Is it possible to effectively "culture-lock" or "species-lock" a magic item by making the command word difficult or impossible to pronounce for someone not from the creator's culture or species?
For a real-world example, take McDonalds. The "kd" sound is really difficult for Japanese people, so they put a 'u' between them and say "Makkudonaru."
For another example, take the 'q' sound in "Qu'ran." Few of the people I meet can pick up on the difference in pronunciation between that q and a regular k.
Other examples include the four different versions of the letter 'h' in Ancient Egyptian (regular h, the Arabic 'ayin, the Scottish loch, and the German ich).
And of course, a command word in the aboleth dialect of Aklo would be unpronounceable for almost all humanoids.
So, would overcoming this be possible with Use Magic Device alone, or would it require a Linguistics check?
(Funny side note: I tried pronouncing the Arabic 'ayin several times and accidentally gagged myself. Apparently there is a fine line between pharyngeal fricatives and uvular fricatives.)
I imagine even if words are difficult to pronounce they're not impossible. You can practice a particular word enough to be able to say it properly regardless of the initial difficulty. Though one might need some coaching to know what they're saying wrong.
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I'd probably treat this as an item only useable by a certain race, but replace the UMD check to emulate the race with a linguistics check (or perhaps allow the user's choice). This means the resale value would be lower (though it would cost the same amount to create). +2 bonus on the check if you have a highly fluent speaker to coach you.
Maybe make the code word in Druidic? Or possibly some weird language nobody would have on their character sheet?
The point isn't to give it a command word with an unknown meaning, but one that is unpronounceable. See: Shibboleth
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You've obviously never seen my dad when he gets pissed off.
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I think this would be interesting for specific items. It'd be a puzzle for the players to figure out why the item they picked off of the nonsense-speaking monstrosity isn't working.
Don't do it for mundane magic that people expect to use in combat and such but it would make for a good quest item.
Is it possible to effectively "culture-lock" or "species-lock" a magic item by making the command word difficult or impossible to pronounce for someone not from the creator's culture or species? . . . .
Sort of. The rules are an abstraction of what actually happens. Making a successful UMD check IS correctly pronouncing a difficult word. If a DM wants to let a linguistics check sub in for a UMD check, that's a pretty cool houserule and one that I may use in the future depending on the campaign... but specifically when making "racist" items, the answer is already in core.
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Other Considerations: Once you have a cost figure, reduce that number if either of the following conditions applies:Item Requires Skill to Use: Some items require a specific skill to get them to function. This factor should reduce the cost about 10%.
Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Use: Even more restrictive than requiring a skill, this limitation cuts the price by 30%.
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Emulate a Race: Some magic items work only for members of certain races, or work better for members of those races. You can use such an item as if you were a member of a race of your choice. You can emulate only one race at a time.
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Shibboleth might be a useful word for you.
Effectively, the "command word" would be in mi-go, which is basically changing the color of your head to purple->blue->vermilion. I think most humans would have trouble activating that item.I love prestidigitation.
I thought the same thing.
Well it is possible to have languages that humans just physically cannot produce. Like in 3.5, a few races that were more insectile had sounds that required things like clicking thier mandibles that humans just physically could not produce.
There is also Paizo's own Dvati race that would be impossible for humans to replicate because some sounds requires the twins to say two different sounds in unison to create a single word.
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I think that all magic item activation words should 4 part barber-shop harmonies that require you to make a DC 20 perform check as a readied, full-round action with 3 other people to use if you want to activate with UMD. Wizards should be able to do it as a swift or free action though.
One problem with this is that UMD specifically allows you to mimic any race when activating items. So even if you made the activation something that only X race can do, UMD still allows a human to emulate it close enough to activate the item.
To allow the official rules to work properly (knowing the command word will let you activate the wand), why not assume that knowing the command word and saying to the best of your knowledge and ability is what is required, rather than assuming it has to be said with perfect native pronunciation?
We don't worry about thick accents with command words, or mumbly-mouthed characters, or inadvertent mis-speaking, although all of those are realistic and happen to regular people all the time. Why go through the trouble of making unpronounceable command words?
Shouldn't that just be covered under enchanting the item to restrict users?
"The command word is 'roundabout'!"
"Aye, laddie! I keep saying "roondaboot" and nae tis happening! Are ye sure tha wand is charged!"
I understand that it's a cool concept that weird, alien races might have weird, unpronounceable command words, but where do you draw the line between 'unpronounceable" and "you pronounced it wrong"? It seems like a fun idea, but I'd be worried that players just took it as a "gotcha!" moment.
To allow the official rules to work properly (knowing the command word will let you activate the wand), why not assume that knowing the command word and saying to the best of your knowledge and ability is what is required, rather than assuming it has to be said with perfect native pronunciation?
We don't worry about thick accents with command words, or mumbly-mouthed characters, or inadvertent mis-speaking, although all of those are realistic and happen to regular people all the time. Why go through the trouble of making unpronounceable command words?
Shouldn't that just be covered under enchanting the item to restrict users?
"The command word is 'roundabout'!"
"Aye, laddie! I keep saying "roondaboot" and nae tis happening! Are ye sure tha wand is charged!"
I understand that it's a cool concept that weird, alien races might have weird, unpronounceable command words, but where do you draw the line between 'unpronounceable" and "you pronounced it wrong"? It seems like a fun idea, but I'd be worried that players just took it as a "gotcha!" moment.
Because of the "gotcha" accidental activation rule built into the system at the other end. This whole rule subsystem needs to be revamped and streamlined.
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I'd agree that this would work better as a one-time thing than a regular campaign feature. It's a neat idea, but you don't want the party constantly finding loot they can't use, whether that's because out of alignment/race/class restrictions or just because no one in the party wears heavy armour and all the BBEG have full plate.
One problem with this is that UMD specifically allows you to mimic any race when activating items. So even if you made the activation something that only X race can do, UMD still allows a human to emulate it close enough to activate the item.
The race restriction on items is more like a magic DNA test: an orc (or half-orc, or human with Racial Heritage Orc) who is raised among humans can activate an orcs-only magic item.
In the case of a Shibboleth command item, the biological identity of the user is not as important as the cultural identity - a human raised by orcs, without a drop of orcish blood, would be able to activate the item, but a full-blood orc adopted by humans would not have the correct accent.
A UMD may indeed still be useful in activating the item, but in terms of flavour it would be more like a "blind activation" task because the command word is, while not quite unknown, alien enough that you have to guess around a bit with the pronunciation (assuming you can physically produce the sound; if not you need to get creative).
Good point Butch, although I think the idea is to include this as something of a novelty item.
Our group recently found a staff of healing but the command word was in the illithid language. My cleric has to roll a Linguistics check every time he uses the item. Slightly annoying but it explains why the illithid kept it around.
Is it possible to effectively "culture-lock" or "species-lock" a magic item by making the command word difficult or impossible to pronounce for someone not from the creator's culture or species?
For a real-world example, take McDonalds. The "kd" sound is really difficult for Japanese people, so they put a 'u' between them and say "Makkudonaru."
For another example, take the 'q' sound in "Qu'ran." Few of the people I meet can pick up on the difference in pronunciation between that q and a regular k.
Other examples include the four different versions of the letter 'h' in Ancient Egyptian (regular h, the Arabic 'ayin, the Scottish loch, and the German ich).
And of course, a command word in the aboleth dialect of Aklo would be unpronounceable for almost all humanoids.
So, would overcoming this be possible with Use Magic Device alone, or would it require a Linguistics check?
(Funny side note: I tried pronouncing the Arabic 'ayin several times and accidentally gagged myself. Apparently there is a fine line between pharyngeal fricatives and uvular fricatives.)
Activate Blindly
Some magic items are activated by special words, thoughts, or actions. You can activate such an item as if you were using the activation word, thought, or action, even when you’re not and even if you don’t know it.using an unpronounceable word is entirely unnecessary , depending on HOW the PC is trying to activate the device.
Unpronounceable command words?
You mean like Pyrzqxgl?
No. Anyone could say that... gosh.
Careful for escalation. Make unpronounceable words like gxyzdfg, then someone comes up with a special feat to let characters pronounce words that are just bad scrabble hands.
Now I want to make an item that casts banishment on anyone that says "Mxyzptlk" backwards.
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Klatu verata ...necktie.
I'd agree that this would work better as a one-time thing than a regular campaign feature. It's a neat idea, but you don't want the party constantly finding loot they can't use, whether that's because out of alignment/race/class restrictions or just because no one in the party wears heavy armour and all the BBEG have full plate.
One problem with this is that UMD specifically allows you to mimic any race when activating items. So even if you made the activation something that only X race can do, UMD still allows a human to emulate it close enough to activate the item.The race restriction on items is more like a magic DNA test: an orc (or half-orc, or human with Racial Heritage Orc) who is raised among humans can activate an orcs-only magic item.
In the case of a Shibboleth command item, the biological identity of the user is not as important as the cultural identity - a human raised by orcs, without a drop of orcish blood, would be able to activate the item, but a full-blood orc adopted by humans would not have the correct accent.
A UMD may indeed still be useful in activating the item, but in terms of flavour it would be more like a "blind activation" task because the command word is, while not quite unknown, alien enough that you have to guess around a bit with the pronunciation (assuming you can physically produce the sound; if not you need to get creative).
My point was that if you can bypass magical restrictions on your actual race, then getting around hard to pronounce words should be easier.