A Common problem.

[AeroDm]

Every few years I decide this irks me too much as well. I introduce something to fix it, it goes great for the first few sessions, and then we just slowly slide back to "everyone can communicate" because it is so much easier. Getting people to role play is hard enough, tossing up more road blocks has never had a positive net.

That said, the two things that worked the best:
(1) Language points. Get some way for people to learn languages without having to use resources typically intended for other parts of the game. Sometimes we used language trees so if you strategically hit certain branches you could semi-communicate in other languages. Other times we used tiers of language proficiency (basic, proficient, fluent).
(2) Introduce language mores. The most successful thing we ever did was just to say that in the campaign world, it was polite to address people in their native tongue. The desire to be perceived as polite motivated people to learn a bunch of languages. It was also neat to see elves speaking Common (or its equivalent) and humans speaking Elven out of politeness.

 

[Sunseeker]

Ultimately, it's unavoidable: The story of "learning the alien language" looks pretty much identical every time you do it. So doing it more than once on a TV show is going to be boring; and it's also going to chew up narrative time so that everything else on the TV show also suffers.

I know, but at least they could have hand waived it a little better. Even the "universal translator we stole from some alien overlord" is a fine excuse.

In any case, I'm not really looking to impair communications, hence preserving common as a trade language, just to give each race a little more fluff to distinguish them.

 

[delericho]

The problem is that language issues are a major pain for the group to work through. They're okay for an occasional issue, but if they come up all the time then they're just annoying.

What I believe should happen is that the game should generally avoid having named languages in the rules at all.

Instead, PCs are assumed to speak the language of "wherever they are". Most people in the local region speak some relatively close variation of this, so there aren't any communication difficulties.

However, on occasion the PCs will encounter people and creatures who don't speak their language - whether that's because they've encountered ancient snake people under the earth, or they've been cast to the other side of the world by a treacherous wizard. Either way, in such circumstances, they have to apply their Linguistics skill (or their ability with mime, or some sort of skill challenge, or something) to "get by" for a while.

And if the PCs relocate long term, they should be assumed to pick up a working knowledge of the new language between adventures, so you don't have to constantly repeat the "language difficulties" thing every game session for months.

Doing this then frees the setting to do whatever it wants with languages. Perhaps there's just a common language that everyone speaks. Or perhaps it's a "Lord of the Rings" style game where there is a common language and a handful of other tongues (Elvish, Entish, Old English, and the dark tongue of Mordor which I will not utter here). Or perhaps it has dozens of regional languages and dialects, like medieval Europe.

 

[delericho]

This pissed me off to no end about Stargate. Uncharted worlds? Alien races? No problem, everyone speaks English here! I think the number of worlds in which people couldn't communicate can be counted on one hand. At least in other sci-fi shows they had the hand-waive of "universal translator", which even then had a few times it didn't work.

Ironically, the Stargate movie is a good example of the way I think it should be handled - the characters are cast into an alien world with no ability to communicate, but they have a language expert on hand who is then able (with help) to get to grips with the language. Of course, he still learns the language far too fast, but that's needed for the story, so...

With the Stargate show, I think they were wise to ignore the issue. Introducing a universal translator would remove any value in having Daniel Jackson on the team, but having issues with spoken language in every single episode would be incredibly tedious. (Besides, universal translators are incredibly unrealistic.)

I'm not suggesting they get actual languages, just that each species gets it's own language, humans included.

Problem is, you can write any language name you like on the character sheet, but you're still speaking English (or whatever). To have flavourful languages, you almost have to speak in those languages. (And if you do, I salute you - but learning Quenya or Klingon just for use in the game is a little too dedicated for me!)

 

[Zustiur]

As a DM this bothers me. As a player, it never crosses my mind.
I think this is because I spend most of my DMing time world building rather than running an actual game. The more time I build a world, the more I want it to look and feel real. Usually beyond what was necessary to run a game in it!

Unless exploring new frontiers and dealing with language and cultural barriers is part of the campaign, having to deal with these issues is of limited value.
Then there's 'Tongues' and related magic effects which negate the whole premise anyway.

 

[the Jester]

In my campaign, your Common tongue depends on where you're from.

If you are from Forinthia or areas dominated by it, it's Forinthian; if you are from Pesh or other areas of the Free Trade Alliance, it's Peshan. For that matter, it isn't always a human tongue- if you're from Gorel, it's Elven.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I'm not a big fan of 'common' either. The problem is that you have to write setting-neutral rules, which is hard to do if you're going to associate a language with a culture.

I also think it's way too easy to learn languages (having tried myself), but that's a separate issue.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

I actually think of all races, humans would the race have more than one language.

The other races stereotypically condense their entire race into one area and rarely isolate themselves form others of their kind. All the wood elves live near each other and they are always in contacts with the other elves. Orcs are always running into each other. Dwarves all live in friendly kingdoms.

But humans are natural explorer and adaptable. They could break off and have communities everywhere that develop many languages.

... (2) Introduce language mores. The most successful thing we ever did was just to say that in the campaign world, it was polite to address people in their native tongue. The desire to be perceived as polite motivated people to learn a bunch of languages. It was also neat to see elves speaking Common (or its equivalent) and humans speaking Elven out of politeness.

In a D&D-style game where I was going to bother with this, I'd set up some opportunity costs for "social perks" that would include language, but also some other options. Basically, set it up so that you can be:

• "Well-traveled" and thus speak several languages well conversationally
• "Well-educated" and thus perhaps speak (or more likely read and write) some more ancient languages
• "Socially connected" from having a well-established position in a community
• Maybe a few other related things to round that out, which would tend to reduce opportunities to develop those first three.

Then let each character have several picks, specializing or spreading out as they see fit. If your minor lord has spent his formative years fighting overseas, then his position at home is not as strong as it could be.

Next, to make those choices actually matter without everyone having to do mime, make the languages choices (and other perks, too) as modifiers to social challenges. If you don't speak the language very well, or at all, you've got a substantial diplomacy penalty. OTOH, if you are, say, a prominent wizard in the community, known far and wide, then you've got a bonus to diplomacy with most people familiar with your "reputation" but nothing special to fall back on outside that area.

Finally, in a game where you want to allow some people to specialize in being diplomats, let them use other resources to expand those picks, beyond what everyone gets. So a character that grew up trained in local diplomacy can learn languages as they travel. Or if you want a game where everyone has a niche in social settings, don't allow such expanded picks. Now when you go to visit the dwarf earl in his far holding, the fluent but gruff dwarven barbarian may be a better spokesperson for the group.

 

[steeldragons]

I don't know, necessarily, that it is something that needs to be addressed in a PHB or "built-in" to the Human race as such. But I heartily agree with a mention in the DMG of the idea and a thorough fleshing out of linguistics in any kind of "Worldbuilder's Guide." It most certainly, in my experience, add a truckload of flavor and "realism"/internal consistency for a setting world.

Here's a sampling of what I use in my games/world setting:
Human Tongues

The realms of Orea communicate with a wide variety of languages. For the most part, all civilized nations possess knowledge of and use the Common tongue for inter-racial and international communications. Still, there are a variety of languages used in the various regions of the realms.

• Common: The vast majority of the realms know and utilize the "Common" tongue though in some parts (Tanku, Thelitia, or the Gorunduu), Common is a second language, if it is known at all. Common is the language of Grinlia, the Freelands, and for the most part Mostrial as well (see below) and thus, used or at least able to be spoken by just about everyone else who wishes to deal with those lands (for any reason).
  
• Mostralian: This is the old language of the realms of Mostrial from the days following the Godswar, through the years of Adrigol up to the Scourge wars. Sometimes referred to as "Old Mostralian," it is still known, taught, and used among the people of Mostrial and the learned of Orea in general. (It can be assumed characters choosing to originate from Mostrial will know Mostralian in addition to Common at the start of the game.)
  
• Thelitian: The tribes of the desert empire have a diverse array of dialects and accents. These are all part of the Thelitian language branch, the accepted language of the empire. Common is known and used by many, particularly the merchants. But in the courts, temples, and among the upper class, the Thelitian tongue is expected to be spoken. (It can be assumed characters choosing to originate from Thelitia will know this tongue in addition to Common at the start of the game.)
• Islander: This is the "common" language of the United Islands of Tanku. It is a combination of the various larger island dialects into a semi-cohesive language. (It can be assumed characters choosing to originate from the United Island Kingdoms will know Islander, if not Tanku also, in addition to Common at the start of the game.)
• Dondon: Also called "Treetalk" was the base language of the men of the O'Douhn forest. It is heavily influenced by elvish and exhibits elements of dwarvish as well. Among the peoples of that region now, very few still use Dondon, but the infamous Rangers of the O'Douhn wood still teach it and use it among themselves. (It can be presumed that ranger characters choosing to originate from O'Douhn will know Dondon.)
• R'Hathi: The magic-using peoples of R'Hath developed their own language out of an amalgam of Tanku (from which many of them came), Old Selurian (still in use at R'Hath's formation), and Arcana (the language of magic- though of course the normal language does not invoke any special powers). It is used primarily only in the courts, the mage guild and among the very learned of that realm and is notoriously intricate and difficult to learn.
• Old Selurian: This is the languages of the temples of Grinlia, Mostrial, and the Freelands. It is the language of the former empire but still viewed as the "language of the gods." Clerical magics are cast in this tongue and it is well known to those pursuing and/or knowledgeable in the ancient histories of the Orean realms. It is unknown if/how the language has changed in the millenia since the Godswar and the Selurian Empire's fall. It can be presumed there is a modern version of this tongue, but none on the continent would know how to speak it.
• Tanku: This is the formal and ancient language of the Tanku empire and the original Black Tribe of Men. While most peoples of the United Island Kingdoms speak "Islander", it is not uncommon to find those on/doing business with Tanku proper, conversing in this tongue.
• Gorunduun: The barbarian tribes of Gorunduu have there own root language (with obvious dwarven influences to the trained ear). Though many of the Gorunduun are also conversant in common. The only clan that makes use of their language in a written form (and hence, reads) is the clan of the Falcon. Barbarians of other clans will not automatically be able to read their own language...though may certainly be taught to by a member of the Falcon clan.
• Druidic: Druids of the Ancient Order of Mistwood, descended from the original Green Tribe of Men, possess a language unto themselves. There is no known written version of the language and its knowledge is kept from all save initiates of the Holy Order. Druid spellcasting is also done in this tongue and so (usually) most druids keep their voices low for much of the spell (perhaps raising it for a word or two throughout or near the end) to prevent their fellows from having to hear it. It is said that those uninitiated that hear the primeval tongue go mad.
• Arcana (or Arcanic): the "words of power", language of magic and spell casting for wizards. It is not spoken save during spellcasting nor found written for any reason save the conduction of magic. The root of Arcana is unknown to all the sages of the world but it is commonly held that the language was taught to the first elvin sorcerers by the elder god Sorilorr.

Non-human Tongues
It can be presumed that just about every sentient race has a language of its own (orcs speak orcish, satyrs speak satyr etc. etc.). Below are simply a few likely to be encountered by those adventuring through the realms. It can be assumed that PCs of these races are able to converse in Common as well.

• Elvish, proper (also called High Elvin): is the language of the elves shared by the ShiStaliiri, the ShiCynallae, and the Miralostae. The Kantiiri and Karolostae have their own dialects, but it is still understandable to/by other elves. Non-elves must learn Kantiiri or Karolostae as a separate language, if you can find one interested in teaching it. The ShiDaeiri have their own twisted separate language.
• Dwarfish: All dwarves of Orea share a common tongue.
• Gnomi: All gnomes in Orea share a common tongue, though there may be noticable accents from region to region. The gnomish tongue has very convoluted grammar, long tongue-twister vocabulary and is spoken very, very quickly almost sounding to the untrained ear like the chirps and tweets of birds and chittering of squirrels or other woodland creatures. It is almost impossible for humans or half-elves to learn and be adequately fluent in gnomi. (Int. 16 or higher required for humans to take gnomi as a language.).
• Halflings (Daelvari): Halflings in Orea use the Common tongue. There is no root "Hairfoot" language. It has been suggested by some that the Common tongue of men may, in fact, have emanated from the original language of the daelvar. Though this is not commonly accepted among the learned humans of Orea.
• Centauran: All centaurs in Orea share a common language. They do not, however, possess a written one. Centaurs do make use of pictograms.
• Draconic: The dragons of Orea share a common language.
• Titon a.k.a. "Giantspeak": The titans and (civilized) giants of Orea share a common root language though certain sub-species have distinct dialects which may be difficult for one who knows titon to understand.
• Trolog: Ogres and Trolls of Orea share a common language.
• Goblinese: Goblins, Hobgoblins and Bugbears share a common root language.

 

[Li Shenron]

Regional languages must not be the default in D&D. It's interesting to come up with your own house rules for your homebrew, and published settings can do what they want, but to a lot of players they are ball-and-chain. Leave regional languages a setting-specific thing.

But I agree with the OP that having Common + non-human racial languages doesn't sound like a beautiful setup. All the following solutions are more neat IMHO:

(a) one Common language to all, period -> this can be the default for the gaming group which just isn't interested, so everybody understands each other and let's move on

(b) one language per race, humans speak Human and non-humans don't automatically speak it -> more interesting, but has the potential issue that low-Int PCs may not understand each other (my guess is that every single gaming group gets bored after the first session and then they just spend some skill/language points to forget about it)

(c) same as (b) but also an additional Common language exists and it is known by all PCs (but not NPCs) -> this is probably the BEST, it doesn't have the inter-PC communication problem, but still allows for interesting scenarios (two elves PC talking to each other without NPCs understanding them, encountering a NPC which cannot communicate with the PCs and so on)

The problem is that PC-PC communication and PC-NPC communication has a very different impact on the game. The first one must be guaranteed or it can become very tedious very quickly. The second one instead is a source of possibly interesting campaign situations, if not overdone.