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Harperfan7
2009-07-28, 08:18 PM
Can anyone provide a link where I can read up on them? I've heard a little about them but can't find much.

Curmudgeon
2009-07-28, 09:36 PM
Check the 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D Player's Handbooks. These special languages, and Thieves' Cant, have disappeared in later editions of D&D. Druidic is the only "restricted" language left.

Harperfan7
2009-07-28, 10:16 PM
I don't have those. I was hoping for internet links, if possible.

Sinfire Titan
2009-07-28, 10:17 PM
Do you have the ECS? If so, use the languages from it. IIRC, there's one for pretty much every alignment.

Fhaolan
2009-07-28, 11:30 PM
There's really not much to the old 'alignment languages'. Whatever alignment you were, chaotic evil, lawful good, whatever, had its own language and anything of that alignment could speak it.

Original D&D started that concept when there were only three alignments, lawful, chaotic, and neutral. It was a simple way of know which 'team' you were on.

As far as I know, no more detail was ever put into it. I have vague memories of being told they were what 'Abyssal' and 'Celestial' came from in later editions.

hamlet
2009-07-29, 06:53 AM
Check the 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D Player's Handbooks. These special languages, and Thieves' Cant, have disappeared in later editions of D&D. Druidic is the only "restricted" language left.

Pretty sure that alignment languages disapeared in 2nd edition, though Thieve's cant and Druidic remained as part of the respective classes.

Comet
2009-07-29, 07:01 AM
I only have experience from back when the three alignments were lawful, chaotic and neutral. If I remember correctly, their respective languages were more akin to simple sign languages/code speak than actual linguistically complete languages.
There wasn't much information on any of those. Just a quick mention.

Eldan
2009-07-29, 07:02 AM
Well, I've seen languages called "Axiomatic" and "Anarchic" mentioned on the Planewalker boards, but that might have been made up there.

TricksyAndFalse
2009-07-29, 07:36 AM
In AD&D (what we're calling 1st ed.), the alignment languages did not have names. If you were Lawful Good, one of your languages spoken was "Lawful Good". Only the assassin class could learn alignment languages not of their own alignment (as well as learn Druidic and Thieves Cant). As Conjob says above, they weren't really full languages, so much as slangs or cants. You could only converse about things that mattered to your alignment. Two chaotic good characters could speak to each other about resisting oppressive tyranny, but not ask for and get directions to the nearest public restroom.

Alignment languages disappeared in 2nd ed. Thieves Cant disappeared in 3.0. The Innuendo skill in 3.0 replaced everything previously covered by alignment languages and thieves cants--instead of using up language slots for these things, it became a skill check to deliver messages in your particular cant or slang. Innuendo was replaced by a special use of Bluff in 3.5.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-07-29, 08:13 AM
I have my 1e PHB sitting on a shelf in my room; if you can wait, I'll post the relevant passages when I get home from work today.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-07-29, 03:54 PM
Sorry to double-post, but I figured such a large update deserved its own post. (And it turns out it's the DMG that has the alignment languages, by the way, not the PHB; sorry about that.)


ALIGNMENT LANGUAGE
Alignment language is a handy game tool which is not unjustifiable in real terms. Thieves did employ a special cant. Secret organizations and societies did and do have certain recognition signs, signals, and recognition phrases--possibly special languages (of limited extent) as well. Consider also the medieval Catholic Church which used Latin as a common recognition and communication base to cut across national boundaries. In AD&D. alignment languages are the special set of signs, signals, gestures, and words which intelligent creatures use to inform other intelligent creatures of the same alignment of their fellowship and common ethos. Alignment languages are NEVER flaunted in public. They are not used as salutations or interrogatives if the speaker is uncertain of the alignment of those addressed. Furthermore, alignment languages are of limited vocabulary and deal with the ethos of the alignment in general, so lengthy discussion of varying subjects cannot be conducted in such tongues.

Each alignment language is constructed to allow recognition of like-aligned creatures and to discuss the precepts of the alignment in detail. Otherwise, the tongue will permit only the most rudimentary communication with a vocabulary limited to a few score words. The speaker could inquire of the listener's state of health, ask about hunger, thirst, or degree of tiredness. A few other basic conditions and opinions could be expressed, but no more. The specialty tongues of Druidic and the Thieves' Cant are designed to handle conversations pertaining to things druidical on the one hand and thievery, robbery and the disposal of stolen goods on the other. Druids could discuss at length and in detail the state of the crops, weather, animal husbandry and foresting; but warfare, politics, adventuring, and like matter would be impossible to detail with the language.

Any character foolish enough to announce his or her alignment by publicly crying out in that alignment tongue will incur considerable social sanctions. At best he or she will be thought unmannerly, rude, boorish, and stupid. Those of the same alignment will be inclined to totally ignore the character, not wishing to embarrass themselves by admitting any familiarity with the offender. Those of other alignment will likewise regard the speaker with distaste when overhearing such an outburst. At worst, the character will be marked by those hostile to the alignment in which he or she spoke.

Alignment language is used to establish credentials only after initial communications have been established by other means. Only in the most desperate of situations would any creature utter something in the alignment tongue otherwise. It must also be noted that alignment does NOT necessarily empower a creature to actually speak or understand the alignment language which is general in the ethos. Thus, blink dogs are intelligent, lawful good creatures who have a language of their own. A lawful good human, dwarf, or brownie will be absolutely at a loss to communicate with blink dogs, however, except in the most limited of ways (non-aggression, non-fear, etc.) without knowledge of the creatures' language or some magical means. This is because blink dogs do not intellectually embrace the ethos of lawful good but are of that alignment instinctually; therefore, they do not speak the tongue used by lawful good. This is not true of gold dragons, let us say, or red dragons with respect to their alignment, who do speak their respective alignment languages.

Harperfan7
2009-07-29, 06:33 PM
Hmm, okay. I read somewhere that they weren't really languages, so much as just similar ways of speaking/thinking (like when you first meet someone you don't know, but both of you can instantly tell that you are alike).

Thanks peeps, I 'preciate it.

JonestheSpy
2009-07-29, 06:42 PM
Wow, that's a blast from the past.

Alignment languages are probably one of the weirdest ideas old GG ever had.

I kinda miss Thieves Cant, but it really doesn't make sense that thieves would have a language that transcended race and nationality.

AngelSword
2009-07-29, 08:45 PM
Wow, that's a blast from the past.

Alignment languages are probably one of the weirdest ideas old GG ever had.

I kinda miss Thieves Cant, but it really doesn't make sense that thieves would have a language that transcended race and nationality.

Apparently, it did make sense. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cant_%28language%29)

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-07-29, 11:33 PM
Alignment languages are probably one of the weirdest ideas old GG ever had.

I see your alignment languages and raise you these (http://www.headinjurytheater.com/article73.htm).