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It is about intelligent animals created by the 5th level druid spell Awaken.

The spell description says: "An awakened tree or animal can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any)."

My question is, what happens if an awakened animal dies, and then is reincarnated (with the 4th level druid spell reincarnate).

I think, if the ability to speak is a special ability granted by the spell, it may be by the reincarnation lost. Maybe the real question is, that this skill belongs to the body of the animal (and, in this case, is lost), or to its soul? (In which case maybe not.)

I need to mention: after awaken, the animal is a magical beast.

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Subjectively... Yes.

Reincarnate states:

For nonhumanoid creatures, a similar table of creatures of the same type should be created.

A reincarnated creature recalls the majority of its former life and form.

Awaken states:

Its type becomes magical beast (augmented animal).

What does all of this mean when we put it all together?

The creature, would be reincarnated as another magical beast (augmented animal). It would remember that it could speak in its former life. Since it would still be a magical beast (augmented animal) it would retain its ability to speak in its new form (depending on the new form - griffons can't speak, for example):

The reincarnated creature gains all abilities associated with its new form, including forms of movement and speeds, natural armor, natural attacks, extraordinary abilities, and the like,

It would not, though, gain the new language of its new form automatically:

but it doesn’t automatically speak the language of the new form.


Many magical beasts speak. Blink Dogs speak, and even have their own language. Worgs speak, and even have their own language. Some magical beasts, however, such as a Griffon, specifically states that it can understand but can't speak.

If reincarnated into a magical beast that can speak, there is no reason you can't speak the languages that was formerly known.


Food for Thought

Since Reincarnate states:

For nonhumanoid creatures, a similar table of creatures of the same type should be created.

A table of creatures to be reincarnated into should all be magical beast (augmented animal), not animal, not humanoid, not even nonsub-typed magical beasts. That would mean, that it would reincarnate into similarly "awakened" animals.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Ok, but the speaking of an awakened animal is a supernatural ability. And in this case, it depends on that the supernatural abilities are inherited to the new body. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gray Sheep
    Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 2:33
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    \$\begingroup\$ @MorningStar I don't see where awaken makes the creature's ability to speak supernatural. Perhaps you're mixing up that with some familiars' abilities to speak? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 3:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan I suspected it on the reason, that most of the animals are incapable to speak also on biological reasons. Even the monkeys couldn't speak very well, if they would have the needed brain capacity for that. And, the spell descriptions looks like, that it is working primary on the soul and not on the body. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gray Sheep
    Commented May 10, 2016 at 17:12
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MorningStar While usually physiologically incapable of speech, not being druids (I presume, anyway... I mean, I'm not) we've no idea of the exact details of the awaken spell's affect on the animal, so without a notation that it is a supernatural ability, game-mechanically it's speech becomes just a natural ability. I'd be leery of making such an animal's speech supernatural lest it's new Int, Wis, and Cha also be considered supernatural, for instance. (And, wow, 10 months later?) \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 10, 2016 at 17:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan Well, although we are not druids, we know the mechanics of their world much better. :-) \$\endgroup\$
    – Gray Sheep
    Commented May 10, 2016 at 17:51

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