Communication (OSS)

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Far from being silent, underwater realms are dynamic places filled with constantly changing sounds. Grunts, clicks, snaps, whirs, and a host of other noises fill the wide underwater spaces.
In oceans and other saltwater bodies, these sounds are supplemented by the haunting call of whalesong, the whistles of dolphins, and the mysterious communications of other large mammals and beasts of the sea. However, underwater communication is a difficult task for surface dwellers, as their sensory organs are not designed for efficient underwater use. Without magical assistance, most PCs find it difficult to convey more than the simplest of messages while submerged in water.
==Hearing==
A big part of the difficulty with underwater communication stems from the pressure exerted on a surface dweller's auditory organs. Such pressure creates a constant buzz of white noise which effectively muffles sound. Consequently, although sound waves travel almost four times faster in water than they do in air, making it easier to hear sounds at a distance, underwater pressure severely reduces a surface dweller's capacity to distinguish these sounds. In addition, the continual symphony of underwater life and the noise generated by naturally occurring phenomena (such as crust movement, underwater earthquakes, and pounding surf) provide constant distractions that further reduce the auditory acuity of surface dwellers.
Table 42 details the relative hearing abilities of marine creatures, non-magic-using surface dwellers, and magically assisted surface dwellers. The ranges listed on the table are the maximum distance, in yards, that a creature can hear a specific noise.
 Table 42: Underwater Hearing Ranges
Noise 	UnassistedSurfacedweller	AssistedSurfacedweller	MarineCreature
Natural 	300 	600 	3,000
Moderate 	600 	1,200 	6,000
Heavy 	900 	1,800 	10,000
Cataclysmic 	1,200 	2,400 	35,000
 	 	 	
Speech 	10 	20 	100
Simple 	5 feet 	10 	50
Complex 	— 	5 	25
Surface Activity 	100 	200 	1,000
Moderate 	200 	400 	1,500
Heavy 	300 	600 	3,000
 	 	 	
Underwater Activity	150 	300 	1,500
Moderate 	300 	600 	3,000
Heavy 	450 	900 	6,000
===Notes to Table 42===
An Unassisted surface dweller refers to a surface-dwelling creature submerged in water without any magical aid (such as an airy water spell or helm of underwater action).
An Assisted surface dweller refers to a surface-dwelling creature submerged in water with magical aid that allows him to hear clearly while underwater. Spells and items such as an airy water spell, helm of underwater action, and an iridescent ioun stone increase their user's range of hearing. See the Breathing section in this chapter for more information on these items and spells.
A Marine Creature refers to any indigenous underwater life with auditory capacity. Cetaceans, fish, crustaceans, and intelligent underwater monsters all fall within this category. Note that recipients of a polymorph other spell qualify for this category if their new form occurs naturally underwater and possesses auditory capabilities.
Natural noise refers to fairly quiet natural phenomena that occur above or below the surface of water-such as the pounding of surf, or a steady rainfall. Moderate natural phenomena include heavy surf, mudslides, peals of thunder, and large objects falling into the water. Heavy natural noises include small sea-quakes, underwater eruptions, and other major geological occurrences. Cataclysmic events include major sea-quakes, large underwater eruptions, and other geological phenomena that threaten entire ecosystems. In many cases, surface dwellers will feel the vibrations and after effects of such a Cataclysmic event rather than hearing it. Usually, those creatures within hearing range of a Cataclysmic event are the first victims.
Speech refers to a variety of sounds produced with the intent of communicating with another creature. This category includes verbal speech—such as that used by human, demihuman, and humanoid creatures as well as the pure-sound languages (clicks, whistles, buzzes) employed by whales, dolphins, and a host of smaller marine creatures.
The numbers given under the general speech category refer to the maximum distance at which intelligent creatures can recognize specific sounds as speech. This in no way implies that the creatures in question can understand what is being said. Thus, a triton (native creature) could hear two surface dwellers talking from 300 feet away, but it could not distinguish individual words from that distance.
Simple speech refers to one- or two-word phrases or simple ideas such as "go up," "danger," and "flee."
Complex speech refers to anything more complex than Simple speech. Whole sentences or concepts such as "swim 50 feet up and investigate that coral reef" are examples of Complex speech. Dungeon Masters should note that unassisted surface dwellers cannot understand Complex speech at any distance.
To simulate the increased vocal and auditory capabilities of marine creatures such as whales, dolphins, and sahuagin, DMs can multiply the effective hearing ranges of these creatures up to a factor of 1,000 when they communicate with each other. Thus, a gray whale could effectively communicate with another of its species at a maximum distance of 50,000 yards (a distance of nearly 28 miles)!
Surface Activity refers to fairly soft man-made sounds produced by activity above the surface of water-such as the sounds made by rowing a boat, conversation, sailing a ship, and fishing. Moderate surface activity refers to the sounds produced by a man-sized or smaller creature jumping or falling into the water, the sounds of a person swimming, or the sounds made by a person running across the bottom deck of a ship. Heavy surface activity refers to things such as surface combat, dropping anchor, and construction.
Underwater Activity refers to normal sounds produced by undersea creatures in their own environment-such as the normal clicks, whistles, and buzzes made by small sea creatures. Moderate underwater activity includes the use of tools underwater, the sounds produced by Medium to Huge marine creatures, and the sounds of combat with non-metallic weapons. Heavy underwater activity includes combat with surface weapons, spell effects, and underwater construction.
==Speaking==
Humans, demihumans, humanoids, and many other surface-dwelling creatures produce speech through the movement of air across their vocal chords, tongues, and lips. This air-driven mechanism presents a problem to surface dwellers who find themselves in water, as air becomes a precious commodity. At best, these characters can use their dwindling air supplies in an attempt to produce sound. This attempt, however, usually results in a distorted "burble" as the expelled air bubbles surround the speaker.
Characters can only engage in normal, undistorted speech through the help of magical items or spells that surround the PC in question with a sphere of air (such as the airy water spell, a helm of underwater action) or the use of some magic that allows surface dwellers to function normally underwater, such as a ring of free action. Note that a free action effect usually does not bestow the ability to breathe water.
===Underwater Conversation===
The distance at which a creature can effectively speak and convey information to another creature is limited by the listener's auditory range. For example, Waryn the gnome, an unassisted surface dweller, attempts to communicate a Complex idea to Vandar, a warrior using a helm of underwater action. Because of Vandar's magical assistance, he can understand Waryn's "burbling" speech from up to five yards away.
Unfortunately, the white noise generated by pressure and the constant background sounds of underwater life limit Waryn's unassisted hearing. Thus, if Vandar wished to reply to his friend, he would have to come within five feet of the gnome. In any event, Waryn would be unable to comprehend any Complex speech regardless of Vandar's proximity.
==Non-verbal Communication==
Because of the difficulty involved in communicating while submerged adventurers often rely on magic to converse. However, magic has its own drawbacks underwater (see the Spellcasting chapter for more details).
To overcome these obstacles, enterprising adventurers have developed their own method of non-verbal communication. This language, similar to sign language, allows "speakers" to convey information quickly and silently while underwater. It is possible for player characters with a nautical background to know this language; however, DMs should familiarize themselves with its advantages and limitations, as detailed in the new Underwater Communication proficiency below, before allowing its use in play.
===Underwater Communication Proficiency===
This proficiency allows characters to communicate underwater through the use of specialized hand signals, body gestures, and other non-verbal cues. "Speakers" of this language can convey simple ideas or one- or two- word messages, such as "Help," "Danger," "Treasure," "Surface," and "Need Air," without making a proficiency check. More complex messages, such as "Swim out of range while I cast a lightning bolt," or "Here comes a shark" require the "listener" or recipient of the communication to make a successful proficiency check. Failure means that the listener could not understand the message.
Such non-verbal communication requires that all participants stand within visual range of each other. DMs should feel free to require proficiency checks from all participants when lighting conditions or water quality warrant it-such as two adventurers attempting to communicate in murky water-or when attempting to communicate during combat.
Underwater Communication costs two proficiency slots and is available under the General proficiency group. Characters make proficiency checks based on their Intelligence with a -3 modifier.
For those players using PLAYER'S OPTION®: Skills and Powers characters, Underwater Communication costs four Character Points. Its relevant subability is Knowledge, and its initial rating is 10.
==Dungeon Mastery Tips: Hearing==
It is extremely challenging to role-play the difficulties involved in communicating verbally while submerged. The following list offers practical advice to Dungeon Masters on how to facilitate such role- playing in their underwater campaigns.
* Play normally and rely on players to role-play as if their characters can only use brief communication.
This represents the simplest way to run an underwater adventure or campaign and minimizes the work involved for both players and DMs. However, such a method requires a group of dedicated role-players who are willing to place their characters into danger even though they as players can easily communicate the perils of any move to each other.
* Limit every player who runs a character without magical assistance to speaking only in two- or three- word sentences.
This method requires a lot of patience on the part of each penalized player. However, such limitations highlight the difficulties and frustrations involved in underwater communication.
* Have players whose characters do not possess magical assistance cover their mouths when their characters talk underwater. Likewise, have them cover their ears when role-playing an underwater listener.
Although this may seem silly at first, it does convey the difficulties of unassisted underwater conversation. Normal conversation is possible within listed hearing ranges. However, a character's ability to understand another party member-or be understood by another party member-becomes severely compromised. This method also allows for the simulation of genuine misunderstandings between party members who are trying to work out a plan while underwater.
These methods may prove difficult to implement at first. However, DMs who award substantial experience points to players who excel at this type of underwater role-playing will quickly find their groups rising to the challenge.