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<blockquote data-quote="AuraSeer" data-source="post: 1919988" data-attributes="member: 1331">That's the way I usually go. I figure that the thought process of any mortal is going to be very different from the though process of an eternal being who literally embodies a concept.In a previous campaign, I decided that the extraplanar languages would be almost impossible for mortals to comprehend. They're full of allegory, subtle metaphor, and abstract alien concepts, so translating them into any mortal tongue cannot be done exactly. The best you can do is an approximation, which makes things hard, because a simple difference in wording can lead to widely varying interpretations. (For an RL example, see the doctrinal variance among Christian denominations, all of whom use the same holy book.)To go a step further, I borrowed from the 1E idea of alignment languages, and ruled that the extraplanar languages could be learned only by a creature with the appropriate subtype. A mortal could spend the two skill points and learn Abyssal, but unless he has the [Chaotic] and [Evil] subtypes, he will speak and understand only the most primitive pidgin. Translating a complex divination or prophecy could only be done with access to reference books and holy texts.&nbsp; (This explains why most divination spells only return &quot;yes&quot; or &quot;no&quot; answers.) Oh, and I also gave the Good planes two different languages to mirror the Abyssal/Infernal split. Celestial became the language of Chaotic Good outsiders (eladrin), while Lawful Good outsiders (angels) spoke Angelic.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="AuraSeer, post: 1919988, member: 1331"] That's the way I usually go. I figure that the thought process of any mortal is going to be very different from the though process of an eternal being who literally embodies a concept. In a previous campaign, I decided that the extraplanar languages would be almost impossible for mortals to comprehend. They're full of allegory, subtle metaphor, and abstract alien concepts, so translating them into any mortal tongue cannot be done exactly. The best you can do is an approximation, which makes things hard, because a simple difference in wording can lead to widely varying interpretations. (For an RL example, see the doctrinal variance among Christian denominations, all of whom use the same holy book.) To go a step further, I borrowed from the 1E idea of alignment languages, and ruled that the extraplanar languages could be learned only by a creature with the appropriate subtype. A mortal could spend the two skill points and learn Abyssal, but unless he has the [Chaotic] and [Evil] subtypes, he will speak and understand only the most primitive pidgin. Translating a complex divination or prophecy could only be done with access to reference books and holy texts. (This explains why most divination spells only return "yes" or "no" answers.) Oh, and I also gave the Good planes two different languages to mirror the Abyssal/Infernal split. Celestial became the language of Chaotic Good outsiders (eladrin), while Lawful Good outsiders (angels) spoke Angelic. [/QUOTE]

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