Languages

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Evil Genius Prime
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Languages

Post by Evil Genius Prime »

I'm wanting to run a fantasy type game in the vein of D&D, Pathfinder, etc.

How would you handle multiple languages in your game? I was thinking maybe allowing the players to start with one language for free, and then they can have additional languages equal to any levels they have in Smart. I could also make a unique Ability called "Linguist" which gives you one additional language per level. Or maybe "Knowledge: Languages"?

What do you all think? How would you handle it in your games?
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Atmo
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Re: Languages

Post by Atmo »

I just hand wave, there's no need to be so attached to common languages.
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Re: Languages

Post by Evil Genius Prime »

I would hand wave it, but it's vital to the story to know what languages the characters can and cannot speak.
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Atmo
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Re: Languages

Post by Atmo »

Evil Genius Prime wrote:I would hand wave it, but it's vital to the story to know what languages the characters can and cannot speak.
Then you already have your answer.

Another way to do it is by creating a Language Ability as Knowledge, and reducing the cost to buy a +1 based on things.

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Clay
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Re: Languages

Post by Clay »

If there’s one thing that’s pervasive in anime, it’s the idea that, somehow, some way, everyone in the known universe can converse in English (or Japanese, as the case usually is). Aliens from a distant galaxy? Of course! Strange goblins from under the mountains? Why certainly! A robot from a long dead civilization that predated the English language altogether? DEFINITELY!

...but if we’re to ignore that for a moment, cinematic storytelling I feel doesn’t sit well with “each character has a list of languages” idea popularized by Dungeons & Dragons. Generally, if characters meet with a new race or country, either someone in the party speaks that language, they can find a translator to help them out, or they possess some magic item/babelfish that fixes the situation. The wizard can read the magic runes. The thief happens to speak the language popular with the city’s underbelly. etc. A predetermined list can result in the party picking “Halfling” and the adventure leading to Gnomish territory.

I think a better approach would be to create an Ability called “Languages” (or Linguistic Knowledge, or Foreign Conversationalist, or whatever...or heck, maybe even just Smart.) When the party encounters the need for a new language, roll that Ability can compare it a DN determined by the relative rarity of that language. Better success means fluency, barely succeeding makes for broken and sometimes inaccurate translation, and of course failure means you’re out of luck.

I think the closest parallel to this is Star Wars. There are a LOT of languages, but it’s never treated as a big deal that Han Solo speaks both Rodian and Huttese, among surely a bunch of other languages. He would have a high Language Ability because his line of work requires it.

Luke on the other hand relies on C-3PO for conversing with Jabba and seems to have little comprehension of what’s being said to him by the unruly customer at the Cantina. He’s just a farmboy, after all. He probably has no Language Ability.

But that’s me. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a language list...I just think it’s potentially limiting as far as storytelling goes.
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Re: Languages

Post by Sabersonic »

Not a bad idea, though I think it would be wise to allow the ability to split into two different categories: Fluency and Literacy. It would probably depend upon each individual setting, but the ability to speak any possible language not being the same as the ability to read any possible language just might give some dramatic potential such as in a post-apocalyptic setting where people can speak to one another but are largely illiterate or when one has to translate Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics to Abbydosian Egyptian.

Though if one really wanted to stick to what's found in the book, Knowledge seems to fit the bill, but that's just my opinion.
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Evil Genius Prime
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Re: Languages

Post by Evil Genius Prime »

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice! :)
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Re: Languages

Post by Sabersonic »

After pondering and thinking it over, I'd like to submit this rough idea of my own interpretation of Clay's Language Ability.
Fluency – Lost in a foreign nation? Need help from the locals? Amazingly, you are able to speak the languages of those around you even though there could be no possible reason why you should be in the first place. Heightened intelligence, a unique background, a magical or technological solution? Whatever the reason, you have a high chance at understanding what the other person is saying, though what they mean is an entirely different issue. At Level 1, you’re able to understand one other language similar to your own. At Level 2, you can speak multiple languages of the same language group. At Level 3, you can understand the entirety of a particular language branch of the same language family. At Level 4, you can understand all languages within the same language family. At Level 5, you can speak and understand any possible languages both past, present, and future.

Optionally or additionally, depending upon GM fiat, one can even add their Fluency Ability to any dice roll along with other applicable Abilities such as Smart or Intuitive.
Literacy – No tomb, grimoire or book can hide its contents from your eyes because you just so happen to be literate in that particular language. It matters not how old or young, well versed or forgotten; you can read the printed text and understand their meaning quite well. How well you can translate to others who can’t is another story. At Level 1, you’re able to read one other language similar to your own. At Level 2, you can read multiple languages of the same language group. At Level 3, you can read the entirety of a particular language branch of the same language family. At Level 4, you can read all languages within the same language family. At Level 5, you can read and understand any possible languages both past, present, and future.

Optionally or additionally, depending upon GM fiat, one can even add their Literacy Ability to any dice roll along with other applicable Abilities such as Smart or Intuitive.
Yeah, I know, they're basically the same but with different applications. It was a rough idea after all.
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Re: Languages

Post by Clay »

While in real life, fluency in speaking and writing are very different things (especially when a writing system differs greatly from the one you’re fluent in, like Japanese), I don’t think there’s much call to make a distinction in the game. Rather, your ability to read and write should be a consideration of your class and education. (For example, a seafaring adventurer may learn to speak many languages but write none of them, not even his own. A worldly merchant on the other hand could arguably write the many languages he knows. For contracts and such. Typical modern day characters are expected to be literate as well.)
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Re: Languages

Post by Sabersonic »

Usually that is true, and the above Custom Abilities are for GMs that wish to add in a few Language Barriers to instill drama on an otherwise lackluster encounter, there is at least one scene in anime that I can personally recall where such an application is important. That being the Trigun Episode "Fifth Moon" where a Gung-ho Gun challenges Vash the Stampede.

Still, its an optional Ability for GMs and their campaigns if need be. Just offering my personal rendition on the issue.
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Sprain Ogre
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Re: Languages

Post by Sprain Ogre »

Depending on the theme of the game. If you want to reflect that there are a number of languages out there either a knowledge (languages) ability or a new ability where you simply know more languages as you get more points (or make a role vs a difficulty number to see if that is one of the languages your polyglot of a character knows! Kinda like how I see a Han Solo character or Star Wars type setting working) could do the trick.

On the other hand, if you want a world were it's assumed everyone speak a common language or two, a flaw where you're less and less familiar with the native language could be the way to go. (For example: -1, rough and accented, sometimes people miss what you're saying if it's complex. -2, you're a beginner, simple ideas and expressions are within your grasp, so you can get by at a basic level. -3 you simply cannot speak the local language(s), you have your own but it is unknown to most people here, making it very difficult to communicate.)
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Re: Languages

Post by Sabersonic »

Sprain Ogre wrote:On the other hand, if you want a world were it's assumed everyone speak a common language or two, a flaw where you're less and less familiar with the native language could be the way to go. (For example: -1, rough and accented, sometimes people miss what you're saying if it's complex. -2, you're a beginner, simple ideas and expressions are within your grasp, so you can get by at a basic level. -3 you simply cannot speak the local language(s), you have your own but it is unknown to most people here, making it very difficult to communicate.)
A useful Unique Flaw idea, especially since it give's it an opposite use of Fluency (let's call it "Disfluency" for lack of a better term), though I'd imagine that the equivalent Illiteracy would also work, barring a few changing of the words.

Of course, the above would work best when a common language or equivalent is utilized in the basis of the campaign setting. For other settings that don't have such broad swaths of polylingual understanding, it might not make such sense. I'm guessing that Ineptitude word work best or, if Literacy/Fluency is utilized, it'll be that one language said character has issues with or never gotten around to learning.
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Sprain Ogre
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Re: Languages

Post by Sprain Ogre »

All about how you want to handle languages in your game, and if you want to at all!
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