Speaking Underwater
Ereht Yeh
I want to know: can creatures like sahuagin, mermen, aquatic elves, and sea
hags speak underwater? None of the underwater monsters seem to have languages
listed in the table. If they cannot speak, how do they communicate? If they
can speak, can characters who drink a potion of water breathing also speak
underwater?
Ereht Yeh
Walt Harris
You could always use telepathy... ; >
Chris Angeconeb
>Hey There
>
>I want to know: can creatures like sahuagin, mermen, aquatic elves, and sea
>hags speak underwater? None of the underwater monsters seem to have
languages
>listed in the table. If they cannot speak, how do they communicate? If
they
>can speak, can characters who drink a potion of water breathing also speak
>underwater?
>
>Ereht Yeh
From my previous DMing experiences, I deemed that the "underwater languages"
were closely related to the songs of whales and dolphins. Sound carries
*really* far underwater, which is almost always a detriment to PCs
adventuring there. In my old campaigns, each of the individual races had
their own "dialect", and would have to be learned individually if PCs were
*that* interested.
However, a single potion of water breathing doesn't last long enough to
learn a whole language.
Chris
John Simpson
>...If they
>can speak, can characters who drink a potion of water breathing also speak
>underwater?
I'd say so, since there isn't already a different potion which
confers this ability. Perhaps it doesn't make much sense,
scientifically, to allow human vocal cords to funtion without air, but
this is heroic fantasy. Since mermen, for example, speak their own
language, it could be interesting to have characters interact verbally
with these creatures.
Of course, another interesting challenge could be to force
characters to communicate in other ways. The deciding factor should
be how much time the DM and players want to spend on the communication
problem.
Peace,
John Simpson
Real username's in the URL
http://home.earthlink.net/~silverjohn
"A gentleman is a man who knows how to play the bagpipes, but chooses not to."
Larry Mead
: Hey There
: I want to know: can creatures like sahuagin, mermen, aquatic elves, and sea
: hags speak underwater? None of the underwater monsters seem to have languages
: listed in the table. If they cannot speak, how do they communicate? If they
: can speak, can characters who drink a potion of water breathing also speak
: underwater?
: Ereht Yeh
Presumably, those creatures communicate by a hand language, or by whistles
and clicks (similar to dolphins); high frequency sound carries better
under water.
Nogrogmd
--
Lawrence R. Mead Ph.D. (Lawren...@usm.edu)
Eschew Obfuscation! Espouse Elucidation!
www-dept.usm.edu/~physics/mead.html
jackfrost
manufactured aquatic humans. They developed a language based on the grinding
of their teeth. This is a pretty logical method of communication underwater,
considering the range of vibrations you could create. Not to mention if you
did use whalesong-like languages, how would you ever keep a secret?
Everybody within a mile will hear you!
randy
Werebat
>
> Hey There
>
> I want to know: can creatures like sahuagin, mermen, aquatic elves, and sea
> hags speak underwater? None of the underwater monsters seem to have languages
> listed in the table. If they cannot speak, how do they communicate?
How do they communicate? With beepers!
Woah, went into BRUTHA CHUNK mode for a moment there...
:^)
Seriously, "Of Ships and the Sea" details this quite well... I forget
the exact explanation, but land-based characters have a bitch of a time
talking underwater, and can only be partially understood within a limited
range. One would assume that sea-dwellers would not have to deal with
interference from bubbles blooping out of their mouths while they tried
to speak, as well as possessing languages understandable beneath the
water's surface. Sort of like dolphins and whales, or at least the
noises they make.
- Ron ^*^
Wood Elf
>
>I want to know: can creatures like sahuagin, mermen, aquatic elves, and sea
>hags speak underwater? None of the underwater monsters seem to have
languages
they
>can speak, can characters who drink a potion of water breathing also speak
>underwater?
I don't really think they could, since when you're under water the deeper
you go, the stronger the pressure on the body. While we can sort of toss
that away in our roleplaying games, it seems a bit unlikely that a character
could talk underwater because of
a) water rushing into their lungs and
b) they won't make much sense.
However, you could try to make them hum instead?
Daniela.
Ereht Yeh
Thank you, everybody, for your replies to my question. I had not thought of
whalesong and other sorts of marine communication like it. I plan on using
this idea in my game. I will also require characters with the potions of water
breathing to use hand signals while they are underwater, or magic, if they can
think of something.
Ereht Yeh
David K. Lewis
> >Hey There
> >
> >I want to know: can creatures like sahuagin, mermen, aquatic elves, and sea
> >hags speak underwater?
>
> you go, the stronger the pressure on the body. While we can sort of toss
> that away in our roleplaying games, it seems a bit unlikely that a character
> could talk underwater because of
> a) water rushing into their lungs and
> b) they won't make much sense.
> However, you could try to make them hum instead?
What about a language based on notes, songs, and clicks like that of Whales
and Dolphins? Sound travels much better underwater, just make the sounds
in a different way than air breathers.
Dave.
JofusRex
creatures such as sahuagin, merfolk, aquatic elves, sea hags et.al. pressure
would affect them less, assuming they have no air within their bodies. This
is the only thin that underwater pressure effects. But you're right, it
would not be standard speech, as vocal cords like we have would not vibrate
well (to produce sound) submerged. Anyway, science need not apply in these
situations, so who cares, right??!! Anyway, have fun.
JofusRex
David K. Lewis wrote in message <7b168c$nn4$1...@srv38s4u.cas.org>...
GuildMaster Arrataz
normal human being. My brothers and I all can do it. It just takes
practice.
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