Skaraker
2013-09-08, 11:42 PM
So, language is kinda my thing. And it's always bugged me that all it takes to become 100% proficient in a language in 3.5/PF is to take a single rank in a skill. I also dislike the fact that there's no gradation. You either can't speak a language at all, or you are completely fluent. This was completely unsatisfactory to me.
I wanted a system that allowed for a character who speaks a little elven, just enough to get by, but has trouble when it comes time to get fancy. I wanted there to be an opportunity for a character to go "It sounds like he said, 'I like your axe'", when what he actually said was "I want your skull." In short, I want the language barrier to live up to the interesting role-playing opportunities it can provide, and the system as it stands can't accommodate that. So, with Pathfinder as my basis, since my group recently made the switch from 3.5, I wrote my own system, showed it to my friends... and they hated it. One of them angrily so. Another one actually gave me some constructive feedback, and the two of us came up with a new system. Most of them liked it this time, so I thought I'd bring it to the Playground for some review and commentary. You'll find it in the spoiler below.
Comprehension Levels
To implement this sub-system, the first necessary change is to remove all wording under the Learn a Language section of the Linguistics skill. You can no longer learn a new language simply by investing a rank in this skill. You still gain all automatic languages from your Race and any Bonus Languages from your Class or from a high Intelligence score.
There are a variety of Comprehension Levels for each language a character knows. They are as follows.
0- The character cannot speak this language at all.
1- The character knows a handful of basic words and phrases.
2- The character can form basic sentences and simple ideas.
3- The character can speak normally (every-day usage).
4- The character commands knowledge of higher-level vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.
5- The character has complete mastery of the language.
A character’s starting comprehension level in their automatic and bonus languages depends on their Intelligence Score, according to the table below.
{table=head] Intelligence Score | Automatic Languages Starting Comprehension Level | Bonus Languages Starting Comprehension Level
1-5 | 2 | 1
6-11 | 3 | 2
12+ | 4 | 3
[/table]
A character may learn a new language, or improve their comprehension level in a language they already possess, by spending 20 days of training, as per the retraining rules in Chapter 3 of the Ultimate Campaign, except that each 20 day period simply advances your comprehension level by 1. You can also learn a language by simple exposure. Every 4 days spent interacting with another character that has a higher comprehension level than you in the language in question counts as one day of training for the purposes of learning the language, so long as the character you are interacting with uses the language in question. If you deliberately restrict yourself to using only the language you are learning, each day of interaction counts as one full day of training. The maximum comprehension level that can be attained in this way is illustrated on the table below.
{table=head] Intelligence Score | Automatic Languages Maximum Comprehension Level | Other Languages Maximum Comprehension Level
1-2 | -- | 1*
3-5 | 3 | 2
6-11 | 4 | 3
12-13 | 5 | 4
14+ | 5 | 5
[/table]
*A maximum comprehension level of 1 for creatures with an Int score of 1 or 2 represents the ability of animals to learn rudimentary words and understand their meaning, such as the words used for commands like "Sit" or "Stay"
If a character wishes to express or understand concepts that are at a higher comprehension level than they possess, they have two options. The first option is to make a Wisdom Check. This can be done at any time. The second option is to make a Linguistics check. This cannot be done in any circumstance in which taking 10 on a check is prohibited, such as in combat. The DC of either check is 5+5/comprehension level above that of the character making the check.
Circumstance bonuses on either check should be relatively commonplace. For example, a soldier should be able to understand the command to charge when all the other soldiers around him rush forward, even if he does not understand the words used by the commander. Similarly, a merchant can easily express basic ideas related to cost, even if his customers have no idea what he is saying. These circumstance bonuses are too numerous and varied to note here, so they are left to the discretion of the GM.
Equipment
A phrase book (5gp, 1 lb) in the appropriate language allows a character with a comprehension level of 0 to communicate as if he possessed a comprehension level of 1. A masterwork phrase book (15gp, 2 lbs) does the same for a character with a comprehension level of 0, and also allows a character with a comprehension level of 1 to communicate as if he had a comprehension level of 2.
A multi-language dictionary (10gp, 2 lbs) between two languages in which you have different comprehension levels can provide a +5 circumstance bonus on Linguistics checks to understand or express yourself at a higher level in the lower of the two languages, up to a maximum level equal to your comprehension level in the higher of the two languages.
I wanted a system that allowed for a character who speaks a little elven, just enough to get by, but has trouble when it comes time to get fancy. I wanted there to be an opportunity for a character to go "It sounds like he said, 'I like your axe'", when what he actually said was "I want your skull." In short, I want the language barrier to live up to the interesting role-playing opportunities it can provide, and the system as it stands can't accommodate that. So, with Pathfinder as my basis, since my group recently made the switch from 3.5, I wrote my own system, showed it to my friends... and they hated it. One of them angrily so. Another one actually gave me some constructive feedback, and the two of us came up with a new system. Most of them liked it this time, so I thought I'd bring it to the Playground for some review and commentary. You'll find it in the spoiler below.
Comprehension Levels
To implement this sub-system, the first necessary change is to remove all wording under the Learn a Language section of the Linguistics skill. You can no longer learn a new language simply by investing a rank in this skill. You still gain all automatic languages from your Race and any Bonus Languages from your Class or from a high Intelligence score.
There are a variety of Comprehension Levels for each language a character knows. They are as follows.
0- The character cannot speak this language at all.
1- The character knows a handful of basic words and phrases.
2- The character can form basic sentences and simple ideas.
3- The character can speak normally (every-day usage).
4- The character commands knowledge of higher-level vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.
5- The character has complete mastery of the language.
A character’s starting comprehension level in their automatic and bonus languages depends on their Intelligence Score, according to the table below.
{table=head] Intelligence Score | Automatic Languages Starting Comprehension Level | Bonus Languages Starting Comprehension Level
1-5 | 2 | 1
6-11 | 3 | 2
12+ | 4 | 3
[/table]
A character may learn a new language, or improve their comprehension level in a language they already possess, by spending 20 days of training, as per the retraining rules in Chapter 3 of the Ultimate Campaign, except that each 20 day period simply advances your comprehension level by 1. You can also learn a language by simple exposure. Every 4 days spent interacting with another character that has a higher comprehension level than you in the language in question counts as one day of training for the purposes of learning the language, so long as the character you are interacting with uses the language in question. If you deliberately restrict yourself to using only the language you are learning, each day of interaction counts as one full day of training. The maximum comprehension level that can be attained in this way is illustrated on the table below.
{table=head] Intelligence Score | Automatic Languages Maximum Comprehension Level | Other Languages Maximum Comprehension Level
1-2 | -- | 1*
3-5 | 3 | 2
6-11 | 4 | 3
12-13 | 5 | 4
14+ | 5 | 5
[/table]
*A maximum comprehension level of 1 for creatures with an Int score of 1 or 2 represents the ability of animals to learn rudimentary words and understand their meaning, such as the words used for commands like "Sit" or "Stay"
If a character wishes to express or understand concepts that are at a higher comprehension level than they possess, they have two options. The first option is to make a Wisdom Check. This can be done at any time. The second option is to make a Linguistics check. This cannot be done in any circumstance in which taking 10 on a check is prohibited, such as in combat. The DC of either check is 5+5/comprehension level above that of the character making the check.
Circumstance bonuses on either check should be relatively commonplace. For example, a soldier should be able to understand the command to charge when all the other soldiers around him rush forward, even if he does not understand the words used by the commander. Similarly, a merchant can easily express basic ideas related to cost, even if his customers have no idea what he is saying. These circumstance bonuses are too numerous and varied to note here, so they are left to the discretion of the GM.
Equipment
A phrase book (5gp, 1 lb) in the appropriate language allows a character with a comprehension level of 0 to communicate as if he possessed a comprehension level of 1. A masterwork phrase book (15gp, 2 lbs) does the same for a character with a comprehension level of 0, and also allows a character with a comprehension level of 1 to communicate as if he had a comprehension level of 2.
A multi-language dictionary (10gp, 2 lbs) between two languages in which you have different comprehension levels can provide a +5 circumstance bonus on Linguistics checks to understand or express yourself at a higher level in the lower of the two languages, up to a maximum level equal to your comprehension level in the higher of the two languages.