Advice for how to RP a particular NPC

[JiaYou]

So I'm running a modified Kingmaker campaign, and my players are going to encounter an orc tribe. I had the idea to create a Half-Orc Scarred Witch Doctor who has basically been treated like a slave, to the point where part of one foot has been chopped off and his tongue cut out so he couldn't cast spells on the orcs. Basically he'll be thrown at the party hopped up on a drug or something (~level 5 along with some mooks, while the party will be level 5 or 6), and hopefully the party will be able to realize what's up and save him. I would welcome some unique/left-field suggestions on how this guy might communicate with the party. I figure afterwards he could be a potion-brewer, home-base healer, etc if the party bonds with him.

[Danny StarDust]

Sooo...what's the question exactly? What do you need adviced?

[JiaYou]

The question would be how a highly intelligent (let's say INT 18) mute magic user could communicate fluently with people he likely doesn't share a language with.

[Danny StarDust]

Ah, since he is highly intelligent, make him communicate with gestures and drawing, using a linguistics check (I think the DC are in the linguistics section).

Linguistics wrote:

You are skilled at working with language, in both its spoken and written forms. You can speak multiple languages, and can decipher nearly any tongue given enough time. Your skill in writing allows you to create and detect forgeries as well.

You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check fails, make a DC 5 Wisdom check to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about the text. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.)

Both the Linguistics check and (if necessary) the Wisdom check are made secretly by the GM, so that you can’t tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.

Otherwise use the bluff skill to convey a message:

Bluff check to convey secret message wrote:

Convey Secret Message

You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages to another character without others understanding your true meaning. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are speaking in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that hear the message can decipher the message by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.

Action: Delivering a secret message generally takes twice as long as the message would otherwise take to relay.

Retry? Yes. Secret messages can be relayed again if the first attempt fails.

[JiaYou]

Ah, thanks for the Bluff recommendation. Much obliged!

[Dave Justus]

I would be willing to bet that your party will slaughter the guy and never even know about your elaborate back story for him. That usually happens to my NPCs that are even less hostile than this one.

If you want this NPC to live, I'd suggest he make it clear from the outset that he isn't hostile, maybe even turning on the mooks and helping the party.