I know this is probably a no brainer but does the feral speech witch hex have a duration, time limit, or daily limit of any kind?
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Feral Speech (Su): This hex grants the witch the ability to speak with and understand the response of any animal as if using speak with animals, though each time she uses the hex, she must decide to communicate with either amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, or reptiles, and can only speak to and understand animals of that type. The witch can make herself understood as far as her voice carries. This hex does not predispose any animal so addressed toward the witch in any way. At 12th level, the witch can use this hex to communicate with vermin.
No limit, other than the witch can only speak with 1 category of animal at any given time. When you take this hex, you simply use a standard action and decide which type of animal you want to be able to speak to, and the duration is indefinite. If you want to speak to a different kind of animal, it's simply a standard action to change.
If a hex has limited uses or a limited duration, the individual hex will specify so - such as the Healing hexes. The only thing I find odd are some of the hexes from Ultimate Magic, especially Ice Tomb. I personally think it NEEDS a duration - otherwise, you can use it to knock out and paralyze someone indefinitely, until the ice melts or someone destroys it. RAW, you could also use it on yourself or an ally to live without eating or breathing indefinitely. In my games it lasts 1 minute per witch level, at which point the target is staggered for 1d4 rounds as if someone had broken them free.
(I realize your question had nothing to do with Ice Tomb... sorry for rambling!)
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I disagree. I believe that if it emulates a spell, it should have the duration of said spell. Never mind that you can use it any amount of times a day. Roshan is looking at it in the vacuum of the Hex description without taking into account Hexes in general.
From what I see, the Hexes in Ultimate Magic were not developed the same way as the APG. In the APG, the hexes were very clear on durations, regardless of whether they lasted forever or not. Ultimate Magic was not as closely monitored for that... there are several questionable durational hexes.
The Feral Speech Hex could just as easily be considered to last only as long as you activate it, since the description implies that using the hex is an active rather than passive action.
For the most part, until any FAQing has been done, it would have to come down to GM's interpretation.
What spell? there is no spell, it's a supernatural ability for petes sake. Do ninja abilities emulate spells? do monks?
I disagree. I believe that if it emulates a spell, it should have the duration of said spell.
Understandable thinking, but not the case. Slumber, for example, emulates a spell but specifically lasts 1 round per witch level.
If a hex has a duration, it will specify so (though I do agree that some, like Ice Tomb, NEED a duration that isn't specified).
From what I see, the Hexes in Ultimate Magic were not developed the same way as the APG. In the APG, the hexes were very clear on durations, regardless of whether they lasted forever or not. Ultimate Magic was not as closely monitored for that... there are several questionable durational hexes.
Exactly. The UM hexes just seem to be written more "lazily" than the others. I think for the most part the effects are fine, but Ice Tomb needs a duration specified.
The Feral Speech Hex could just as easily be considered to last only as long as you activate it, since the description implies that using the hex is an active rather than passive action.
It's not completely passive; you still need to activate it as a standard action since it does specify that you USE the hex. There's just no duration specified, which either means the duration is infinite until you use another standard action to specify a new kind of animal, or the devs just "forgot" to include a duration. Until noted otherwise, I would personally rule that it's indefinite (which is not game breaking by any means). I know I sound like a broken record, but Ice Tomb having an infinite duration IS over the top, in my opinion.
For the most part, until any FAQing has been done, it would have to come down to GM's interpretation.
For some of the Ultimate Magic hexes (especially Ice Tomb), I agree. However, I do think the other hexes are fine as is.
What spell? there is no spell, it's a supernatural ability for petes sake. Do ninja abilities emulate spells? do monks?
In this case "emulates a spell" is simply referring to Feral Speech acting "as if using Speak with Animals". It's clear that Feral Speech is not actually a spell.
If it's a spell like ability, it uses all of the spell's "stuff" including duration. Since this is not spell-like and does not have a listed duration, one can only assume it lasts indefinitely. Since it's at will, however, and an out of combat ability, I cannot possibly think of any time that this information will be important.