Automatic literacy for PCs

[Desdichado]

I am waffling back and forth on this topic and want to know what you all think are the advantages or disadvantages of making the PCs automatically literate to avoid the meta-gaming pitfalls of dealing with illiterate characters.

d00d! You're seriously considering automatic literacy? What kind of monty haul GM are you? In my campaign, the characters don't even automatically survive character generation!

 

[Wolv0rine]

Any reviews/marketing blurb? Admittbaly its only 49 cents..but that means I need to find other stuff to buy to get to the minimum, and there is not an option to 'add to wish list'...

Can you give me some details?

Hmm, sadly as much as I tried to generate any feedback on it at all, I completely failed to get so much as a single person willing to say a single thing about it.
But, let's see.. the Expanded Language Skill breaks every language down into 6 levels (each level with a corresponding literacy and eloquence level). Your native language you automatically start with at 3rd rank (Literacy level 1-2 syllables, Strong accent, Eloquence level 3-4 syllables).
There is actually a section of that document that is missing (in that it was left out and not missed in both writing and editing, granted without it it could easily be assumed to work with straigth sklill points like any other skill). But I'll post it here in the event you (or abnyone else) gets the PnM.

"A character begins play knowing his native language at 3rd rank, plus a number of language ranks equal to his Intelligence modifier that can be allocated as the player wants (meaning these ranks can be used for additional starting languages). If the character’s Intelligence modifier is a negative number, then the character’s native language ranks are reduced by that number, although a beginning character will always have at least 1 rank in his native language. After 1st level, language ranks are bought with skill points."

 

[frankthedm]

In some campaigns, I assume literacy.

In others, I require the PCs to spend two skill points to become literate--but I also grant them two bonus skill points at 1st level. That way, they have the choice to be literate, or to spend the points elsewhere.

I like that idea!

Since I do require time to be spent on learning new languages and writing, I might even give 3 to 4 points for non literacy. My players still might not take it since they know I am not against throwing situations where illiteracy could be fatal at them.

 

[Wyrm Pilot]

I use the Barbarian class as written as a guideline - literacy is purchased with skill points. It's a bit excessive to require a feat for literacy; feats are extraordinary, skills like literacy are mundane.

Of course, it's not quite as simple as in the PH. I muck it up further as follows:

• Literacy is a class skill for all classes except Barbarian, Commoner, and Warrior.
• One rank = one written form (alphabet, runic system, pictographic language, etc.). Yes, you can write Elven using Dwarven runes, if that's the only written form you're literate in.
• Wizards, bards, and clerics are literate in one language for free.
• As with all other skills, if you want to learn literacy you must find someone to teach you (the whole "you've been studying in down time during your last level" doesn't wash - a lot of adventuring can happen without any such opportunities). Skill points from the current level must be spent before the next level can be attained.

With regard to "Common" as a distinct language, it's really a placeholder for whatever the most widely used language actually is - in the Roman Empire it was Latin, today in the real world it's English (heck, English as we know it started out as an amalgamated common tongue - the folk in various areas were as likely to speak Saxon, Welsh, Cornish, or Gaelic, while the gentry spoke Latin or French). Not everyone speaks it, but almost anywhere you go you're likely to find someone who knows a few words at least. I use the idea of a "common tongue," I just call it something else.

Cheers,
Wyrm Pilot
____________________

Whoa, lady, I only speak two languages: English, and bad English!
-- Major Korben Dallas

 

[Rackhir]

In Stargate SG-1, for the first few episodes they did the "people speaking different languages on different planets bit", but eventually just gave up on it since the Producers realized that language barriers were an obstacle to interesting stuff happening.

Is it unrealistic, yes.

Is it more entertaining having Daniel Jackson be the only character who can talk to anyone and spending 15 min to half an hour of every episode's 45 min running time on him figuring out what this planet's language is and how to speak it? No.

My point is basically this, can you either figure out how to make illiteracy interesting or making the PCs work around their illiteracy fun?

If not then just ignore it and let them be literate. All "Common" does in most campaigns is let the characters/players concentrate on interacting and doing stuff rather than worrying about who can talk to whom.

 

[TerraDave]

Also have a Read/Write Skill (ala D20 Modern), modified to allow bonus languages to be used for literacy. And have human languages besides/instead of common. (all in the sig).

But have also used some other skill based varients. And it can be tricky to get the balance right, and deal with unintended consequences/loopholes in the rules (like the rogue/sorcerer who is illiterate, but can use the decipher script skill and can use spellcraft/read magic to read scrolls ).

In any case, don't require a feat. That is just too expensive.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I just do it as per the book.

 

[Wombat]

Personally, I prefer literacy as a skill.

 

[occam]

IMC, all PC base classes start out literate in all known languages, except for the barbarian (as per RAW). All NPC base classes start out illiterate, except for the aristocrat.

Illiterate characters can purchase a Literacy pseudo-skill to gain literacy in all known languages, basically like the RAW barbarian. The Literacy skill is a class skill for all classes that also have Speak Language as a class skill (e.g., some experts).

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Wolv0rine.. I split this off here: Review of Pick and Mix

Please wander over to dicuss..

Thanks