Languages

Languages at Character Creation

When first created, ALL characters designate a native language and receive speak language in that language at 3 ranks. Characters of INT 3 are reduced to rank; 4-5 to 1 rank; 6-7 to 2 ranks. Higher INT does not grant higher initial ranks in a language. In addition, when first created, characters get Language Skill Points equal to their regular INT bonus x3, with a minimum of zero (i.e., no negative Language Skill Points). Characters can then spend their Language Skill Points on acquiring languages. These are languages the character is considered to have learned in childhood. Fultonian (or Bevilian, which is really a Fultonian-based creole) is always a Class Skill, because it is the lingua franca of Uragon. Humans and half-elves or half-orcs who were raised in human families learn common human languages (both speaking and reading/writing) (see below) as Class Skills and those from other races as Cross-class Skills, for the purposes of this initial buy. PCs of other races learn their native language and Fultonian as Class Skills; all other languages are Cross-class Skills. Language Skill Points can also be spent on adding additional ranks to the native language and to acquiring Literacy in languages. Magical Languages are not available at character creation. Available languages should be decided by the DM on a case-by-case basis, depending on the characters background story. Most characters should have access to the common human and humanoid languages, as long as their backstory makes a reasonable case and the DM agrees. Access to the uncommon languages at character creation would be very strange, but a player should be allowed to make a case to the DM. Exception: Half-orcs and Half-elves should usually have access to the language of the parent not chosen as native. Note that Orc is an uncommon humanoid language otherwise. Common human languages are Fultonian / Bevillian / Valespeech, Celtic / Gilean Celtic, Guar, Nubian, Ibian, Bush, Miwiian, Arabic, and Frankish. Old Fultonian is a language that survives only in written form, and is useful for searching old archives, reading lost libraries, etc. Celtic has no written form, but Gilean Celtic does. Bush has no written form. Common humanoid languages are High Elven / Wood Elven, Halfling, Dwarven, and Gnome. Halfling doesnt have an alphabet of its own, but uses Fultonian; characters with ranks in Fultonian can add the first two ranks in Literacy: Halfling at half cost (i.e., one skill point for most characters). Uncommon (i.e. most PCs would not normally have access to these languages at Character Creation) humanoid languages include Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Gnoll, Orc, Sylvan, Drow, and Underdark. Underdark is a pidgin formed from a mash-up of Dwarven, Drow, and Gnomish. It functions as a trade and diplomatic language in the Underdark. It can be written phonetically with any of those three alphabets. Uncommon human languages include Kozar, Hindi, Nihongo, Aesgardian, Barovian, and Beneventuoan. Language Skill Points not spent at character creation are lost. Multi-class characters do NOT gain new Language Skill Points when they add a new first level. After character creation, characters add languages and/or ranks to languages they know just as if they were any other skill except that languages max out at 5 ranks and that it is possible to have a language at a half rank. Note that the general rule is that only Bards add SPEAK Language ranks as a Class skill. Clerics, Wizards, and Bards (among PC classes) and Adepts, Aristocrats, and (at the DMs discretion) Experts add LITERACY Language ranks as a Class Skill. Barbarians can only add Literacy through the Literate Background Feat. There may be exceptions to these general rules.

Magical Languages
Casters have varied degrees of access to magical languages (i.e.: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, and Terran). Magical Languages must be bought with regular skill points, i.e., NOT with the special Language Skill Points given at character creation. A cleric has access to the alignment language of his deity and the elemental language of any domain he takes as Class Skills, both Speaking and Literacy. A Cleric who chooses a Domain that duplicates his deitys alignment gets 3 bonus language points to

spend on that alignment language. Clerics have access to other magical languages as Cross-class Skills or via Feat, IF they have 5 ranks each in Knowledge: Religion AND Spellcraft and INT 12+. Other casters with 5 ranks each in Knowledge: Arcana AND Spellcraft and INT 12+ can learn these languages as Cross-class Skills, or via Feat, both Speaking and Literacy.

Synergies
Language skills are powerful. Speak Language synergies apply to: Bluff (but NOT for a combat feint; the DM could rule it doesn't apply if the Bluff involves "acting, body language, etc." rather than fast talking), Diplomacy, Intimidate (if the mode of intimidation is quiet talking; the DM should rule it doesn't apply, depending on the situation), and Perform (oratory). Literacy: Language synergies apply to: Bluff (if it was some sort of con job through a letter or something -- probably not that common), some Knowledge skills (those involving 'book larnin'), Diplomacy (again, only if it was an exchange taking place only through letters), and some Perform skills (writing or poetry)

Ranks and what they Represent

Characters dont make skill checks for Language-based tasks. The DM compares the complexity of the task to the characters language skills and rules on whether or not the task can be completed fully, partially, or not at all. Guidelines to what sort of tasks relate to which ranks follow. At half a rank in Speak Language, a character does not really speak the language, but she does know perhaps two dozen or so key words or phrases -- hello, goodbye, water, food, help, yes, no, etc. A character cannot even attempt the language synergy skills in a language at a half rank. At a half a rank in Literacy: Language, a character knows the script and will be able to slowly sound out words, allowing him or her to recognize place and proper names, etc. At 1 rank in Speak Language, a character speaks a language very poorly, but can make himself understood in getting across basic needs, getting simple directions, making simple requests, etc. Complicated ideas or directions will be impossible to express or understand. Speaking his native language at only 1 rank, a character will immediately be thought of as either very stupid or drunk or as someone with a learning disability or speech impediment, or mistaken for a foreigner. Speaking a foreign language with 1 rank, the character has an extremely thick accent and is often misunderstood even under the best of conditions; he needs to be spoken to clearly and slowly for comprehension. At the DMs discretion, 1 rank in a language could represent a pidgin of some sort. The synergy penalty is -4. At 2 ranks in Speak Language, a character speaks the language well enough to get across, sometimes with a bit of struggle or some repetition, most ideas and have all the conversations necessary for average, everyday business. However, even in her native language, she has a limited vocabulary, poor grasp of grammar, and her speech is automatically categorized as sub-standard by other native speakers -- perhaps a regional accent (e.g. heavy southern drawl) or a dialect (e.g. Ebonics). Speaking a foreign language with 2 ranks, the character still has a thick accent and may be misunderstood in difficult conditions; she can generally follow and understand much more than she can communicate herself (passive language skills are higher than active). The synergy penalty is -2. At 3 ranks in Speak Language, the character speaks the language at an average level. This is the default for a native language. Speaking his native language at this level, he is unremarkable. The character sounds like a person of normal education and elocution in his homeland. If he comes from a regional or dialectical sub-group, this background will still be recognizable to another native speaker, but only because of marginal deviations. The DM should not make language use an issue unless the character is attempting an unusually difficult task -- unusually difficult in the sense of intellectual / linguistic difficulty, such as solving a tongue-twister-type puzzle, interpreting an obtuse poem, giving very complex and precise directions, etc. Speaking a foreign language at 3 ranks, a character still has a definite accent and will instantly be recognized as a non-native speaker, even if he is trying to pass (unless the native speaker is very stupid, hard of hearing, drunk, or under some other handicap), but the accent is no impediment to understanding. The character can communicate well and fairly quickly, though the DM may rule that cultural references, humor, slang, etc. in the foreign language still elude the character. There is no synergy penalty or bonus. At 4 ranks in Speak Language, the character speaks the language at an above-average level. Speaking his native language at this level, she sounds like a person of advanced education and elocution in his homeland. She has expanded vocabulary, perhaps including specialized jargon in fields of expertise other than her own, and a strong control of language. Even if he comes from a regional or dialectical sub-group, he is capable of conforming to linguistic norms and passing. The DM should not make language use an issue unless the character is attempting an incredibly difficult task such as winning a national spelling bee, translating an archaic version of the language, etc. Speaking a foreign language at 4 ranks, a character has only the slightest accent and will only be recognized as a non-native speaker by a very attentive audience. The character can communicate very well and quickly, often better than native speakers with less-than-average language skills or education. The synergy bonus is +1.

At 5 ranks in Speak Language, the character speaks the language at a remarkably high level. Speaking his native language, she sounds like a person of post-secondary education and/or very gifted natural elocution in his homeland. She has an extremely large vocabulary, including specialized jargon in many fields of expertise other than her own, and an amazing control of language. She can fake regional or dialectical variations and generally pass. The DM should not make language use an issue unless the character is attempting a supernaturally difficult task. Speaking a foreign language at 5 ranks, a character has no accent and should not be recognized as a non-native speaker under any normal circumstance. The character can communicate better than native speakers with average language skills or education. The synergy bonus is +2.

Literacy
Speaking a language and reading and writing it are separate skills. Literacy: [language] should be treated as a Knowledge skill. It is completely possible to be literate in a language you do not speak, and vice versa; however, there is definite synergy: after buying 1 rank in Literacy for a language you speak at at least 3 ranks, the second Literacy rank is free, and vice versa. Halfling doesnt have a script of its own; it uses the Fultonian alphabet. Therefore, learning Literacy: Halfling doesnt incur the cross-race penalty up to the number of ranks you have in either Speak: Halfling or Literacy: Fultonian, whichever is lower. Barbarians can ONLY learn Literacy via the Literate Background Feat (q.v.). Closely Related Languages (pidgins, creoles, etc.) In our game world, there are several closely related languages: the currently identified ones being Bevillian + Fultonian, Valespeech + Fultonian, Celtic + Gilean Celtic, High + Wood Elven, either surface Elven tongue + Drow, and the true pidgin Underdark + Drow, Dwarven, or Gnome. Others are possible. A character speaking one automatically speaks the other at two ranks lower than the first without spending any skill points, with a minimum of a half a rank, i.e., 3 ranks in the first language gives 1 rank in the related language, while 1 or 2 ranks in the base language both give half a rank in the related language. Skill points can always be spent to increase the ranks in the related language. True pidgins (Underdark is the only one on this list) cant be spoken by anyone at more than 3 ranks; theyre just not that sophisticated. Feats Bilingual: if chosen at character creation, the character gets a second native language at the same rank as her first native language without spending any skill points. For game considerations, the DM should evaluate ranks in this language as if the character was a native speaker. Gift of Tongues: character gets a 2-rank boost on his or her native language(s) at creation, a free skill point to spend on any Speak Language skill, and, more importantly, all Speak: Language skills are considered Class Skills at creation and for the duration of the characters life. Literate Background: gives character Literacy skill equal to her Speak Language ranking for her native language(s) for free at creation, but more importantly, all Literacy: language skills are considered Class Skills at creation and for the duration of the characters life. Magical Language: gives character one magical language skill at 3 ranks. A second instance of the feat increases it to 5 ranks. Prerequisites: caster level 1, Knowledge: Arcana OR Knowledge: Religion AND Spellcraft at least 5 ranks each, INT 12.