how many skillpoints are languages?

[taltamir]

I am looking through the language entry, and it says you learn them like "skills"... so how much do they cost? 1 skill point? 2 (cross class?)

seems a bit ridiculous that a wizard can basically learn ALL the languages in the PHB in ONE levelup.

[Dhavaer]

You get one language per rank in the skill Speak Language. So 2 points for most classes.

[herrhauptmann]

Pretty sure it's 2 skill points to be able to read/speak a language, unless you're a barbarian. Then you need to spend a point or two for literacy.

Even with a 20 int and human, a wizard (5+2+1) gets only as many skill points as a 10int rogue.

[Andraste]

I think it's only a class skill for bards, for whom it would cost 1 point, so for the other classes, it being cross-class, it would cost 2.

Also, while barbarians need to spend 2 skill points to become literate, I think that they can still learn another language without doing that, they just won't be able to read it.

[taltamir]

Pretty sure it's 2 skill points to be able to read/speak a language, unless you're a barbarian. Then you need to spend a point or two for literacy.

Even with a 20 int and human, a wizard (5+2+1) gets only as many skill points as a 10int rogue.

both of which get way more skill points than anyone else. and the wizrad STARTS with his racial languages (human, so only common) + 5 for int bonus from 20 int. So he gets 6 languages to start with, and can buy 4 in one level up... better than what I thought it was originally (8 in one level up).
Since it is a straight skill though, that means you have a max level of 4 + lvl / 2 rounded down... so at 1st level you are limited to your int bonus + 2.

speaking of:
what classes have it as a class skill?

I guess there is little point in investing in it due to the tongues spell... otherwise it would have been very, very cool.

speak of, I gotta make a note to get the tongues spell ASAP.

[Dhavaer]

Bard and I think Scout have it as class skills. Possibly also Truenamer and Factotum.

[Salt_Crow]

Being a changeling lets you treat SL as a class-skill iirc.

[jcsw]

Illumnians have SUPERIOR LITERACY. Which apparently means they can never be illiterate even if they're barbarians.

Also they always have speak language as a class skill.

[kamikasei]

Since it is a straight skill though, that means you have a max level of 4 + lvl / 2 rounded down... so at 1st level you are limited to your int bonus + 2.

Since you don't actually buy ranks in Speak Language, I don't see how the max ranks caps would apply.

[Saph]

what classes have it as a class skill?

I guess there is little point in investing in it due to the tongues spell... otherwise it would have been very, very cool.

speak of, I gotta make a note to get the tongues spell ASAP.

Just in Core, the classes that have it are Bard, Horizon Walker, Loremaster, Dragon Disciple, and Thaumaturgist.

I like Speak Language, and usually take it whenever I've got it as a class skill. I don't usually bother with the Tongues spell because I typically find that when you need to understand a language, you need to understand it NOW, not several rounds later, after you've found time to spend a standard action, dug out your scroll of Tongues, and then decided whether the situation is worth expending a 375 gp scroll on. :)

[Yuki Akuma]

Aristocrats also have Speak Language. And of course Experts can pick it. Y'know, in case you wanted an NPC class for some reason.

Changelings also automatically add Speak Language to their class skills list, no matter what their class.

[daggaz]

Had a DM who imposed a rank vs skill level system, cuz yeah, burning one point as a bard to instantly learn a language fluently just seems out of whack. It worked pretty well, too, tho it wont come up too often in many campaigns I suppose.

So one rank was enough phrases and words to get the necessities in life, with a correspondingly high error rate. Two ranks and you can hold a broken conversation, error rate goes down but you are still making lots of mistakes. Three ranks and you can hold a pretty good conversation, low error rate but you dont know the hard or special words. Four ranks and you are fluent, very low error rate, the tricky dialects and things will still get you. Five ranks and you were like a born speaker.

[ericgrau]

Just in Core, the classes that have it are Bard, Horizon Walker, Loremaster, Dragon Disciple, and Thaumaturgist.

And aristocrats .

[Milskidasith]

Err... a human wizard can't start with 20 intelligence, so they can't have six languages at the start.

[Kylarra]

Human Paragon can as well.

Able learner gets it for you, with the lower cap.

[Milskidasith]

Also, Daggaz's system requires you to be level 7 (in a non Speak Language class) just to be fluent in another language. Seems a bit high. Plus, ten skill points is... two levelups for most, and three+ for some.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Illumnians have SUPERIOR LITERACY. Which apparently means they can never be illiterate even if they're barbarians.

Everything is literate even if they're barbarians. The moment you multiclass out, you lose illiteracy, and if you multiclass in, you don't get it.

[daggaz]

Also, Daggaz's system requires you to be level 7 (in a non Speak Language class) just to be fluent in another language. Seems a bit high. Plus, ten skill points is... two levelups for most, and three+ for some.

Consider tho that languages in DnD also span the species gulf. That, and level has little to do with actual time spent in life... I forget the exact math, but if you have four level appropriate encounters per day, you end up at level 7 pretty fast..

Either way, and sorry I forgot to mention it, but the DM made speak language X a class skill for everyone as well.. That makes it level two and up to 5 skill points, which makes sense, considering the amount of effort that should be going into perfectly mastering a foreign language without magical help. 4 is more than enough to deal with 99% of situations tho, so thats level one, you only really need the fifth point if you are trying something really delicate or trying to fool people into believing you are from that culture somehow.

Keep in mind, you can just spend 1 point, and you should be able to walk into an inn and order a mug of ale and get a room. Keep it simple, and you wont have too many grave mistakes, but try a full on conversation, like a typical gather information check, and you are going to have a real hard time. Discussing the intricate inner workings of the local political system with 1 rank will be completely impossible, you will walk away not knowing what to think.

[Cieyrin]

I prefer Master Linguist for my language needs. Yeah it's a feat slot but it's pretty damn good as RPish feats go.

[sofawall]

Bard and I think Scout have it as class skills. Possibly also Truenamer and Factotum.

What do you mean "possibly Factotum"? They have every skill on their list. Every single one. :P

[Ernir]

Spellthieves have it as a class skill for some reason.

[taltamir]

I prefer Master Linguist for my language needs. Yeah it's a feat slot but it's pretty damn good as RPish feats go.

what does it do and where is it from?

Err... a human wizard can't start with 20 intelligence, so they can't have six languages at the start.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/human
they can in pathfinder.

[Vangor]

Cloistered Clerics (UA Cleric Variant) as well possess Speak Language as a class skill.

Standard list for me includes Common, Halfling, Orcish, Dwarven, Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Draconic, Sylvan, Undercommon, Drow Sign Language, Gnome Fast Talk, and Inner Monologue. I don't know why Sylvan, since I cannot recall any DM using a Fey.

[Glimbur]

... and Inner Monologue...

What? Is this so if you as a player are thinking out loud and the DM says "the king doesn't like that idea very much" you can say "I was speaking in Inner Monologue. Look, it's a language I know!"

[taltamir]

What? Is this so if you as a player are thinking out loud and the DM says "the king doesn't like that idea very much" you can say "I was speaking in Inner Monologue. Look, it's a language I know!"

my group is currently playing with a "everything you say is in character" rule... this would have rocked for us.

[Vangor]

What? Is this so if you as a player are thinking out loud and the DM says "the king doesn't like that idea very much" you can say "I was speaking in Inner Monologue. Look, it's a language I know!"

Kind of. We have a style of play where if anything is obviously a bad idea, this doesn't happen unless you do actually say you want, thus this would never matter. I have never used Inner Monologue, but I do this to use the royal "We" and inadvertently spout "Good idea," or, "I'll ask," in the midst of someone else speaking.

Usually my character sheets are filled for about everything possible. Tons of conditional modifiers for abilities, oft-used spells, attacks, etc., and people tend to look at my sheet. When they stumble across, "Inner Monologue," or, "Perform: Admirably," "Profession: Miner & Profession: Minor (my age being 17 or under on the sheet)," and "Craft: Origami," all with actual ranks, it is kind of amusing because I am actually considered a power gamer.

[Kzickas]

my group is currently playing with a "everything you say is in character" rule... this would have rocked for us.

How can you have a game where the characters are aware of the game mechanics that doesn't turn into a farce? or alternativly, how can you play a game without mentioning game mechanincs

[Solaris]

Two, unless it's a class skill for you. I fail to see how being able to learn all languages is really that big a problem - if you're burning your skill points on languages, you can't do something else (like, say, Move Silently).

[Kzickas]

Two, unless it's a class skill for you. I fail to see how being able to learn all languages is really that big a problem - if you're burning your skill points on languages, you can't do something else (like, say, Move Silently).

because you lack skill points, or because you can't stop talking?

[Cieyrin]

what does it do and where is it from?

It's from Races of Eberron, requires you know 4 languages and at every level, including the level you gain it, you learn a new language.