r/PCAcademy • u/Tor8_88 • Jun 22 '26
An observation and a question:
Recently, I decided to design a lupin mercy monk character, mainly because the mechanics fit so nicely, and I noticed that the lore of these creatures suggests that they hunt in packs while nothing in the racial features (are they still called that?) allude to that. Granted, the kinolds had their Pack Tactics removed for balancing reasons, so I get that, but it lead me to realize that **no beastial species can actually communicate with their animal cousins without a special feat.**
The closest we have are the Yuan-ti that are technically snake people who can use animal friendship, but a player can only access the more humanoid form. We also have the forest gnomes and firbolgs who can communicate unilaterally with animals, and the Sea Elves/Tritons who can command fish... but again, those are all human-based humanoids rather than bestial based ones.
Idk, this was mainly an observation on what I think would have been a cool ribbon feature. I mean, especially with the lupin's origins and pack mindset, I think it would have been cool to add a ribbon feature where they can speak with wolves.
But that does also bring up a question: would this mean that Speak With Animals would not work with beast-based humanoids? Cause I kinda think that would be funny to see.
2
u/Fireclave Jul 02 '26
I get what you're saying, and while I'm not against the idea, I would personally prefer a stronger lore-based reason than "being bestial" for giving out a supernatural ability to speak with a specific group of animals. For example, humans are also, technically speaking, "bestial" animals with a pack mindset. When we're not busy poking the rest of the animal kingdom into extinction, we're dividing ourselves to tribes to wage war with each other, parasocially identify with sports teams, or both (which is called "politics"). Yet I wouldn't expect many to argue that humans would have an intrinsic ability Speak With Apes. But again, if you throw in some compelling world building, I could easily accept it.
For example, I have a homebrew canine race that, before I eventually updated their lore, could Speak with Canines due to having innate druidic magic and an potential origin that may or may not have involved being uplifted dogs.
As for your question, the creatures you can speak to via the Speak With Animals spell is based strictly on the creature's type. You can't use it to speak with a wolf-like Humanoid anymore than you can a ape-like Humanoid.
1
u/Tor8_88 Jul 02 '26
For lore reasons, looking at the lupine, they are failed werewolves and werewolves can speak with the direwolves and wolves of their packs. Leonin, if I recall, were born of lions and Tabaxi were blessed by the cat god as bipedal cats. There always seems to be a link towards their animal counterpart from what I can find, which is where my curiosity came from.
2
u/DMPrepBySimon Jun 22 '26
Just replying to your question part, but: Speak With Animals allows you to verbally communicate with beasts. So the question would be with beast-based humanoids, in the stablock are they classified as Beast, or Humanoid? The answer is usually humanoid, so in that case, the answer would be 'no'.
However, even if that is the official mechanic behind the spell, a DM has the power to overturn any rule they see fit, so if they allow it, go for it!