Ventriloquism– Nonweapon Proficiency (Player’s Handbook)
Ventriloquism: The character has learned the secrets of “throwing his voice.” Although not
actually making sound come from somewhere else (like the spell), the character
can deceive others into believing this to be so. When using ventriloquism, the
supposed source of the sound must be relatively close to the character. The
nature of the speaking object and the intelligence of those watching can modify the
character’s chance of success. If the character makes an obviously inanimate
object talk (a book, mug, etc.), a -5 penalty is applied to his ability score. If
a believable source (a PC or NPC) is made to appear to speak, a +2 bonus is
added to his ability score. The observer’s intelligence modifies this as follows:
| Intelligence
| Modifier
|
| less than 3
| +6
|
| 3-5
| +4
|
| 6-8
| +2
|
| 9-14
| 0
|
| 15-16
| -1
|
| 17-18
| -2
|
| 19+
| -4
|
A successful proficiency check means the character has successfully deceived
his audience. One check must be made for every sentence or response. The
character is limited to sounds he could normally make (thus, the roar of a lion is
somewhat beyond him).
Since ventriloquism relies on deception, people’s knowledge of speech, and
assumptions about what should and shouldn’t talk, it is effective only on
intelligent creatures. Thus, it has no effect on animals and the like. Furthermore, the
audience must be watching the character since part of the deception is visual
(“Hey, his lips don’t move!”). Using ventriloquism to get someone to look
behind him does not work, since the voice is not actually behind him (this requires
the ventriloquism spell). All but those with the gullibility of children realize what is truly
happening. They may be amused–or they may not be.
Table of Contents
Published by