A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Discussions related to character builds and mechanics may occur here.

Moderators: Forum Moderators, Active DMs

Post Reply
User avatar
Selinth
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:16 am

A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Selinth » Sat Aug 31, 2019 10:56 pm

So I was thinking about a build in an old dnd game somebody made with a blind druid, who has a companion/seeing eye dog. I wasn't wanting to do that exactly. I wanted to try to do an outcast type char who had their tongue cut out for their crimes. But I'm thinking I just can't manage it with mechanics AFAIK.

If anybody has any tips about this list of things I'm unsure how to fix, let me know. (One fix for most of these is just force them to only talk in a whisper, for some other unrelated reason. Poison, birth defect, etc. May not be an outcast in that case. I dunno. But yeah.

List of problems I cannot overcome (fully mute character):
___________

Characters yell stuff when they attack or gesture --- I can avoid gestures, but I can't avoid the occasional "Die scum!" screamed by my supposedly mute character. Dunno if there's a way to disable that.

Characters talk when they cast --- I've legitimately considered making them *always* silent spell. On anything they can silent spell with. Only thing that prevents me from casting any and all 9th level spells that require vocal components. Same with a lot of character abilities, like summoning a familiar, or GSF freebie spells. I could just play a non caster character, but my idea was kinda a frail character, so I dunno about that. Maybe I could just do a 'constantly polymorphed' druid, but still. Just can't cast anything besides polymorph. And you still shout when you attack while polymorphed sometimes.

Talking to npcs --- Yeah. This. I dunno. I could just BS that I write stuff down for them. But yeah.

____________

All in all I'm thinking the whispering character is more viable. BUT. I still yell stuff and cast at full volume. Would that be horrible and bad, or do you think people wouldn't mind the odd inconsistencies that cant be fixed in the game engine? I don't want to screw up immersion, but I really kinda like this char concept. Let me know!

Thank you!

User avatar
Alef
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:22 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Alef » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:18 pm

1) You can set a "blank" soundset to your character (I think there are some) with a help of DM. This should help you get rid of combat noises. You could also look around soundsets and find one with only illegible lines(usually monsterous ones).

https://nwn.fandom.com/wiki/Soundset.2da_(contents)

I think number 321 is a blank one for example

2) If you really want to stick with your characters concept pick up slient spell feat and only use slient spells. The mechanics of the game allow you to have your character choices to be represented mechanically so you should roll with it in my opinion. (But yeah it'll come at a huge mechanical power cost) Auto Slient Spell is an option if you want to cast 9th circle spells too. But not sure if it removes spell casting noises.

3) You could RP it as your character is communicating via gestures or magic letters on the air with NPCs to get around the problem. Sadly not much you can do in that regard. (Or you could get another character to handle all your NPC interactions if you want to go real hardcore with this concept, but I'd advise against it)

Hope it helps and good luck!

User avatar
Selinth
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:16 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Selinth » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:33 pm

Alef wrote:
Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:18 pm
Auto Slient Spell is an option if you want to cast 9th circle spells too. But not sure if it removes spell casting noises.
IT DOES! Oh my god this is so cool. I didn't even know this feat existed! I'll be pretty behind in terms of feats but I don't mind at all. I'm excited, now I just have to get a dm to let me do the blank soundset thingy. If they do let you do that. Either way. Its possible!!!!

Thank you :D

User avatar
Alef
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:22 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Alef » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:36 pm

Glad it works out! Yeah 3 epic feats is a brutal invesment, but if you do a 27 wizard/ 3 ranger you still should be able to get all essential feats. Can't get too many epic spell focii sadly!

User avatar
Selinth
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:16 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Selinth » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:40 pm

I gotcha. Interestingly if I really needed to I can have my familiar communicate if a player just isn't getting the 'they can't talk' thing, or if things need to be spelled out in detail. I can make a custom macro to do something like *takes out a notebook and uses it to communicate silently* for npc's. Though I wonder if that being used every time I talk to an npc might annoy people. I can set it to a whisper though. *shrug* I'm just happy its possible. I wonder if the DM's are going to want me to have a token or something for something like this >.< (I hope not I don't play enough ;-; )

User avatar
Selinth
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:16 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Selinth » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:45 pm

Alef wrote:
Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:36 pm
Glad it works out! Yeah 3 epic feats is a brutal invesment, but if you do a 27 wizard/ 3 ranger you still should be able to get all essential feats. Can't get too many epic spell focii sadly!
Wait I'm curious. Why does taking 3 in ranger give me more feats? I must be missing something. . . I see a feat for wizard at 30, but also a feat at 27 for ranger, but nothing at 3. So one feat each, just one happens 2 levels earlier?

User avatar
Alef
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:22 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Alef » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:47 pm

Instead of a favored enemy at ranger level 1 you can grab a greater spell focus or epic spell focus feat.

I can't speak for DMs but my gut says your concept is fine and isn't even remotely in the 5% territory. But again I can't speak for them.

User avatar
Selinth
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:16 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Selinth » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:50 pm

Oh ok. so a bonus feat, plus swapping favored enemy for another feat then. Thanks :3

User avatar
Alef
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:22 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Alef » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:57 pm

You'd have the same amount of feats as wizard 30. The point of taking ranger levels is for skill (mainly discipline but you can also grab hide w/e too) dump. Also it'll let you use divine wands (freedom of movement is the one you'll want most)

User avatar
Selinth
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:16 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Selinth » Sun Sep 01, 2019 12:02 am

Ohh I gotcha. Thanks for all the help. I'm still learning all the nuances of nwn/arelith's character skill systems and all that. I'm way more used to pathfinder, but thats only pen and paper. Thank you so much for real :D

User avatar
Alef
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:22 am

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by Alef » Sun Sep 01, 2019 12:04 am

You are welcome! I hope you'll find your character enjoyable :)

monkeywithstick
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:54 am
Location: UK

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by monkeywithstick » Sun Sep 01, 2019 8:58 pm

Having played (and currently still playing) similar. You will currently cast some spells at full volume until you have the chance to drop the 3 auto-silent spell feats.

If you intend to play without casting vocals at all, you need to take silent spell as a metamagic feat early and suck up that your spellcasting abilities will be impaired rather severely. You will not be able to cast level 9 spells without vocals until ~level 24 (assuming wizard, on any other caster it's most of your epic feats and you will be mechanically crippled) depending on build. Also you can't stack metamagic feats so you won't be able to *use* extend spell, maximise spell etc. with silent spell (excepting in combination with auto-silence).

Some people will likely still RP being able to hear you in some circumstances anyway because the mechanical feedback will say "X is casting a spell" even if they cannot see your avatar or hear the vocals. That's unavoidable really, it's very easily missed.

It's doable, but painful and decidedly suboptimal.
Characters: Izzy, short for Isabel. Shaena Ash.

User avatar
RedGiant
Posts: 1461
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:39 am
Location: North of Babylon

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by RedGiant » Sun Sep 01, 2019 10:53 pm

viewtopic.php?f=51&t=24800

This should figure prominently into what you are creating. When implemented, you no longer have to spend 4 feats to do this, only 2.
The GrumpyCat wrote:I CLICK THE HOSTIBLE BUTTON NOW U ARE DED!
Irongron wrote:The slaughter, i am afraid, will not abate.

monkeywithstick
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:54 am
Location: UK

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by monkeywithstick » Sun Sep 01, 2019 11:17 pm

RedGiant wrote:
Sun Sep 01, 2019 10:53 pm
viewtopic.php?f=51&t=24800

This should figure prominently into what you are creating. When implemented, you no longer have to spend 4 feats to do this, only 2.
It is worth remembering that approved suggestions are, as Irongron has said, multiple times, not a promise of implementation. Only an approval for a dev to work on it if they have the time and/or inclination. I'd not plan a build round it unless it's actually announced as done and implemented.
Characters: Izzy, short for Isabel. Shaena Ash.

User avatar
RedGiant
Posts: 1461
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:39 am
Location: North of Babylon

Re: A caster who cannot speak above a whisper, or at all

Post by RedGiant » Mon Sep 02, 2019 5:15 am

Point.

But given that they will likely have to front load silent spell, and play in hard mode till at least 21, we should have a better sense of if its getting put in by then, or if its moved down into the oblivion pages. As you have said, there is always wizard lvl 24 to spend those 2 extra feats!
The GrumpyCat wrote:I CLICK THE HOSTIBLE BUTTON NOW U ARE DED!
Irongron wrote:The slaughter, i am afraid, will not abate.

Post Reply