AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic

I am creating this thread as something similar to the "Waiver" thread to be used as a reference. This is in no way to be official, and it wouldn't really matter if it was, but it allows people to point to this thread when they are accused of metagaming a language. Pretty much you can say "Hey, I've already said my PC know's this language, I didn't just claim it out of the blue."

Stats don't need to be stated, but the rule I personally go by for languages able to be learned is: Common + Racial + 1 language per Int Mod + 1 language per 5 points of Lore.

NOTE: This is not how many languages you know off the bat, it's the general rule of how many you can learn. Normally a character knows Common and a Racial language at creation, and the others they learn through RP or their story after that.

Another rule some go by is (Under)Common + Racial + 1 per base INT Mod.

You can post an "explanation" if you want as to why your character knows what if you feel like it.

==================

DM Edit by Khylaria:

Here's a chart of the living, regional languages spoken across Faerun, along with where they are spoken, and what alphabet they use (this chart can be found on page 85 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, 3.0 version) -

Code:

Aglarondan         Aglarond, Altumbel                                               Espruar

Alzhedo            Calimshan                                                        Thorass

Chessentan         Chessenta                                                        Thorass

Chondathan         Amn, Chondath, Cormyr, the Dalelands, the Dragon Coast,          Thorass
                   the civilized North, Sembia, the Silver Marches, the Sword
                   Coast, Tethyr, Waterdeep, the Western Heartlands, the
                   Vilhon Reach

Chultan            Chult                                                            Draconic

Common             Everywhere on Faerun's surface (trade language)                  Thorass

Damaran            Damara, the Great Dale, Impiltur, the Moonsea, Narfell,          Dethek
                   Thesk, Vaasa, the Vast

Dambrathan         Dambrath                                                         Espruar

Durpari            Durpar, Estagund, Var, Veldorn                                   Thorass

Halruuan           Halruua, Nimbral                                                 Draconic

Illuskan           Luskan, Mintarn, the Moonshaes, the Savage North                 Thorass
                   (uncivilized areas), Ruathym, the Uthgatdt barbarians

Lantanese          Lantan                                                           Draconic

Midani             Zakhara*, the Bedine                                             Thorass

Mulhorandi         Mulhorand, Murghom, Semphar                                      Celestial

Mulhorandi (var.)  Thay                                                             Infernal

Nexalan            Maztica*                                                         Draconic

Rashemi            Rashemen                                                         Thorass

Serusan            Inner Sea (aquatic trade language)                               Aquan

Shaaran            Lake of Steam, Lapaliiya, Sespech, the Shaar                     Dethec

Shou               Kara-Tur*                                                        Draconic

Tashalan           Black Jungle, Mhair Jungle, Samarach, Tashalar, Thindol          Dethec

Tuigan             Hordelands                                                       Thorass

Turmic             Turmish                                                          Thorass

Uluik              Great Glacier                                                    Thorass

Undercommon        Underdark (trade language)                                       Espruar

Untheric           Unther                                                           Dethek

     *These other lands on Toril are not in Faerun

Beldor Ma’fer:

Racial:

Drow/Drow Sign
Undercommon

Additional:

Thieves’ Cant – Adolescent years spent among a band of brigands and bandits
Common – His mentor taught him during his adolescence in hopes of making him a more useful asset
Elven/Old Elven - Training as a spellsword, studying elven texts and philosophies on combat(through his second mentor)
Draconic – Arcane endeavors when he intended to become a Dragon Disciple. Ultimately yielded/failed to complete the ritual to become one. Understands it when read or spoken, does not often speak it.
Loross/Netherese – High Arcane research in his later years (years 250+) and residency on the Shadow Plane.

Ardok Isythant:

Racial:

Common
Mulhorandi

Zammikyra Siadystine:

Racial:

Common
Celestial(A noticeably Lunian accent to any natural speakers)

Additional:

Basic Thorass – Traditional squire training at the side of a noble knight. Conversational.

Rhea Hartfellow:

Racial:

Common
Durpari

Additonal:

Elven - As a student at a bardic college, took great interest in traditional elven literature and song. Sounds extremely proper and almost stilted to most who speak the language on a daily basis. Obviously not her native tongue, but even more obviously studied and formulated.

Negi Kyokito:

Racial:

Kara-Turan(barring any dialect specific to affluent or noble peoples)
Common

Additional:

Draconic – Devout religious studies as Bahamutan. Spoken with reverence, though not spoken conversationally in all but the most needed of cases.

Last edited by Grymia on Fri, Sep 23 2011, 16:21 PM, edited 1 time in total.

Tuomas Valo:

Common
Elven - Arcanic Language, a nescessity due to his profession.
Gnomish - Racial
Dwarven - One of a couple of races ken to Gnomes, Tuomas learned this to deal with his fellow shorter folks, as well as Hin.
Hin - Same as Dwarven
Celestial - As a conjurer, he knows Celestials are the most likely sorts he'd be calling upon.
Lantanese: He's a Gnome of Lantan.

Vaelmith Starshower

Common
Elven - Racial
Sylvan - Taught by Mother who was a ranger.

Illyana Sarov

Common
Celestial - Learned as requested by her parents to better her lot in life , partly (and due to her racial nature as an Aasimar)

Jack Tesilent:

Racial:

Common
Waterdhavian? (If it has it's own regional language I have no idea what it is...)

Class:

Thieves’ Cant – Growing up in the lower-class areas of Waterdeep, you have to know who to stay with and stay away from to survive.

Additional:

Open Slot -
Open Slot -

Veh'dra Qos'Yutsu

Fluent
Undercommon
Drow
Drow Handsign

Rusty
Common

Can understand enough elven to just about follow what is going on, but not enough to speak.

Knows enough Thieve's Cant to recognise it when spoken.

Abyssal - ritualistic only. Anything you might come across in a sacrifice or prayer.

Taer'fein Linthen'tynil:

Fluent:
Drow
Undercommon
Goblin
Drow hand sign (Ultrinnan and Mae'ana patterns)

Rusty:
Elven (arhaic)
Common

Familiar but not spoken well:
Terran
Abyssal

Anardin:

Fluent:
Elven
Common

Niya Nightshade:

Common
Abyssal
Draconic
Drow
Elven

Enys Rheen:

Common.

Draconic (Broken. Mostly rude curses)

Nina Tilian:

Human.
Elven.
Draconic.
Orc.
Drow (learned)
Drow handsign. (learned)
Abyssal (learned)
Celestial (learned)
Sylvan (learned)
Forgoto one [mulholrandi] (leaned)

Ulrik Valis:

Common: Racial. Fluent.
Celestial: Fluent.
Elven: Learned as an apprentice. Fluent.
Draconic: Learned as an apprentice, along with elven, as common 'arcane languages.' Fluent.
Netherese: Magical and historical studies in his later life.
Drow: Learned from Jud'Vardas himself. Somewhat rusty and heavily accented.
Dwarven: Picked up in his adventuring days before coming to Amia. Rusty, unpracticed.
Orcish : Picked up in his days as an adventurer prior Amia. Rusty, unpracticed.

Last edited by Gravemaskin on Sat, Nov 20 2010, 9:16 AM, edited 1 time in total.

Arronax
---------
Common: Fluent.
Shou: Picked up during his years in Shou-Lung. Fluent, better than common.
Draconic: Learned, understands fluently. Rusty speech.
Sylvan: Racial, fluent.
Various dialects of Elven: Fluent.

Reh'Cra Salenor Kenlyl
----------------------
Common: Learned, fluent
Drow: Racial, fluent
Undercommon: Racial, fluent
Drow handsign (Ultrinann, Shrine, Is'Def and Kenlyl): Learned/Racial, fluent. (tought by father/members of the shrine ICly)
Elven: Learned, Fluent (Spesifically woodelven. Spoken by his mother)
Theves Can't: Some
Draconic: Individual words picked up from observation of people speaking it. (Such as Rras)

Malcom Cassul
--------------
Common: Racial, fluent
Chondathan: Cormyrian Common, local racial, fluent.

Ian Blackthorn
--------------
Common: Racial, fluent
Infernal: Racial, fluent
Abyssal: tought, fluent understanding. Refuses to speak it.

Leonard d'Angleville
-------------------
Common: Racial, fluent
Halruuan: local racial, fluent
Loross: learned, fluent (tought from pre-teen years until academy graduation)
Netherese: learned, fluent (tought from pre-teen years until academy graduation)
Draconic: learned, understands spoken and written. (tought from pre-teen years until academy graduation)
Celestial: learned, fluent (tought from pre-teen years until academy graduation)
Elven: learned, fluent (tought from pre-teen years until academy graduation)
//More will likely follow if he's tought during his stay on Amia//

Mathan Wayne

Common.
Elven - Background of where he grew up involved him learning Elvish.
Abyssal - Uses/Used to use for casting when he was a Black Guard.
Thorass - Near all of his research is wrote in this language.
Drow - Very limited amount of knowledge. Not enough to speak/understand proper conversations.

((as an aside, who's decision was it to use 1/5 Lore for speak language?

Gorthod:
Goblin - Taught
Abyssal - Taught
Elven - Taught
Thieves Cant (Sigil)

Last edited by Kudark on Fri, Sep 23 2011, 14:03 PM, edited 2 times in total.

Crow

Fluent: Common, with a slight southern [USA] drawl)

Knows a small amount of Draconic (UMD, and Disable Device)
Knows a good amount of Elven (being taught continuously)
Knows broken Drow (has a translation book)

He uses what he knows whenever possible.

Foilinar

Common
Dwarven

Pilineth
Common
Elven

Jobe
Common
Mulan

Greekon

Draconic
Common
Elven; only this sentence though: hi I'm Greekon, wheres the bathroom?

Ahnk Osiri-Tauronmehet
Lore: 15
Int Modifier: 2

Regional: Mulhoranic, Common, Untheric (odd dialect)
Known: Celestial
Known: Orcish
Learnt: Elven (doesn't or refuses to speak it)
Learnt: Dwarven (doesn't or refuses to speak it)
Learning: The language of the Hin.

DustSpray101 wrote:

((as an aside, who's decision was it to use 1/5 Lore for speak language?

((Looking at the IA thread this spawned from, it doesn't look like there is an official DM ruling on the "1/5 Lore = speak language" so continuing to use CC skill system))
~Ascalon A Akuechixen~
Known to Date: Draconic, Draconic (Clan Dialect), Dwarven, Elven, Halfling, Undercommon, Drow, Drow Sign (common), Common, Giant, Goblin, Cant (Amian), Abyssal, and Celestial

Slowly learning: Cant (Sigil) as well as Loross and Netherese from consistant exposure.

*Has trouble with S's in any language outside Draconic as per Kobold anatomy.

~Nina Thorrow-Meadowlark~
Known: Halfling, Thayan, Draconic, Common, and Mulhoranic

~Toby Highthistle-Tumbleleaf~
Known: Halfling, Common, Cant (Luiren), Chondathan, and Ghost Sign

Slowly learning: Elven

I do not play most of these characters, but sometimes I feel nostalgic and get one of them to play. So, just in case I ever get to play any of them in a situation the character will speak any languages they know, I listed them here. Mind that my memory sucks and I am not sure I have all of these written down anywhere.

EDIT: Auron, Rizzen and Daos, however, are the most accurate here, since I play them more often.

Auron Teken'ath (Ryl'vyll Claddath)
(Drow)

Racial
- Drow
- Undercommon*
- Drow Hand Sign*

Additional
- Common - Taught "Off Screen"** when he was a surfacer drow living at The Shadowtop Glade, a shrine to Eilistraee in Velarswood. Twelve years living at the surface allowed him to speak it well-enough, but he might switch to drow or use drow words when having a mood swing (calm to angry, for example).
- Draconic - "Default" language for his defunct house, which was specialized in dragons/dragon hunting and so on.
- Elven - When he was some... 130 years old he got captured after a drow raid and was taught Elven by his now defunct wife. Most Eilistraeens, when trying to convert drow of Lolth or any other evil god to Eilistraee, use to teach this language.

'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym
(Prismatic Dragon)

Racial
- Common
- Draconic

Additional
- Drow - Learned for being a drow's familiar once.
- Elven - During his time living at the surface, also learned "off screen".

Rizzen of Twilight (former Rizzen Teken'ath)
(Drow)

Racial
- Drow
- Undercommon*
- Drow Hand Sign*

Class (When he was a cleric, but might probably be subject to changes since he is not a cleric anymore)
- Abyssal

Additional
- Common - Learned "Off Screen", but was also reinforced by being taught by one of his ex-Vhaeraunite peers at Amia, watched by a DM once.
- Draconic - "Default" language for his defunct house, which was specialized in dragons/dragon hunting and so on.
- Elven - Learned at Amia. It was so long ago, though, that I do not remember how he learned. =(

Eilin'ira
(Drow)

Racial
- Drow
- Drow Hand Sign
- Undercommon

Additional
- Common
- Elven

Layla Faircurrent
(Half-Elf, Durpari)

Racial
- Common
- Elven

Regional
- Durpari

Additional
- Mulhorandi

Helena Rios
(Human, Durpari)

Racial
- Common

Regional
- Durpari

Additional
- Draconic
- Drow - She was taught "Off Screen" when she met Jud'Vardas, in her background pre-Amia.
- Mulhorandi

Michael of Cliffside
(Human)

Racial
- Common

Additional
None that I remember now, nor if his INT score allows learning other languages.

Adr'ael Ken'rahel
(Drow)

Racial
- Drow
- Drow Hand Sign*
- Undercommon*

Additional
- Abyssal, if memory serves. I do not remember.

*If automatic to race.
**By this I mean that it is part of the character's background story.

Dill Buck-tooth: Goblin
Common
Drow
Undercommon
Dracnoic
basic phrases in elven such as " where is the toilet"

Anything outside goblin she hasnt botherd to master fully, jsut to a standard level of understanding can be acheived

Riia Rilyn'Virr

Racial:

Drow/Drow Sign
Undercommon

Additional:

Draconic - Fluent - Learned since childhood due to prevalence in arcane study, continues to use it frequently due to having a talkative copper dragon companion
Common - Fluent - Learned at a young age upon leaving the Underdark
Elven - Understands it well, though does not speak it often if at all

Last edited by Ramika on Tue, Jan 11 2011, 16:27 PM, edited 6 times in total.

I do not play some of these characters regularly (if you interact with me/know me, you know which ones I do). So, just in case I play any of them in a situation the character might speak any of the languages they know, I listed them here.

Note: I just copy-pasted/edited BlackDahlya's post because a) it was easier and b) it basically applied to me as well.

Lael'raena Ildari
(Drow)

Racial/Auto
- Drow
- Undercommon
- Drow Hand Sign

Additional
- Common - Taught "Off Screen" during her stay at the Eilistraeen Promenade.
- Elven - Again, taught both in her stay at Amia and at the Promenade.

Ramika Melie
(Moon Elf)

Racial/Auto
- Common
- Elven

Additional
- Drow - Learned while living as a slave in Menzo.
- 'High' Elven - The 'older' more complex version of elven, learned during her childhood living in Myth Drannor. Again, very very rarely used.
- Sylvan - Learned during her travels by through tutoring by a feyblood.
- Draconic - Taught by a PC dragon/dragonblood.

- Ignan - Taught to her by her ex-husband. Was considered the 'family' language. She understands it and can speak it, but hates using it, so rarely does unless speaking to one of her younger kids.
- Amian Thieves Cant - Again, taught by her ex-husband and a few friends (Rogue class, also former SD). Another she rarely uses, so her 'fluency' has waned.

Jordis Vance
(Half Dragon (Gold) )

Racial/Auto
- Draconic (I'm assuming, however, she learned it as a child through tutoring by a mage, considering her race. So, I usually use her 'bonus' points/language slots for this.)
- Common

Regional
-Chondathan - Grew up in Athkatla

Additional
- Elven - Bonus language in Amn; also grew up around a lot of elves.

Cecilia Swift-Blancrest
(Half Elf - Tiefling)

Racial/Auto
- Common
- Infernal (Devilkin tiefling, taught as a child.)

Additional
- Elven - Learned by various members of her 'family' growing up.
- Drow - Taught by Niss'assa and Yudann as a child.
- Currently learning various others (as she's a linguist; at the moment, she's picking up Sigilian Cant due to her husband being a 'Cager', or Sigil native).

Gabrilia Ronasenn
(Aasimar - Wood Elfi)

Racial
- Common
- Elven
- Celestial - Learned after discovering her heritage. (I list it as racial (seeing as she's an aasimar), however, it's not something she automatically knew. So, I use her 'bonus' points for it.)

Additional
- Draconic - Taught through schooling, as she's a mage.
- Drow - Speaks this terribly, and rarely tries. She understands just enough to follow conversations when need-be.
- Sylvan - Learned from a fey where she grew up. Rarely, rarely used, although she is fluent.

Caelianna Sakkran
(Moon Elf)

Racial/Auto
- Common
- Elven

Regional
- Chondathan (Grew up in Tethyr.)

Additional
- Draconic - Self taught, perfected after she came to Amia through a friend.
- Drow - She was taught "Off Screen" due to spending some time in the UD.
- Ignan - Taught to her by her father. 'Family language'.
- Amian Thieves Cant - Again, taught by her family during her initial 'training' with him.

Im'kiira (Kenlyl) Al'nuar - Faernkerym
(Svartalf (Ysgardian Drow) )

Racial/Auto
- Common
- Drow

Additional
- Celestial - Taught 'offscreen' by her family and house (as she's originally a Kenlyl). However, I do list this as her first language, despite having to use my 'bonus' languages for it.
- Elven - Learned due to her priestess duties, perfected after coming to Amia.
- Draconic - This is pretty weak, but she learned it in order to speak various important commands or praises to her dragon knight. Has since been perfected through tutoring by a fluent friend.

Vaelira (Sakkran) Lugh
(Moon Elf )

Racial/Auto
- Common
- Elven

Additional
- Celestial - Taught by her mentor and father in the Monolith for casting purposes.
- Ignan - Taught by her grandfather.
- Draconic - Taught by her mentor and father in the Monolith for casting purposes.
- Aquan - Taught by her mentor in the Monolith.
- Chondathan - Taught by her mother, as she grew up around the language.
- Drow - Taught by a family friend for safety purposes.

Pauris
Common

Last edited by Dead on Mon, Nov 04 2013, 23:44 PM, edited 2 times in total.

Morgul Nogalacna:

~ Common
~ Draconic
~ Elven

Lucius Blackwater:

~ Common
~ Elven
~ Undercommon
~ Draconic
~ Infernal
~ Abyssal
~ Loross
~ Dwarven
~ Halruaan

Khuzdul Durugnul

~ Common
~ Dwarven

Calin Katar:

Common (Native Human)
Chondathan (Native Sembian)
Dwarven

Calin's a native of Sembia, and as a former Tempurian he had a lot of contact with Dwarves, who generally tend to have a decent relationship with the Church of Tempus, so he learnt Dwarven to better facilitate trade from Battledale.

Xal Ilphukiir

Default:
Common
Undercommon
Drow
Drow Hand Sign

Intelligence:
Arcane
Netherese
Thieves Cant
Chondathan

Lore:
Infernal
Celestial
Elven (Constantly claims otherwise however)
Sylvan
Draconic
Free Spot
Free Spot

Valkin Mulgin

Common (Spoken an Writen)
Elven (Spoken an Writen)
Undercommon (Spoken an Writen)
Draconic (Spoken an Writen)
Rauric (written, almost non spoke)
Regal Elfin (spoken and writen)
Infernal (Spoken an Writen)
abyssal (Spoken an Writen)
Mulhorandi (writen an spoken- bnative toung)
Halruaan (writen an spoken)
Netherese High & Low (self taught, an heard spoken aloud, written and spoken)[/color]

Whisper

Common
Takanesti
Regal Elfin
Undercommon
Celestial[/color]

Sammy Black

Theives cant, cordor.
Theives cant movers.
Illusken.
Common.
Undercommon.

Why not? A few of my longer lasting characters...

Voronwer Amakiir:
:arrow:

Elven

Sylvan

Common

Cilessa Isylunae:
:arrow:

Elven

Sylvan

Common

Ryiah:
:arrow:

Common

Chondathan
:arrow:

Netherese

And a variant of Thieves Cant

Thysaeryl ~Forestsong~
Elven
Common
Sylvan

Eilora Alerteyes
*when she actually speaks*
Common
Hin
Sylvan

Quote:

Stats don't need to be stated, but just so the rule of thumb for languages able to be learned is: Common + Racial + 1 language per Int Mod + 1 language per 5 points of Lore.

This is not the rule of thumb. Please do not say it is.

TormakSaber wrote:

Quote:

Stats don't need to be stated, but just so the rule of thumb for languages able to be learned is: Common + Racial + 1 language per Int Mod + 1 language per 5 points of Lore.

This is not the rule of thumb. Please do not say it is.

What is?

There isn't one. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong. We've never defined it. The commonly accepted is Common + racial + Int Mod languages. IF that's what you call a rule of thumb then there you go.

TormakSaber wrote:

There isn't one. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong. We've never defined it. The commonly accepted is Common + racial + Int Mod languages. IF that's what you call a rule of thumb then there you go.

This was my understanding, so confirming it.

You could "know" at the very start:

Common (human) + Racial (subrace) + Any listed on your subrace (Amia) + up to your int modifier.

This is pretty much what you stated Tormak but, I wanted to know if you could start with the int modifier languages or if you needed to learn them later from RP (and I would guess how long it takes and all that too)

Reason is that I know Cedric uses languages (Mulan) alot and have seen others that do too. It would be great to know for RP reasons if you could "listen in" on people speaking in goblin or elven or dwarf when they think you can't understand them...

Kinda like when people are talking about me in Spanish thinking I don't know what they are saying, until I answer them in Spanish and get the OMG look... :twisted:

You can either start with them or learn them later, but going off of that "rule", that's considered your maximum.

That's base intelligence, not with items.

Isendu't'tar

Racial:
Drow/Drow Sign
Undercommon

Additional:
Elvish
High Drow(?) - I've heard this i a religious language, no idea if its applicable in 3e amia, but he has served within the temple as a priest of selvetarm for ages.

Gagis: Innate http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/tongues.htm

-_-

TormakSaber wrote:

You can either start with them or learn them later, but going off of that "rule", that's considered your maximum.

That's base intelligence, not with items.

thanks.

Completely forgotten about this thread.

Ael'thil Rilyn'tlithar

Common
Elven
Auran
Draconic

Silvarus wrote:

Gagis: Innate http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/tongues.htm

-_-

thats pnp geez sorry i don't consent

BANNED

Last edited by Dergaii on Sat, Sep 24 2011, 11:43 AM, edited 1 time in total.

He's in love.

Anyhow:

Bolten Steelfist:

Common
Dwarven
Draconic
Terran
Goblin
Gnome

Drin Al'til:

Common
Elven (Far better than most half-elfs to the point of a native speaker)
Auran (Learned from his mother: a priestess of Aerdrie Faenya)
Dwarven (Learned by accompanying his father on gem trades with dwarfs)
Draconic (Learned for arcane purposes)

Syff Seedless:

Common
Hin

The lore skill bit is insane. Means my main knows like 30 languages.

Sure, I'll play along.

Kaithan Cylverand:
Elven, Common, Sylvan

Daisy Goodluck:
Hin, Common

Robin Bellsmith:
Chondathan, Common, Illuskan

Last edited by Naivatkal on Mon, Feb 18 2013, 14:48 PM, edited 2 times in total.

Tyrus Hallnaught
Spoken Languages
Common
Tuigan (racial)
Elven (learned)

Written Languages
Common/Thorass
Elven

Salema Nefahri
Spoken Languages
Common
Mulhorandi
Elven (not fluent)

Written Languages
Common/Thorass
Celestial
Pictoglyphic Mulhorandi

Currently Learning
Draconic (written and spoken)

Marcus Belsarvas
Spoken Languages
Common
Halruuan (racial)
Elven (learned)
Draconic (learned)
Infernal (learned)
Abyssal (learned)
Thayvian (learned)
Netherese (learned)
Sylvan (researching)

Written Languages
Common/Thorass
Elven
Draconic
Infernal
Espruar (researching via Sylvan)

Zrae'a'stra'fryn
Spoken Languages
Drow (racial)
Drow Sign Language (racial)
Undercommon (racial)
Common (noticeable accent and problem with the letter 'w' sometimes, mixes with some drow words)
Elven (learned)

Written Languages
Drow
Espruar
Common (much better than when spoken)
Elven

Lucious Kraven
Spoken Languages
Common
Halruuan (racial)
Draconic (learned)
Elven (learned)
Infernal (learned)
Abyssal (learned)
Dwarvish (learned)

Written Languages
Common/Thorass
Draconic
Elven
Infernal
Dethek

TormakSaber wrote:

Quote:

Stats don't need to be stated, but just so the rule of thumb for languages able to be learned is: Common + Racial + 1 language per Int Mod + 1 language per 5 points of Lore.

This is not the rule of thumb. Please do not say it is.

Wow, only took a year. But this is the "rule of thumb" I was told ages ago in the absence of any Amian one, but I'll edit the original post to make note of that this is my own rule, and that of course DM's may deny what you know.

Quote:

NOTE: This is not how many languages you know off the bat, it's the general rule of how many you can learn. Normally a character knows Common and a Racial language at creation, and the others they learn through RP or their story after that.

If anyone needs clarification once again that this is in no way official, I re-clarify now: this is in no way official. This is not official. Official this is not. Is not this official? Not official is this.

Yossarin wrote:

The lore skill bit is insane. Means my main knows like 30 languages.

Dark Immolation wrote:

NOTE: This is not how many languages you know off the bat, it's the general rule of how many you can learn. Normally a character knows Common and a Racial language at creation, and the others they learn through RP or their story after that.

I can't say it enough.

I'm aware of that. Doesn't change the fact that it is a flawed application.

What's the difference in metagaming ingame from writing something off the hat in this topic? Given players are free to ignore languages ingame whatsoever this is kinda moot.

Koirra: Rashemi, Sylvan, Common

Yossarin wrote:

I'm aware of that. Doesn't change the fact that it is a flawed application.

It's less flawed than the original rule which on Amia(since there is no Speak Language skill) assumes you simply don't learn any languages past creation and intelligence.

I've said it throughout a couple of times, I believe. The reason I go by this rule is simply because the "You only know languages by being smart or being born into a race that speaks it" is silly. And in addition to there being no Speak Language skill in NWN, it's something that just can't be kept up with or proven, which ends up in mix-maxed orogs knowing "30 languages" and decent characters with RP and background supporting it being called out for know languages they should actually know. Which led to this thread.

So yes, the "base" rule of common + racial + INT Mod is still involved. That's your base. But what about the character that RP's increasing his elven lore, or the Dragon Disciple that goes into old tomes to look for ritual lore, that to no suprise is in Draconic. There is no Speak Language skill, but my reasoning was that lore at its most basic is knowledge, it is possible that for every X bit of knowledge, you could pick up the knowledge of a language, by virtue that knowledge would have to be taken in in its original language. You're probably not going to find the unabridged history of the Crown Wars in Common. Since skills are dynamic and often increase with the PC's experience, I found it apropos that knowledge and in addition knowledge of languages be paired. In other words, the estimation is that 5 points of Lore(knowledge in general) could/might/has the possibility to equal 1 "point" of Speak Language that doesn't exist in NWN. In addition you can RP being "taught" Lore. I sit down with an Elven scholar IC and RP learning their history, next LV up I spend 6 points on Lore. Languages have the possibility of being taught the same way, via Lore. In my opinion, once again.

So maybe it is a flawed application. Maybe it makes too many assumptions(that's why it's unofficial). But in light that the original rule of thumb is frankly oversimplified and results in OoC strife between players on multiple levels, I have no qualms with whatever is said about my optional rule. Because it helps explain a murky situation that we as a server will not and do not define.

Some people, myself included, like to have an idea and justification for their PC's knowing languages beyond an original rule that doesn't work in NWN; beyond having to get direct confirmation a DM that their PC knows a language, which isn't even guaranteed when another DM comes along.

The fact that I think it should be 10 ranks of Lore rather than 5 didn't really warrant that response.

If you must confine yourself to a personal rule of thumb, why don't you simply go with the PnP rule?

I'd rather judge according to good taste and the needs of the story, though. Besides, D&D makes it seem like knowing 4-5 languages is somehow extraordinary when in fact I think it's the norm in most civilized places. It certainly doesn't require anything but average intelligence, and definetely not killing goblins. And we don't even have Common in our world.

Learning a language is a matter of a few months of relatively intense study. I don't see how you justify representing it with a number of skillpoints that require epic adventures and ascending to heroic heights.

IronAngel wrote:

Learning a language is a matter of a few months of relatively intense study. I don't see how you justify representing it with a number of skillpoints that require epic adventures and ascending to heroic heights.

Your point would be more or less equally valid when applied to skills like Persuade, Listen, Spot, Diplomacy, Taunt, et cetera. I was a music student for a long time, and I promise you, I knew dozens if not hundreds of people who could be said to have had high ranks in Perform, yet I imagine a single orc would have been able to hack them apart (myself included). Most in-game skills are things that are not related to monster-killing in any way, yet nobody blinks at the notion of requiring epic levels to be really really good at them. This is a video game, and that's just an accepted concession that we make, in order to be able to play a video game with rules.

Languages Known

Who is online