Bogardan_Mage
2009-08-25, 11:04 PM
As you know, languages in D&D leave much to be desired. Two skill points (or even one, if you're a Bard or some other class with Speak Language) and you know everything there is to know about a given language. There have been many attempts at amending this. This is mine:
Firstly, all characters can speak their automatic languages fluently. They automatically succeed on any checks related to that language. The same is true of that language's alphabet, except in the case of illiterate characters (such as barbarians). Characters do not recieve bonus languages for high Intelligence scores. Instead, intelligent characters speak the languages they learn more fluently. At the DM's discretion, a character may begin with fluent languages not normally on his race's automatic language list (for example, a non-Elf character raised by Elves would speak Elven, possibly at the expense of one of his regular automatic languages). Druids speak Druidic fluently, this is learned as part of their regular class training.
The Speak Language skill has been expanded, thus:
Speak Language (Int; Trained Only)
Like Craft, Knowledge, Perform, or Profession, Speak Language is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Speak Language skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.
Each Speak Language skill corresponds to a different language.
Check:
Use Speak Language to determine a character's fluency in the selected language.
{table=head]Task|DC
Make self understood|7
Understand others|8
Understand unusual or complex word|12
Disguise accent|15[/table]
Make self understood/Understand others: In normal conversation, assume that all parties are taking 10. The DCs for these actions, therefore, apply only to unusual circumstances such as urgent messages (shouting a warning, for example) or situtations in which external penalties may apply to Speak Language checks.
Disguise accent: This use allows the character to imitate fluent speech. It does not allow the character to consider the language fluent in the same way his starting languages are. Additional checks must be made to maintain the same level of fluency.
Try Again:
Varies. A check to be understood can be retried as long as the listener continues listening. A check to understand a speaker may only be retried if the speaker repeats herself. A check to understand an unusual or complex word (whether spoken or recorded) may not be retried, the character either knows the word or not.
Synergy:
If you have 5 or more ranks in Speak Language you get a +2 bonus on Read Alphabet rolls for that language's alphabet. This bonus only applies once for each alphabet (even if you have 5 or more ranks in two languages with the same alphabet) but is individually applied for each different alphabet.
The other change is decoupling alphabets from languages. If you learn a language, you do not necessarily learn the alphabet. You must take ranks in the Read Alphabet skill for that alphabet. For illiterate characters, the Read Alphabet skill replaces the old method of spending two skill points to learn to read and write. As mentioned above, literate characters know the alphabets of their automatic skills flawlessly, and need not take ranks in Read Alphabet.
Below are several alphabets and languages which use them. Languages not mentioned may use one of the alphabets mentioned or may use a new alphabet.
Common (Common, Gnoll, Halfling)
Draconic (Auran, Draconic, Ignan)
Dwarven (Dwarven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran)
Elven (Aquan, Elven, Sylvan, Undercommon)
Infernal (Abyssal, Infernal)
Read Alphabet (Int; Trained Only)
Like Craft, Knowledge, Perform, or Profession, Read Alphabet is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Read Alphabet skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.
Each Read Alphabet skill corresponds to a different alphabet.
Check:
Use Read Alphabet to determine a character's ability to read text written in the selected alphabet. A Speak Language check may also be needed. An unknown language in a known alphabet is, of course, meaningless.
{table=head]Task|DC
Write legibly|7
Read clear text|7
Transliterate|10*
Read unclear text (such as messy handwriting)|11
Sound out unfamilar word|15
Identify language|20[/table]
Transliterate: Use to transfer text from one alphabet to another. This check must be made for both alphabets (so the character must have knowledge of both). As with any Read Alphabet check, if the character knows either alphabet flawlessly no check is needed for that alphabet. If the character knows both alphabets flawlessly, no check is needed at all.
Sound out unfamiliar word: Use to attempt to say words written in an unknown language or otherwise not understood (see Speak Language). The character has no idea whether or not his pronunciation is correct.
Identify language: Attempt to identify an unknown language written in a known alphabet. Note that the language may not necessarily be written in its usual alphabet. A failure by fewer than 5 narrows the possibilities down to a short (3 to 4) list of possible languages.
Synergy:
If you have 5 or more ranks in Speak Language you get a +2 bonus on Read Alphabet rolls for that language's alphabet. This bonus only applies once for each alphabet (even if you have 5 or more ranks in two languages with the same alphabet) but is individually applied for each different alphabet.
Language Focus [General]
You become more fluent in one language
Prerequisites: Speak Language 2 ranks
Benefits: Choose a language in which you have 2 or more ranks. You get a +2 bonus on all Speak Language checks for that language and on all Read Alphabet checks for that language's alphabet.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new language for which you fulfill the prerequisites.
Fluency [General]
You speak a language you have learned as though you were a native speaker
Prerequisites: Speak Language 5 ranks, Language Focus
Benefits: Choose a language for which you have 5 or more ranks and Language Focus. You no longer need to make Speak Language checks for that language.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new language for which you fulfill the prerequisites.
Alphabet Knowledge [General]
You are completely familiar with an alphabet you have studied
Prerequisites: Read Alphabet 5 ranks
Benefits: Choose as alphabet in which you have 5 or more ranks. You no longer need to make Read Alphabet checks for that language.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new alphabet for which you fulfill the prerequisites.
Firstly, all characters can speak their automatic languages fluently. They automatically succeed on any checks related to that language. The same is true of that language's alphabet, except in the case of illiterate characters (such as barbarians). Characters do not recieve bonus languages for high Intelligence scores. Instead, intelligent characters speak the languages they learn more fluently. At the DM's discretion, a character may begin with fluent languages not normally on his race's automatic language list (for example, a non-Elf character raised by Elves would speak Elven, possibly at the expense of one of his regular automatic languages). Druids speak Druidic fluently, this is learned as part of their regular class training.
The Speak Language skill has been expanded, thus:
Speak Language (Int; Trained Only)
Like Craft, Knowledge, Perform, or Profession, Speak Language is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Speak Language skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.
Each Speak Language skill corresponds to a different language.
Check:
Use Speak Language to determine a character's fluency in the selected language.
{table=head]Task|DC
Make self understood|7
Understand others|8
Understand unusual or complex word|12
Disguise accent|15[/table]
Make self understood/Understand others: In normal conversation, assume that all parties are taking 10. The DCs for these actions, therefore, apply only to unusual circumstances such as urgent messages (shouting a warning, for example) or situtations in which external penalties may apply to Speak Language checks.
Disguise accent: This use allows the character to imitate fluent speech. It does not allow the character to consider the language fluent in the same way his starting languages are. Additional checks must be made to maintain the same level of fluency.
Try Again:
Varies. A check to be understood can be retried as long as the listener continues listening. A check to understand a speaker may only be retried if the speaker repeats herself. A check to understand an unusual or complex word (whether spoken or recorded) may not be retried, the character either knows the word or not.
Synergy:
If you have 5 or more ranks in Speak Language you get a +2 bonus on Read Alphabet rolls for that language's alphabet. This bonus only applies once for each alphabet (even if you have 5 or more ranks in two languages with the same alphabet) but is individually applied for each different alphabet.
The other change is decoupling alphabets from languages. If you learn a language, you do not necessarily learn the alphabet. You must take ranks in the Read Alphabet skill for that alphabet. For illiterate characters, the Read Alphabet skill replaces the old method of spending two skill points to learn to read and write. As mentioned above, literate characters know the alphabets of their automatic skills flawlessly, and need not take ranks in Read Alphabet.
Below are several alphabets and languages which use them. Languages not mentioned may use one of the alphabets mentioned or may use a new alphabet.
Common (Common, Gnoll, Halfling)
Draconic (Auran, Draconic, Ignan)
Dwarven (Dwarven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran)
Elven (Aquan, Elven, Sylvan, Undercommon)
Infernal (Abyssal, Infernal)
Read Alphabet (Int; Trained Only)
Like Craft, Knowledge, Perform, or Profession, Read Alphabet is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Read Alphabet skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.
Each Read Alphabet skill corresponds to a different alphabet.
Check:
Use Read Alphabet to determine a character's ability to read text written in the selected alphabet. A Speak Language check may also be needed. An unknown language in a known alphabet is, of course, meaningless.
{table=head]Task|DC
Write legibly|7
Read clear text|7
Transliterate|10*
Read unclear text (such as messy handwriting)|11
Sound out unfamilar word|15
Identify language|20[/table]
Transliterate: Use to transfer text from one alphabet to another. This check must be made for both alphabets (so the character must have knowledge of both). As with any Read Alphabet check, if the character knows either alphabet flawlessly no check is needed for that alphabet. If the character knows both alphabets flawlessly, no check is needed at all.
Sound out unfamiliar word: Use to attempt to say words written in an unknown language or otherwise not understood (see Speak Language). The character has no idea whether or not his pronunciation is correct.
Identify language: Attempt to identify an unknown language written in a known alphabet. Note that the language may not necessarily be written in its usual alphabet. A failure by fewer than 5 narrows the possibilities down to a short (3 to 4) list of possible languages.
Synergy:
If you have 5 or more ranks in Speak Language you get a +2 bonus on Read Alphabet rolls for that language's alphabet. This bonus only applies once for each alphabet (even if you have 5 or more ranks in two languages with the same alphabet) but is individually applied for each different alphabet.
Language Focus [General]
You become more fluent in one language
Prerequisites: Speak Language 2 ranks
Benefits: Choose a language in which you have 2 or more ranks. You get a +2 bonus on all Speak Language checks for that language and on all Read Alphabet checks for that language's alphabet.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new language for which you fulfill the prerequisites.
Fluency [General]
You speak a language you have learned as though you were a native speaker
Prerequisites: Speak Language 5 ranks, Language Focus
Benefits: Choose a language for which you have 5 or more ranks and Language Focus. You no longer need to make Speak Language checks for that language.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new language for which you fulfill the prerequisites.
Alphabet Knowledge [General]
You are completely familiar with an alphabet you have studied
Prerequisites: Read Alphabet 5 ranks
Benefits: Choose as alphabet in which you have 5 or more ranks. You no longer need to make Read Alphabet checks for that language.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new alphabet for which you fulfill the prerequisites.