What languages should a Druid know?

[Hiro Quester]

I'm thinking that in addition to the standard and bonus languages my forest gnome knows (Common, Gnome, Elven, Sylvan, forest animal, Druidic, Goblin), a druid should learn others relating to giving instructions to SNA creatures.

Since elementals are a big part of that list, and kind of useful for things other than "attack!" (scout underground, set that on fire, retrieve a sword that fell overboard a ship, etc.), it might be useful to learn a few elemental languages.

So I'm considering dumping skill points into learning Terran and Aquan, and eventually Auran and Ignan later on.

Is this worth it?

If so, which elementals are most useful to be able to clearly direct at lower levels?

Are there other easier ways to do this, that don't involve sinking skill points into out-of-class skills?

Saving up to pay a wizard to cast a permanent Tongues spell on me, perhaps? Hey... would that enable me to speak with party members while in wildshape form, too? That might be better....


Edit: Bother. Tongues can only be made permanent on yourself, and Druids can't cast that spell.

[Fax Celestis]

Edit: Bother. Tongues can only be made permanent on yourself, and Druids can't cast that spell.

They can with a scroll or a ring of spell storing.

[Fouredged Sword]

I like to pick up the elemental languages as many things speak them in many different planes. Yeah, put a single rank into UMD. Get a scroll + a potion of Guidance of the Avatar (or a friendly cleric) and Divine insight. A +28 to your check means you should be able to hit the scroll DC (25) without too much trouble.

Scrolls are cast. Potions are more fuzzy.

[Snowbluff]

i suggist pijen

[Chronos]

I'd pick up a couple of elemental languages before Elven or Goblin. You probably already have other party members who can speak those, and who can translate for the rest of the party.

It's also good to have one of the more obscure languages that's known by everyone in the party, so you can make plans without others understanding. But I've never seen a whole party that's coordinated enough to make this happen.

[eggynack]

Are there other easier ways to do this, that don't involve sinking skill points into out-of-class skills?

Sure. Sink skill points into in-class skills. In particular, you can trade wild empathy out for voice of the city (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a), which in addition to allowing potential communication with creatures you lack a language with, including elementals, also adds speak language as a class skill. It cuts your skill point expenditure down by four immediately, and you can even continue onto other languages once you're done with those four.

[Fax Celestis]

Eggy's option is a good trade: I can't remember the last time I used Wild Empathy.

[Extra Anchovies]

Of course, the truly important question here is:

Is there any way to make a druid who doesn't have knowledge of Druidic from the get-go?

[Hiro Quester]

Thanks. I'll run the possibility of a tongues scroll + permanency as a character goal past the DM. If no, then I'll sink skills into learning elemental languages.

I would learn them instead of elven or goblin, but those are the bonus languages list, Auran and Terran aren't. So DM sez I have to learn them.

ThoughPH2 is open, and it does talk about re-learning a different language later on. Hmmm

But I should keep elven. it's part of my character's backstory. Gnome foundling raised by elves.

[Telok]

Do your best to not know Druidic. You can't teach what you don't know ( successfully).

[atemu1234]

Druidic I think is normal, as is Sylvan. Maybe elemental ones?