Regarding Drow Sign Language: From what I read, yesterday even hah, it also incorporates some gestures that seem arcane in origin and also the angle of the hand and such can be used to imply tone and everything. The book (Drow of the Underdark, from WotC) also mentioned that if you are not the intended recipient of the message, you likely won't fully understand it. Which I believe means that even another drow might be like 'wtf?'.

Food for thought =D

Ok, I guess Drow sign language is out!

Well, I guess if there's no common sign language, and ghostwise sign-language turns out to be the same as with Drow, I definitely cannot make this work...

so if you are to communicate with drow sign language, you -must- send the said tihng in a tell?

Not true.

I've run across several PC's on the server who are speech impared. It can be done, it just takes some creative emotes to pull off. Think sharades. Plus you can generate RP just trying to get your message across. Don't be daunted by nay sayers, be creative and run with it.

I allways viewed Drow Sign language on the surface one of the most stupid things ever if used at range.

drow are blinded by the sun why if they are halfway across the screen able to make out what thier freind is saying with thier hands/fingers with very slight movment having a motion for every word and seeing it from about 60+ feet away....more of offen 100+ because 3tiles alone is 99feet

if it worked more like Combat formations and signals the army use sure you could see them moving thier army around that far maybe.

actually, i have a question concerning drow sign..

does it factor into the languages a drow would know based on their int modifier? Because theres drow, undercommon, drow sign, and then quellar sign. thats basically 4 default languages for every drow... OR are they kind of 'written off'?

Think of it more like the sign language used in baseball. Each team has a slightly different meaning for all the guestures, making for dozens of different sub-sign languages. It's not like drow are the trusting sort.

Sunlight is a factor too, but is unclear post 2nd edition. Originally, drow hand sign relied on complex guestures and a drow's ability to see in the infrared spectrum via infravision. Since darkvision is not actually the ability to see heat, does sunlight interfere? If infravision is no longer a factor, does Drow hand sign become less complex?

This would be a nice thing to have the DM team discuss and clarify, rather than leaving it up to various players. Doesn't need to be complex, just guide lines so everyone's on the same page.

I forgot that the 'Drow language' really is Elven, just with a different tone and such (like a British person speaking versus an American).

Think of it more like the sign language used in baseball. Each team has a slightly different meaning for all the guestures, making for dozens of different sub-sign languages. It's not like drow are the trusting sort.

Bah, I messed up what I said about languages:

Drow get Elven, Common, Undercommon (and sign language). I forgot that the 'Drow language' really is Elven, just with a different tone and such (like a British person speaking versus an American).

Drow Sign Language is the most Mary Sue thing ever for Drow, and as far as I'm concerned, any Pc that puts in the time to learn it can learn it. Yes, I have read all the arguments about "body language" the dozen times this has come up in the past and no one has ever managed to adqueately explain to me why someone else cn't lean their body and tilt their hand at a 37 degree angle to acquire the specific meaning of whatever thing you're usngg this language for to be cool and exclusive.

Of course, I am biased: My old Shadowdancer was allowed by the DM team to learn Drow Sign Language from the Drow he worked with.

I consider Ghostwise much the same.

Also, where do you guys get this lore info? Is it all from some dnd book? I'm sorry for my ignorance... as I said, I R very new to this roleplay stuff!

Muff... lol.

Take a look at this:

http://www.thievesguild.cc/cant/english2cant.php

It's based largely on old english thieves' cant, I believe.

Just for reference, here's a list of Forgotten Realms game material. There's of course dozens of novels, and core D&D books in addition to this:
http://www.candlekeep.com/bookshelf/products.htm

So it is not a sign language... just some sort of code-speak! Certainly of no use to somebody who can't speak .

On the subject of Theives Can't. Maybe I'm wrong, regarding accuracy to lore. But this is one of those cases where whats cool should overwrite Iron's pdf collection. Anyways, I really don't like the idea of it being treated as a language. Like saying "[Cant] I'm going to commit a heinous crime!" to my accomplice. Or signing the same thing. Not only is that not cool, the chances of getting an unwanted reaction are rediculous, especially with the number of rogue levels floating around. To me Cant should be treated as a style of talking rather than a language. Where you'd say "I'm going to take the dog for a walk", and no-one would think anything of it. Apart from your accomplice, with whom you've previously established that "Dog" means "Orphan" and "Take for a walk" means "Sacrifice to Lolth".