D&D 5e Core · shared AI conversation

Can you use Speak with Animals to talk to a demon that has been polymorphed into a sheep?

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You asked
Can you use Speak with Animals to talk to a demon that has been polymorphed into a sheep?
LorePanic answered

Yes, you absolutely can! But the resulting conversation might be a bit bizarre.

Here is how the mechanics interact:

  • Creature Type Changes: When a creature is targeted by Polymorph, its game statistics are completely replaced by the statistics of the chosen beast D&D 5e SRD. This means the demon's creature type changes from Fiend to Beast (a sheep), making it a valid target for Speak with Animals, which allows you to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts D&D 5e SRD.
  • Intelligence vs. Personality: Under the rules for Polymorph, the target's mental ability scores are also replaced by the beast's stats, meaning the demon now has the Intelligence of a standard sheep (usually an Intelligence of 2 or 3). However, the spell explicitly states that the target retains its alignment and personality D&D 5e SRD.
  • The Conversation: Speak with Animals notes that the knowledge and awareness of beasts is limited by their intelligence D&D 5e SRD.

So, you would be able to speak to it, but you'll be talking to a creature with the mind and intelligence of a literal sheep, but possessing the deeply evil, chaotic personality of a demon. Expect a very angry, malevolent sheep that can only express itself through sheep-level concepts like eating grass and headbutting things!


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