I'm not exactly sure how conversations with animals, plants, or any other normally non-intelligent things go. How much/what kind of information can these things provide?
1 Answer
Just as they are written:
You can ask questions of and receive answers from animals, but the spell doesn't make them any more friendly than normal. Wary and cunning animals are likely to be terse and evasive, while the more stupid ones make inane comments.
You can communicate with normal plants and plant creatures, and can ask questions of and receive answers from them. A normal plant's sense of its surroundings is limited, so it won't be able to give (or recognize) detailed descriptions of creatures or answer questions about events outside its immediate vicinity.
You can comprehend and communicate telepathically with manufactured objects, including animated objects and constructs. You are able to ask questions and receive answers from objects. An inanimate object's sense of its surroundings is limited, so it won't be able to give or recognize detailed descriptions of creatures or answer questions about events outside its immediate vicinity.
Animals have no limitations. Plants and objects "won't be able to give or recognize detailed descriptions of creatures or answer questions about events outside its immediate vicinity".
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\$\begingroup\$ It's probably worth mentioning that the Speak with Objects spell is third party. \$\endgroup\$– SnappieCommented Jan 20, 2017 at 7:15
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\$\begingroup\$ I'm pretty sure stone tell counts, too. (An anecdote from an old Dragon magazine explained that, frustrated with the PCs using stone tell on the dungeon walls to learn the dungeon's secrets, stopped responding coherently and, instead, with O, man, can you see the colors? and Dude, I am so hungry! (this despite it being, well, a wall). The players, confused, asked the DM what was up. "O, that!" said the DM. "These walls can't help you. They're stoned.") \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jan 20, 2017 at 15:04
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\$\begingroup\$ I was looking for a little more detail than the text of those spells provide. For example would a bird you speak to know the difference between a dwarf and a human, can it count and if so how high? How do the plant's senses work? Can it differentiate types at all or does it just see vague shapes or impressions of things? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jan 21, 2017 at 4:03
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\$\begingroup\$ @MrTumnus and this is why Pathfinder has a DM - to decide what NPCs know \$\endgroup\$– Dale MCommented Jan 21, 2017 at 4:09