You have 2+int bonus languages, what do you pick?

[deuxhero]

What are your choices for languages to learn? Obviously a lot of it depends on campaign (The planar languages are much more important in a plane hopping campaign) and once you learn Tongues your languages do not matter that much (if at all) but I am intrested in what everyone typically picks.

Assume for any race any non-secret language is allowed (and loremasters can learn secret languages as bonus languages) for "bonus" languages and you can pick any 2 (non-secret) languages as "automatic" languages.

[Tyndmyr]

What are your choices for languages to learn? Obviously a lot of it depends on campaign (The planar languages are much more important in a plane hopping campaign) and once you learn Tongues your languages do not matter that much (if at all) but I am intrested in what everyone typically picks.

Assume for any race any non-secret language is allowed (and loremasters can learn secret languages as bonus languages) for "bonus" languages and you can pick any 2 (non-secret) languages as "automatic" languages.

Common, invariably. The racial language, if one is available. Typically goblin, since it's rare that someone doesn't use goblin in a low level campaign(I skip it if high, though), invariably draconic, due to it's use in magical contexts as well as for dragons. Then I get creative, typically with abyssal and so forth. You may not need interplanar languages as often, but when you need them, you really need them.

[taltamir]

I thought it was common + racial languages + int mod languages of choice
.
for humans just common, for elves common + elven, etc...

[deuxhero]

@taltamir It is, I said to assume automatic languages are "any 2" for the purpose of this topic.

[HereticNox]

Really I guess it depends on the campaign. Though generally I take Elven, just because I like the poetic ideal behind it.

In terms of lowlevel usefulness, I would say Goblin. Followed by draconic, if kobolds are common.

Of course I also would take druidic, having a secret language for you and the druid to carry on conversations is just to RPtastic.

[Kelpstrand]

Common+Draconic

High level: Planar Languages, starting with Aquan and Terran if a Druid, Celestial, Infernal, Abyssal, in that order if Wizard.

Low level: Undercommon, Gnome

[jiriku]

A summoner benefits from celestial/abyssal/auran/terran/aquan/ignan in order to communicate with summoned creatures.

Sylvan, Giant, and Undercommon are good multipurpose languages likely to be spoken by a variety of races.

Edit: totally ninja'd!

[deuxhero]

Drow Sign Language is mentioned under the drow monster entry, any further notes about it? It could be useful even after tongues if the entire party (or the sneaky parts of it) takes it.

[Assassin89]

On my list of languages would be the Planar languages, primarily Celestial, Elven and Draconic

[woodenbandman]

I actually have a character with a ridiculous amount of languages known.

I would go with Common, Dwarven, Elven, Orc, Undercommon, Ignan, and Abyssal. Those seem like you'd get a pretty interesting mix. Plus, you can talk to fire! And Satan!

I would then spend 1 skill point per level learning all possible languages, with 4 extra at first level. Sylvan, Auran, Celestial, Infernal, Giant, Gnome, Halfling...

[ericgrau]

I'd find something obscure yet still common enough to be useful. Like if you pick draconic then that is indeed exceedingly useful, but 4 other party members will also know draconic. I was once in a party where someone didn't know common so we all spoke draconic to eachother. The racial language of a common monster might be nice, or a friendly race frequently seen in the area.

[Dixieboy]

Really I guess it depends on the campaign. Though generally I take Elven, just because I like the poetic ideal behind it.

In terms of lowlevel usefulness, I would say Goblin. Followed by draconic, if kobolds are common.

Of course I also would take druidic, having a secret language for you and the druid to carry on conversations is just to RPtastic.

You can't learn druidic through bonus languages if I remember correctly though.

[Yukitsu]

I always pick, in this order:
Common
elven
infernal
celestial
abysal
sylvan

The first two because I play elves a lot, and the rest because if it doesn't speak any of the above, it's not worth talking to.

[PhoenixRivers]

I always pick, in this order:
Common
elven
infernal
celestial
abysal
sylvan

The first two because I play elves a lot, and the rest because if it doesn't speak any of the above, it's not worth talking to.

Draconic? lol

It's often not about knowing a language they speak. It's often about knowing a language they want to speak. In the games I run, you start off on a better foot with a race if you speak their language.

So, when attempting diplomacy with a dragon, it doesn't matter that it speaks common, infernal, elven, and celestial.

If you don't speak to it in Draconic, it will think that you don't respect its culture. And then, it's less likely to respect you.

[Fishy]

Drow Sign Language is mentioned under the drow monster entry, any further notes about it? It could be useful even after tongues if the entire party (or the sneaky parts of it) takes it.

Drow Sign Language is ridiculously good. It's all well and good to pick a language to communicate in so people don't know what you're saying, but Drow Sign lets you communicate without people knowing you're talking to each other.

[Yukitsu]

It's big, scaley, and my DM has vaguely pointed me in the direction of killing it. If it wants to be political, it generally speaks common.

If it thinks I'm disrespectful because of linguistic barriers, see point 1.

[Deepblue706]

Giant, Sylvan and Undercommon.

Those have a lot of variety.

Dwarf is also a good one. Goblin too. Draconic is neat, but everyone else always takes it, so it often becomes redundant.

[bosssmiley]

Generally I'd pick 'em the same way a Ranger picks his favoured enemy: by taking things which will be broadly useful at the level you're playing at.

- low level -
Goblin/Orc/Elvish/Dwarven
Sylvan
Giant
Draconic
Elemental Languages
Abyssal/Celestial/Infernal
- high level -

[Superglucose]

Always a sign language spoken by at least one member of the party, AND NO ONE ELSE. If I can afford it, another, spoken language that is rare and spoken by at least one other member of the party (say, Celestial if we don't plan on encountering any celestials). The rest depend on what I plan on facing.

[Zaydos]

My first picks are usually Common followed by Draconic because my characters tend to be dragon-fanboy mages, which somehow got everyone in any campaign I run to learn Draconic, even though I've had multiple in which it was never used. After that I usually go Elven because the elves are the masters of ancient magic, and it's poetic; although sometimes I just take Sylvan. Then I go Goblin or planar depending upon what's more appropriate. I especially like Terran because the Elemental Plane of Earth was always my favorite. With Int 18 my character would probably have Common, Draconic, Elven or Sylvan, Terran, Celestial, and Infernal. The last one can get me in trouble with the tanar'ri if I try it with them, but it is the trade tongue of the Lower Planes so they are more than willing to use it.

[Godskook]

1.'Common' - Even if it isn't common
2.Obscure party language - its nice to tell the DM he's meta-gaming by listening to our conversations, even if it is just to joke with him.
3.Useful build languages - certain builds have necessary languages involved in them. Malconvoker is my example of choice for most things these days, and works perfectly for this too.
4.Important campaign languages - If you know you're going to be dealing with a lot of goblins, learning goblin might be a good idea.

[Kaiyanwang]

If you don't speak to it in Draconic, it will think that you don't respect its culture. And then, it's less likely to respect you.

See, I use a lot this mindset about languages in my game. Agree 100%

And because of this, OP, First nad Foremost, DRACONIC.

Then, himanoids common in the setting. then sylvan or giant. Then Outsiders language, starting from fiends (more easy talk with celestials anyway) then elemental languages, I'd say..

Of course, Int score, Skills, setting, PC attitude.. all changes this..

[JeenLeen]

I usually start with Common and Elven since that probably covers most populations. Dwarven or Undercommon if I think those cultures will be relevant.

I next rank Celestial, Infernal, and Sylvan highest, to converse with interesting outsiders and fey. (I rank Abyssal lower since I don't expect drawn-out negotiations with demons.)
If a summoner or I have enough Int, the elemental languages.

I do find it handy to have one language shared by the party but rare to others: Auran (or whatever the air-language is) sounds most likely to fit this bill. I heard someone suggest Roper (as by the monster), but I never saw that listed as a language in a 3.0 or 3.5 book.

Edit: Forgot Draconic. After Elven if an arcane caster. With Celestial and Infernal is other class.

[Person_Man]

Heroes of Battle also has rules for taking battle signs (basically Navy Seal-esqe hand signals) as a language. My party always invests in it.

[Kaiyanwang]

Heroes of Battle also has rules for taking battle signs (basically Navy Seal-esqe hand signals) as a language. My party always invests in it.

uh, intersting .. does it requires particular training or the usual skill points?

[Eldan]

Since I play mostly Planescape, I'll go from there...

Let's see. According to list of preference:

Planar Trade
Language of the Character's home plane
Fiendish
Celestial
Lawful of chaotic language depending on alignment
At least one elemental language
Sylvan
Undercommon
More as necessary.

Generally, I'm going for diversity here: speaking a broad variety so that everyone can share a non-Planar Trade language with you. If you speak Sylvan, Eladrin might not be necessary, as an example. If you have Fiendish, Abyssal is more of a bonus.

[Person_Man]

uh, intersting .. does it requires particular training or the usual skill points?

I'm AFB, but IIRC it simply requires 1 Skill Point (or 2 if Speak Language is not a class Skill).

[Delwugor]

Attica Greek, Aramaic and Ashanti Tribal.

IMO I hate the language selection in D&D 3.x. There groupings just seem to forced to me.

[Kaiyanwang]

I'm AFB, but IIRC it simply requires 1 Skill Point (or 2 if Speak Language is not a class Skill).

I will look for it. Thanks! My players are building a SWAT - like party, this could help!

[Vangor]

Obviously Common, generally Halfling due to being a Strongheart, with Draconic at least, and peering towards my sheet I apparently chose Drow Sign Language on my Cloistered. I possess as well Giant, Abyssal, Infernal, and Undercommon for ranks.

Draconic is usually a strong choice due to involvement with magic and what with the Dragons probably speaking this, too, and we use Drow Sign Language because we can communicate silently and insult the parentage of priestesses, which is always a plus.

Giants, to me, are the only intelligent beings who seem willing to talk. Orcs or goblins or creatures of elemental components are often simple aggressors. Abyssal and Infernal come along often enough, but I never see anything written in Celestial, and anyone I might speak to probably will find a way to communicate with me. Undercommon seems useful for communicating with most Gnomes and Dwarves and the insulting of Drow both vocally and somatic.