beasts", for example, wouldn't that imply there's a spoken, understood language, albeit limited? A horse speaks horse. A frog speaks frog. Etc.
IMO, the spell is a different thing and bypasses the need to share a language.
Sorry, I added to my post before I saw your reply:
In the Telepathy rule you referenced, it says "the contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language", so, if it's allowed, I wouldn't need to speak horse in order to communicate with a horse telepathically.
Sorry, I added to my post before I saw your reply:
In the Telepathy rule you referenced, it says "the contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language", so, if it's allowed, I wouldn't need to speak horse in order to communicate with a horse telepathically.
What do you think?
No problem at all!
Well, it's also said: "... but the contacted creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself to understand."
EDIT: IMO, the rules are pretty much the same as in 2014, just reworded or moved around in the book.
I guess "language" is a specific thing even though you can magically "verbally communicate" with a beast using "Speak with Animals". So... DM's discretion? ;-)
The thing about "must be able to understand at least one language" is sort of a shorthand way of saying "must be intelligent and sentient enough to communicate in the same way real-life humans do" without having to precisely model the biology of it.
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With a 2024 Lvl3 Rogue Soulknife using the Psychic Whispers ability, can a rogue now speak with animals?
Psychic Whispers in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (page 64), said "A creature can't use this telepathy if it can't speak any languages." and "You and the creature don't need to speak a common language to understand each other." But these 2 (seemingly contradicting?) sentences were REMOVED from the 2024 PHB (page 135) description.
The 2024 rules now say nothing about language and simply state "you can establish telepathic communication" and "the chosen creatures can speak telepathically with you."
That rule about language is now included in the Rules Glossary:
Cool thanks! So can animals speak a language? If Speak with Animals (2024 PHB p318) lets one "verbally communicate with beasts", for example, wouldn't that imply there's a spoken, understood language, albeit limited? A horse speaks horse. A frog speaks frog. Etc.
And the Telepathy rule you referenced says "the contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language", so I wouldn't need to speak horse in order to communicate with a horse telepathically.
In general, beasts do not have a language (they usually have "Languages None")
IMO, the spell is a different thing and bypasses the need to share a language.
Some exceptions for beasts understanding language: Giant Eagle, Giant Owl, Giant Vulture.
EDIT: see here: "those have all lost the "Beast" type in the '24 MM"
Sorry, I added to my post before I saw your reply:
In the Telepathy rule you referenced, it says "the contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language", so, if it's allowed, I wouldn't need to speak horse in order to communicate with a horse telepathically.
What do you think?
No problem at all!
Well, it's also said: "... but the contacted creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself to understand."
EDIT: IMO, the rules are pretty much the same as in 2014, just reworded or moved around in the book.
I guess "language" is a specific thing even though you can magically "verbally communicate" with a beast using "Speak with Animals". So... DM's discretion? ;-)
Yeah, I guess you're right. I didn't know about the Rules Glossary. Thanks for your help!
Notably, those have all lost the "Beast" type in the '24 MM
Oh, my... I didn't notice! Thanks Ace!
EDIT: I've updated my previous reply with that info.
The thing about "must be able to understand at least one language" is sort of a shorthand way of saying "must be intelligent and sentient enough to communicate in the same way real-life humans do" without having to precisely model the biology of it.
pronouns: he/she/they