Upcomming Language Changes

[Scattered Ashes]

Im all for the Lore DC going up, just because a person knows of artifacts and histories doesnt mean they can understand another language,

that would be like an english architect being able to speak french innately lol.

[Sathayorn]

Well, seeing as most spellbooks are written in draconic, and it is specifically added as a bonus language for wizards, perhaps it would be good to let teh good ol wizards keep it. Though I also agree about the language thing, It's a little ridiculous when you want into a bar, speaking in an obscure language with a friend, to remain... Secret, and everyone immediately understands you because "Draconic is cool".

As for DC to understand languages, I assume it is based on intelligence, which is your ability to learn, this does make sense, in a way... Though there is really no way to make it so you eventually pick up on languages.

But if it is lore... Well... I don't like the skill Lore really, all knowledge skills compiled into one, as well as the ability to identify magic items by looking at them, and a class skill for everyone just to top it off. I mean its fine for some classes, but those 10 intelligence barbarian scholars irritate me.

Lore... Heres a list of what I saw someone use it as... With his whopping 10 intelligence... Knowledge: arcana, archetecture and engineering, dungeoneering, geography, history, local, nature, nobility and royalty, religion, the planes.

For an illiterate barbarian whom never used words with more than four letters, it was pretty amazing what he knew...

And common + language granted by race are not supposed to count against your int mod for known languages.

[undeadsteak]

dang.. lesser languages mean the more people speaking elven T_T, i find it useless I even learned that language now seeing as everyone can understand me.

[Ithildur]

This doesn't need to be that complicated imo; FR has clear rules for language selection that we can use as a base/guideline.

Everyone gets common, and racial language, and regional.

Beyond that, based on your INT bonus at PC creation, you can choose some bonus languages, which are restricted and specified by your PC's race, region, and class. Unfortunately atm I can't seem to locate the standard FR list of available bonus languages.. Anyone have the list handy from the FRC sourcebook?

There are languages such as Draconic which are normally restricted to wizards and a few races, as well as things like Undercommon which should not be available as a standard bonus language.

On further thought if really implemented close to FR sourcebooks, this would definitely take some time for GBX and others; on the other hand, it would keep half the people from being able to understand what drow are secretly plotting for example, which is worthwhile. Perhaps a simplified version is a viable option.

[Cheatcake]

I sent X a PM about it, waiting for a reply

PS: Drow speak plain elvish, with an accent if you want to push it. The only exclusive thing they have is their sign language

[Ithildur]

I sent X a PM about it, waiting for a reply

PS: Drow speak plain elvish, with an accent if you want to push it. The only exclusive thing they have is their sign language

Drow speakn elven, as well as Undercommon; on top of that they know the drow sign language. Drow would switch to Undercommon or sign language around elves if they want to keep secrets... more likely they'd just maim, torture, and enslave the elves.

[Zoberraz]

Actually, I saw Ysaril once speak and he was clearly talking in drow (I got the message 'translated:drow' from my lore check).

[Soulbadguy]

Well languages are cool and stuff but its funny how a character will speak another language to insult another that they don't think understands.

If everyone is taking a language so they think they are cool and special then i believe your taking it for the wrong reason. Wether your talking with someone in Draconic or Goblonic.. Its kinda unimpressive... unless you have a reason to speak the language to the person.


I've noticed alot of abuse with the other languages.. like Celestial.. it should be a language rarely used.. perhaps only used for blessings and prayer.. encouragement not for idle chat and stuff. Abyssal should be more of a curse type ,dark prayer.. or rituals..



As GBX said.. not everyone is doing this.. but I've noticed it as a player pretty often as wel.

I like how Undead took Elven but Rp'd studying it and learning it from others as the character progressed.



I agree though.. i think the uncommon languages should be more of an approval.. but Im sure it will be discussed .

[Cheatcake]

Drow speakn elven, as well as Undercommon; on top of that they know the drow sign language. Drow would switch to Undercommon or sign language around elves if they want to keep secrets... more likely they'd just maim, torture, and enslave the elves.

They get their sign language as a bonus language in a couple of regions, yup (although most goodie goodies wouldn't be from those regions and wouldn't know it) But undercommon is a trade language, like common. It's not that rare and you can know it if you come from certain regions without being from Underdark

PS: Of course all I'm posting here and everywhere else is plain Forgotten Realms stuff. It might not apply to the setting of the server for this or that reason.

[Ithildur]

Actually, I saw Ysaril once speak and he was clearly talking in drow (I got the message 'translated:drow' from my lore check).

That's the DMFI, which isn't based on FR. AFAIK in canonical material Drow's language is evolved/modified/dialectic elven, though lots of people have made up different versions of a unique drow language.

This is actually not concretely settled iirc (like a like of FR lore); arguably you can state Drow speak their own language because it's become divergent enough from surface elven (which btw has it's own different various accents and dialects) after thousands of years of extreme separation.

[Cheatcake]

Meh if we start going into dialects no two PCs will understand each other even in common I think the "drow language" was just a subproduct of the drow hysteria

[Ithildur]

They get their sign language as a bonus language in a couple of regions, yup (although most goodie goodies wouldn't be from those regions and wouldn't know it) But undercommon is a trade language, like common. It's not that rare and you can know it if you come from certain regions without being from Underdark

PS: Of course all I'm posting here and everywhere else is plain Forgotten Realms stuff. It might not apply to the setting of the server for this or that reason.

Undercommon... not that rare on the surface? How commonly do surfacers venture into the underdark and interact with drow, durguer and svirfs in your view? Extremely seasoned adventurers and exotic traders aside, it would NOT be commonly known. 99% of elves certainly would not have exposure to Undercommon, aside from the ones studying it specificly to deal with drow perhaps.

Unless you are a drow, durguer, svirf, maybe a slave runner who deals regularly with underdark people, or other exceptional types, it would be extremely cheesy for someone to claim their surfacer PC knows Undercommon.

Short of you being one of these races, Undercommon is NOT available as a starting language in FR campaign setting under regional, class, or racial languages. That should make it obvious how rare it would be for PCs to know it, unless the setting you're running is very unique and/or you get approval by the DM for specific reasons.

[Zoberraz]

You know, I had a PnP character learn to speak Drow for those reasons... but the language she was actually learning was undercommon.

Undercommon is actually based on the elvish 'alphabet'. The Drow language is actually a different, more complicated take on the undercommon language.

Sort of like how japanese has different manner of being written.

[Cheatcake]

There are whole human settlements built near the entrance of caves that lead to picked parts of the Underdark On the other end there are whole comercial settlements from various underdark races who trade with surfacers, like an underground baazar The everyday baker wouldn't go down there, but it's still far from unheard of. There are even undercommon speaking "neighborhoods" under certain big, famous cities, underground harbors and all

PS: Sorry to contradict you, but it is available as a starting language in a few regions like Dambrath, Galena Montains and Smoking Mountains (the last two are more suited for gold dwarves, but not restricted to them)

[Sathayorn]

And, just a thought, Half Drow, what languages do they know?