Druid communicating in wild shape (Core + APG)


Advice

Sovereign Court

Background: the campaign will be nature-themed in a large ancient forest, where civilization is sparse. It's isolated, so some items are hard to come by, especially metal items (such items are worth an extra 50% more than base cost).

So, I decided to play a Druid in this campaign, since it seems perfect. However, not every book is being allowed. The campaign hasn't been fleshed out yet. So far, allowed classes are all CRB classes (except Cleric) plus Cavalier, Oracle, and Witch. No archetypes are allowed, only the base class. So this should mean that the CRB and APG are allowed resources.

As a result of this, if my Druid will be wild shaped for long periods of time, I need to find a way to communicate with the rest of the party.

The usual sources (Wild Speech feat, Beastspeak spell, Ring of Eloquence, Two-World Magic trait for useful cantrips like Mage Hand/Prestidigitation) may not be allowed.

So, I need to find a creative way to communicate with the party while in animal form. (Yes, I realize I could assume Elemental form since Elementals can speak. However, I wanted to use animal forms when they're most useful).

So far, I've come up with:
1) Buying an inkpen, ink, and some paper, write letters on it, and have them hold it while I point at various letters to spell out what I want to say;
2) Use a claw/talon/whatever to write in the dirt;
3) Buy a chalkboard, chalk, and hold the chalk in my mouth while writing on the board;
4) Put ranks into Linguistics for something like Sign Language or Morse Code (obviously, other party members will have to invest a rank for this purpose)

I haven't run any of this by the GM yet. I'd like to come up with a list beforehand, and see which ones he'll allow. Thus, the more suggestions means the better odds of getting at least one to work. :)

So, hit me with your best suggestions.


why not just ask if the usual sources for communication are allowed or not then make a list of other things?

Sovereign Court

Lady-J wrote:
why not just ask if the usual sources for communication are allowed or not then make a list of other things?

Good question. He's busy writing it at the moment, and I don't want to annoy him with questions right now. I'm planning on asking him later on if feats/spells/etc. will be allowed from beyond the CRB and APG once he puts out more of a campaign guideline (so far, we only know a little of the campaign, plus what races and classes are allowed).

I want to make sure I have a backup plan should those feats/items end up not being allowed.


Since half the party has some form of animal-shape polymorph effect, our group picked option 4, inventing a language based on postures and gestures possible in animal form.


If Druidic is still a language, and if everyone has at least one lvl of Druid, that might be an option, assuming it's a flexible enough language to be used in various forms.


If another player has a familiar, work with them to be of the same species as it while transformed, then communicate through the familiar.

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