[Basic] Disadvantage of the week: Cannot Speak

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by ericthered

This wasn't a gurps game, but one player in a game I was playing in essentially had this on his ally. The ally was described as communicating like Tinkerbell. As it turned out, the GM was very good at this sort of communication, and the player knew it when he built the character. We had lots of fun with the GM pantomiming things.

So it can be fun if the mute character's player embraces it.

One of the NPCs aboard the ship in my current campaign is an alien cephalopod with Cannot Speak (and a low IQ compared to humanoids, and Hard of Hearing to the point of not treating human speech as a communication mode). Almost the whole last session has been spent on trying to communicate with it using ad hoc signs and symbol-drawings. If they keep this up, I think it's absolutely reasonable for them to buy a sign language of their own joint invention.

[Dingle]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

One of the NPCs aboard the ship in my current campaign is an alien cephalopod with Cannot Speak (and a low IQ compared to humanoids, and Hard of Hearing to the point of not treating human speech as a communication mode). Almost the whole last session has been spent on trying to communicate with it using ad hoc signs and symbol-drawings. If they keep this up, I think it's absolutely reasonable for them to buy a sign language of their own joint invention.

What did this cephalopod know or do to convince the characters to try communicating with it?

[khorboth]

I played with a DF monk who was totally mute. The player hated the character and retired him after only a few sessions.

I have used it a few times as a temporary disadvantage to reflect that the character's voice is being used for other purposes. Most notably on a DF bard-type character (before I found the bardic song modifier) where she could use psuedo-magic songs to make people stronger, faster, etc. but had to sing the entire time.

I've had it on my own characters a few times on alternate forms when shapeshifted into animals.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Dingle

What did this cephalopod know or do to convince the characters to try communicating with it?

The party had access to notes that its parent was successfully taught some signs and numbers.

And its parent has been mostly taught by the previous party in the previous campaign.

The previous party met its parent when investigating a radio beacon that stopped working. And back then it was taught to recognise a couple of symbols by its previous (deceased) owner. And it tried copying the biohazard symbol as a gesture after witnessing it on the PCs' base. I'm not recalling the precise chronology of events that triggered it all. It's been a long ago, unlike the case of its offspring.

[Kalzazz]

I don't recall ever seeing a PC with this

It has been common on mounts and animal companions

In our low point fantasy game, said mounts and animal companions were the most perceptive party members and best at making perception checks before we stumble into traps and ambushes etc

Thus it has come up a lot 'Your pegasus seems to shy away from yonder bush' 'Wolfie seems to be looking at that copse and flattering his ears' etc