D&D (2024) The changes to languages are a good start

[Minigiant]

I thInk it's beyond time for Mixed languages.

Northcommon for the mix of Dwarven, Giant, and Common spoke in areas with heavy integration with the Dwarves and Giant.

On the other side, Hobgoblin could be a mix language of Elven, Slyvan Common, and Goblin that nations close to the Fey wild but still worldly use rooted from the hobgoblin exodus from the Feywild.

High Speak would be the parent language where Common and Halfling. It would have none of the loanwords ground in Common and Halfling..

 

[Nikosandros]

Did assassins have their own in 1E? I know illusionists' spellbooks were incomprehensible to magic-users, and I can remember the hierarchy of assassins in the PHB, but I can't remember them having their own language, although it fits the logic of that era.

They don't. Those with an intelligence of 15 or more can learn secret languages such as Thieves' Cant, Druidic and the nine alignment languages.

 

[AnotherGuy]

“We” didn’t create sign languages for the deaf and hard of hearing, they created them for themselves.

That's awesome.

And just like spoken languages, sign languages have developed independently in many parts of the world.

Hence my comment about our species history with languages.

A lot of hearing people (especially in America) wrongly assume that sign languages are basically just ciphers for equivalent spoken languages, but they are in fact full languages, just as nuanced and complex as spoken languages.

Interestingly my idea for an adventure I mentioned upthread was following this line of thinking,
It also interesting to consider casters of a sign-language using people not requiring the verbal component of the spells - perhaps they create sound effects (tapping, blowing, spitting, clapping, clicking, trilling, scratching, whistling. Etc) although some of those would likely still be considered somatic. One could come up with innovative ideas.

 

[MockingBird]

Just out of curiosity, does language actually come up in everyone's game? I've used it but only written languages, like trying to translate a dead language no longer used.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Just out of curiosity, does language actually come up in everyone's game? I've used it but only written languages, like trying to translate a dead language no longer used.

I have when Mystaran PCs found themselves in Faerun. The most important spell was Tongues for a long while.
Another time with a mute giant they had to communicate in basic sign language.
And similarly with your example, PCs translating ancient texts.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Just out of curiosity, does language actually come up in everyone's game? I've used it but only written languages, like trying to translate a dead language no longer used.

I use it extensively in mine, both by PCs and NPCs, along with the obligatory dead languages written on the walls of tombs.

 

[Lanefan]

Just out of curiosity, does language actually come up in everyone's game?

Constantly. There's often two or more PCs in the party who don't share a language in common, meaning they can't speak directly to each other except in the most very basic of terms; never mind the party as a whole trying to read found writings or speak to people in foreign lands.

There's probably well over 300 languages in my setting, by no means all of which do the PCs (or players) even know of yet - they've heard of maybe half of them.

 

[Grantypants]

I don't love the Dragonborn racial feature that lets every Dragonborn automatically know Draconic. That might work for some settings, but I don't want it to be the default.

 

[Mad_Jack]

2) D&D long ago tossed alignment languages into the trash can. It's probably time to do the same thing for Druidic, unless there's a compelling argument why they're more likely to have a secret language than other classes and why that secret language wouldn't just be Sylvan or Primordial. What special communications are the druids having -- and about what -- that they want to keep secret from dryads and water elementals? This is a weird holdover that doesn't seem to have a point. I've been playing since 1E and I've never seen it used in game, as opposed to Thieves Cant, which is used regularly in my rogue-heavy games.

I was never entirely certain why they had it in 1E, myself... Sure, it's part of the loosely-based-on-real-world-druids thing and helps differentiate them from just being a nature priest, but as mentioned it always seemed to make more sense for them to speak Sylvan.

 

[jasper]

Please no to any version of alignment languages. I am okay with the lower planes speaking two different languages and the upper planes speaking two.