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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
The changes to languages are a good start
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<blockquote data-quote="see" data-source="post: 8854183" data-attributes="member: 10531"><p>The core problem is that there's no single, universally-satisfying answer to what to do with language. Realistic-historical language variance is a massive annoying pain (or a sink for spellcasting) unless your table is specifically getting fun from playing it. Everybody in the entire multiverse speaking the same language is obviously and jarringly unrealistic. <em>Every</em> compromise between those two points simultaneously mixes some level of annoying pain with some level of jarring unrealism, and thus can be argued against from both sides simultaneously.</p><p></p><p>Given that, my personal opinion is the best way to handle things is to basically stick with the 5e list (which this does), which is itself a compromise of the 3.x and 4e lists (the 5e "Primordial with dialects" is, of course, a baltant compromise between the 3.x separate Aquan/Auran/Ignan/Terran and and 4e "Primordial" elemental language). </p><p></p><p>I mean, adding "Common Sign Language" is fine. Swapping "Humans" out and "Anyone" in as speakers of Common is minor. Renaming "Exotic Languages" as "Rare Languages" is a fairly obvious "sensitivity" change. Putting Druidic and Thieves' Cant explicitly on the list is a change, but they were already mentioned in the 5e druid and rogue class entries.</p><p></p><p>But a deep rethink of the list, as being suggested in this thread, particularly for what's not supposed to be a major edition change? I don't think it gains enough to be worth the incompatibility with existing material. A bit in the DMG about "Languages in Your Campaign", now, that'd be potentially worthwhile . . .</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="see, post: 8854183, member: 10531"] The core problem is that there's no single, universally-satisfying answer to what to do with language. Realistic-historical language variance is a massive annoying pain (or a sink for spellcasting) unless your table is specifically getting fun from playing it. Everybody in the entire multiverse speaking the same language is obviously and jarringly unrealistic. [I]Every[/I] compromise between those two points simultaneously mixes some level of annoying pain with some level of jarring unrealism, and thus can be argued against from both sides simultaneously. Given that, my personal opinion is the best way to handle things is to basically stick with the 5e list (which this does), which is itself a compromise of the 3.x and 4e lists (the 5e "Primordial with dialects" is, of course, a baltant compromise between the 3.x separate Aquan/Auran/Ignan/Terran and and 4e "Primordial" elemental language). I mean, adding "Common Sign Language" is fine. Swapping "Humans" out and "Anyone" in as speakers of Common is minor. Renaming "Exotic Languages" as "Rare Languages" is a fairly obvious "sensitivity" change. Putting Druidic and Thieves' Cant explicitly on the list is a change, but they were already mentioned in the 5e druid and rogue class entries. But a deep rethink of the list, as being suggested in this thread, particularly for what's not supposed to be a major edition change? I don't think it gains enough to be worth the incompatibility with existing material. A bit in the DMG about "Languages in Your Campaign", now, that'd be potentially worthwhile . . . [/QUOTE]
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