Sorry for taking this directly to the rulings discussion forum, however waiting for each post of mine to be okay'ed is rather frustrating at times. So, I've elected to carry the discussion portion to here.
I would like to say I get where the DM team is coming from when they declare polymorphed druids in elemental shape to be incapable of communication vocal in all forms save for elemental languages fitting said elemental type, but I don't. Here's why.
For one, the monster manual holds absolutely no stipulations regarding their understand and means of communication other than 'rarely does so'. These are complex creatures at a intelligence of 4, which is by the rule book above that of animal intelligence, and capable of complex thought, that speak languages that are shared by things which are not elementals.
The arguments given in favor of this ruling don't seem to be based upon any source material, but rather on personal opinions of how things 'should' work. Again, while I applaud that the matter was thoroughly discussed, it seems a attempt to establish reasoning behind a otherwise completely unreasonable being has steered the conversation astray. These are not 'reasonable' creatures. There physiology states more than they shouldn't be capable of communication - it states they outright shouldn't exist, and yet here they are. If these are languages that can only be conveyed via noises that a elemental could produce, then there's absolutely no reason what so ever that humans, elves, so forth, could also share this language.
To compound this, these languages have alphabets assigned to them. Reference here; http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/speakLanguage.htm. If I wanted to, I could write a book utilizing the ignan language, albeit with the use of draconic runes. I can give a compelling lecture, I could write a poem, I could read a dire warning on a sign post in the middle of the city of brass that doesn't say 'burn burn, ignite, more burn noises'. Can a elemental do this? Well, arguably. They're not very smart at 4 intelligence, and they certainly don't concern themselves with things like arts, or history. But the fact remains that they speak, and understand, a language capable of doing these things.
Is there any resource material o support this? As far as I can tell, this is a opinion, not a fact. While it's reasonable (very reasonable, I will give), it's a reasonable answer to a unreasonable creature. If I am wrong, I would like to be corrected with citation. But otherwise, we're basing this ruling off of nothing more than personal opinion.Quote:
Elemental form: Elementals can speak their Elemental language if known to the caster (Ignan, Aquan, Earthen, windyblowblowy).
To add to this, Elementals are incapable of speaking Common, or any other language besides the one representing their element. As a pure embodiment of earth/fire/air/water/heart/etc. an elemental lacks the magical ability or physiology to communicate in any language other than the one representing its element, barring certain outside influences (of which polymorphing into an elemental is not one of them).