Educational Problem

[skypse]

Hello everyone.

So, I have a slight "educational" problem as the title suggests. My DM thought it would be a very good idea to add side quests on his campaing while we are doing our main quest. The thing is that the side quests he gives us are unbelievably trivial and he gives almost no hints at all.
My character is a Half-Orc, 4 Barbarian, 1 Oracle and is going for rage prophet with 4 barbie, 2 oracle, 1 RP at lvl 7. I have the dual-cursed oracle archetype and I got as primary the lame curse in order to get fatigue immunity. The secondary curse is deafness and I got that in order to have a little bit "funny" role playing and the free silent metamagic feat for oracle's spells.
On the begining of my journey (each player started on his own and then we met all together) I met a really strong guy who saved me from a troll and that according to tales I have heard, his physical appearance matches Gorum's. So I am trying to get to know him better and conveince him to train me. After some time, he told me he would be able to train me if I learn Elven as a language. My Intelligence score right now is 10 and I have common and kinecics as languages so I can't add something new now. He also told me that if I take a shortcut and learn it through magic or any other "easy" way he won't train me.
So I found a library and when we get our next session I'll try and go there to find any books to learn Elven. So I want to ask 2 things: 1) How long does it take for someone to learn a language on his own, and 2) Is there any other way exept for magic to learn a new language really fast?


TL;DR
How long does it take for someone to learn a language on his own?
Is there any other way exept for magic to learn a new language really fast?


Thanks in advance!

[prufock]

In D&D it takes as long as it takes to get your next level. I'm not sure how that works in PF, but in 3.5 you just spend 2 skill points to get a new language known.

In real life, you could have basics down in a couple of months, and be varying degrees of conversational in 6-12 months, but it takes quite a while to master a language, as each has many nuances. How well do you have to be able to speak it?

[weckar]

You could always take a Cyrano approach to it.

Also, do any of your allies speak the language at all?

[Tad30s]

AFAIK There are no particular rules about learning languages, and thus races (changeling etc.) and classes (beguiler etc.) who get Speak Language as a class skill could - if all logic is abandoned in favor of rules - instantly learn a bunch of languages the moment they gain a level, for a simple skill point per language.

If you wish to conserve what little sanity is left in D&D, you could try to trick the guy with substitutes and trickery. You can still use magical means of learning the language, if you just ensure that it will remain undetected. Prepare answers for Zones of Truth, protect this fact from divination, conceal the magical aura.. etc.
It all depends on how crafty your DM will make this guy.

A quick way to learn a language would include extracting or borrowing that knowledge from another body, through various extremely intrusive and high-spell-level means. Here's an idea for the simplest solution if you go that way : have a telepathic link with someone who speaks elven.

Just learning it from books will take you quite a few weeks.

[Segev]

Unless trickery is a thing your ethos values (and it might be; I don't know who Gorum is nor what he represents), I would take what you've been told IC at face value. Ask your DM how he wants to handle it, mechanically. Point out the RAW just require you to spend skill points when you level up, and that you're taking pains IC to role play studying it. Let him know you're open to other hooks he throws your way if he has something else in mind, but that this is your current plan.

[Bronk]

Also, the intelligence bonus is just for additional starting languages known, and the only way it would affect learning new languages is by getting fewer bonus skill points.

[Deophaun]

In D&D it takes as long as it takes to get your next level. I'm not sure how that works in PF, but in 3.5 you just spend 2 skill points to get a new language known.
In PF you take a (likely cross-class) rank in Linguistics, which does triple duty as the Forgery and Decipher Script skill.

[Akolbi]

Take a rank in linguistics, you need to spend one skill point on level up. Cross class means nothing in pf.

[skypse]

In D&D it takes as long as it takes to get your next level. I'm not sure how that works in PF, but in 3.5 you just spend 2 skill points to get a new language known.

In real life, you could have basics down in a couple of months, and be varying degrees of conversational in 6-12 months, but it takes quite a while to master a language, as each has many nuances. How well do you have to be able to speak it?

The NPC didn't give me any more information. He just told me that I will be able to be trained by him if I learn Elven. (I told you the sidequests are a pain in the ass with almost no hints) And after that he dissapeared.


You could always take a Cyrano approach to it.

Also, do any of your allies speak the language at all?

What is the Cyrano approach? 2 of them. One is a Tengu that has taken something like the vow of silence (he won't speak to noone unless he judges them worthy of it) and the other one is a Human magus that said he will only help me learn Elven if I do whetever he says and I don't like him.

I know the linguistics thing, but the problem with that is that I cannot take a shortcut (he didn't specify what) and I think that learning a language is not possible by just killing trolls...

[Segev]

Spending the SP is not a "short cut." It's the way the game represents knowledge of language mechanically.

Role play striving to learn it. Then spend the skill point when you level up.

If the DM tells you that that was a "short cut," then you're perfectly within rights to ask him what WOULDN'T be. If you're worried he will, ask first. Ask now, OOC, if it would work. If he won't tell you, and he tells you that it's a short cut IC later on, then he's being a bad DM.

[prufock]

You should also think about telling your DM that you aren't enjoying the sidequests and would like to focus on the main story, especially if the rest of the group feels this way.

[skypse]

You should also think about telling your DM that you aren't enjoying the sidequests and would like to focus on the main story, especially if the rest of the group feels this way.

Well he always gives really good rewards that's why we strive to complete them everytime. E.g. he may give me 3 free feats or something like THAT good, or allow me to remove the downsides of one of my curses, or give me a free permanency on a spell when I finish the whole sideQ. The sidequests usually last for long and they always need more areas than just one but the rewards are always awesome. Besides, we are not obliged to do them. We just like having something extra than the classic "go into that ruins and kill w/e you find and then bring back treasure"

[skypse]

http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o661/civplayer4/thread_necromancy_2_zps8fd1e5c4.jpg

Please Lock. Thx.