[Pathfinder/3.5] Ah! Too many languages!

[subject42]

Due to group niche imbalances I'm retiring my trusty sorcerer in my current game and creating a Cloistered Cleric.

He's a shifty sort, so I decided that I'd make him pretty good at forging documents. To do so, I had to max out his linguistics skill. As an odd side effect of the pathfinder system, I now have ten additional languages known on top of the two that I get from my intelligence modifier. That's a grand total of thirteen languages, including common.

Do any of you have suggestions for good languages that might come in handy, or reasons why some languages aren't helpful? I'm kind of just picking at random here.

I had the following list in mind, but like I said, it's mostly just a shotgun approach.


Common - Default language
Dwarven - Dwarves are common in-game, and many underground dwellers speak the language.
Elven - Elves are also common in-game, and it can be a useful substitute for Sylvan due to language list overlap on a lot of lists.
Orcish - Sooner or later, we're going to get captured by orcs.
Goblin - See above.
Celestial - Good for talking to other people's summons.
Infernal - See above
Abyssal - ???
Draconic - It's impolite to make a dragon speak another language.
Terran - ???
Ignan - ???
Aquan - ???
Giant - It seemed like a big list of creatures spoke giant.

[Crow]

Spider....

[jmbrown]

Terran is more common with underground dwellers than dwarven.

If you plan on dealing with elementals a lot then you'll definitely want the elemental languages (terran, aquan, auran, ignan).

[taltamir]

put in 6 more skill points (cloistered get speak language as a class skill). he now has 19 languages known. The SRD lists 20 languages, one of them is druidic and is a secret language known only to druid. List your languages known as "all buy druidic"

this is what i do with my highly linguistic characters :)

[deuxhero]

^and Loremasters (their bonus language does NOT include the exclusion of secret ones.)

[subject42]

put in 6 more skill points (cloistered get speak language as a class skill). he now has 19 languages known.

Since we're using the pathfinder skill system (max ranks == level, one point always equals one rank), I can't do that yet.

That being said, does the +3 modifier from the class skill in Pathfinder give me three more languages, or is it only explicit ranks that grant languages?

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Since we're using the pathfinder skill system (max ranks == level, one point always equals one rank), I can't do that yet.

That being said, does the +3 modifier from the class skill in Pathfinder give me three more languages, or is it only explicit ranks that grant languages?

Just ranks, unfortunately. A bonus only matters for a check, and speaking a language isn't a check.

[taltamir]

Since we're using the pathfinder skill system (max ranks == level, one point always equals one rank), I can't do that yet.

That being said, does the +3 modifier from the class skill in Pathfinder give me three more languages, or is it only explicit ranks that grant languages?

i don't know about pathfinder, in regular DnD it is not exactly clear if the "skill cap" applies to language, because language is a "special" skill.

your base int bonus on character creation grants you 1 known extra language per +1 you have... which works as if it is a skill based on int.
ask your DM if you can or cannot apply skillpoints that way.

EDIT: I see what you mean now, I looked up linguistics:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/linguistics
it is a much more straightforward skill then it ever was in regular 3e... this does mean that you are stuck with your current limit. just chose some languages, eventually you will have them all,.

[subject42]

it is a much more straightforward skill then it ever was in regular 3e... this does mean that you are stuck with your current limit. just chose some languages, eventually you will have them all,.

Oh, I'm quite alright with what I have. In fact I was kind of afraid that I would need to pick more languages.

[taltamir]

Oh, I'm quite alright with what I have. In fact I was kind of afraid that I would need to pick more languages.

there is a list, pick them in order.
don't over think it, there are 6 languages still missing? don't wanna pick? chose randomly or pick new ones in order as you level.

[Gnorman]

Celestial, Infernal, Abyssal, Ignan, Terran, Aquan, and Auran are musts for summoners. But depending on what you summon, pick and choose. Terran's the most useful out of the elemental languages.

Giant, Sylvan, Draconic, and Undercommon have perhaps the widest range outside of Common - loads of creatures speak them.

Left to choose between Goblin and Orc, I'd go with Goblin.

Elven is useless. Who wants to talk to elves?

[Guancyto]

Elven is useless. Who wants to talk to elves?

Well, an inferior creature could never master the subtle workings of their tongue, so it's an excellent language for knowing whether or not they're talking about stabbing you in the back (hint: they are).

You could avert all that by just burning down their forest and slaughtering them all immediately, but sometimes a lighter touch is best.

[oxybe]

Well, an inferior creature could never master the subtle workings of their tongue, so it's an excellent language for knowing whether or not they're talking about stabbing you in the back (hint: they are).

You could avert all that by just burning down their forest and slaughtering them all immediately, but sometimes a lighter's touch is best.

fixed for you :smallbiggrin: