By level 17, tongues, speak with animals and speak with plants spells or items are rather trivial relative to party resources. While there are specialized circumstances (talking to oozes, say, or talking to animals inside anti-magic shells) where it's of use, it really is pretty minor.
So, I've been looking back at historical versions of the monk. The Supplement II Blackmoor monk was able to speak with animals at level 4 and with plants at 8. The AD&D monk had the same abilities at levels 3 and 8, respectively. The D&D mystic got speak with animals at level 6 and speak with anyone who had a language at level 10.
My suggestion:
3rd level: Tongue of the Beast and Bird. A monk of 8th level or higher can speak with animals.
8th level: Tongue of the Forest and Glen. A monk of 8th level or higher can speak with plants.
13th level: Tongue of the Sun and Moon. A monk of 13th level or higher can speak with any living creature.
17th level: Tongue of the Earth and Flame. A monk of 17th level
or higher can speak with stones and fires.
I like these. Barring my request to just give monks a 4-level spells list (in which case speak with animals, speak with plants, tongues, etc. could just be added to their spell list) this seems like a nice way of doing it.
I like the talking to stones and fires thing, too. (Then again, I'm a geologist; I spend a lot of times asking questions of rocks.)
To put those in perspective though, the monk in advanced D&D only had 13 levels...
I love this idea for purely atmospheric reasons.
I guess it makes sense for game balance too.
It just feels right for the Monk.
To put those in perspective though, the monk in advanced D&D only had 13 levels...
Seventeen, actually.
*did a double check* yup I was wrong. 17 levels, druid was capped too, everyone else was uncapped at the time (I think).
Anyways monk's getting tongue of the sun and moon eariler wouldn't hurt my feelings at all, even if it's broken up or something.
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By level 17, tongues, speak with animals and speak with plants spells or items are rather trivial relative to party resources. While there are specialized circumstances (talking to oozes, say, or talking to animals inside anti-magic shells) where it's of use, it really is pretty minor.
So, I've been looking back at historical versions of the monk. The Supplement II Blackmoor monk was able to speak with animals at level 4 and with plants at 8. The AD&D monk had the same abilities at levels 3 and 8, respectively. The D&D mystic got speak with animals at level 6 and speak with anyone who had a language at level 10.
My suggestion:
3rd level: Tongue of the Beast and Bird. A monk of 8th level or higher can speak with animals.
8th level: Tongue of the Forest and Glen. A monk of 8th level or higher can speak with plants.
13th level: Tongue of the Sun and Moon. A monk of 13th level or higher can speak with any living creature.
17th level: Tongue of the Earth and Flame. A monk of 17th level
or higher can speak with stones and fires.
Superb. Inspired. Fantastic. I like!
completely agree, well done
I like this idea and I like the classy names. The only thing that strikes me as odd is that the 17th-level ability is remarkably specific. Otherwise, this is great!
The only thing that strikes me as odd is that the 17th-level ability is remarkably specific. Otherwise, this is great!
I think he was trying to emulate existing spells:
- Speak with Animals
- Speak with Plants
- Tongues
- Stone Tell
The earlier abilities were something and something else so he expanded the 17th level ability to cover fire. I guess you could make it earth and water (sort of like the body and blood of the world) but I wouldn't recommend earth and air.
The only 'speak with' spell not suggested was Speak with Dead. You could go there (with a limit per day most likely) if you consider the ancestor worship aspect of some asian cultures.
Cheers
I think he was trying to emulate existing spells:
- Speak with Animals
- Speak with Plants
- Tongues
- Stone TellThe earlier abilities were something and something else so he expanded the 17th level ability to cover fire. I guess you could make it earth and water (sort of like the body and blood of the world) but I wouldn't recommend earth and air.
Not so much "trying to emulate" as "taking inspiration from", but, yeah. Water struck me as almost as abusable as air; oceans are pretty big, while fires, like individual rocks, are relatively small, discrete entities.