Barbarian will it be the only illiterate class again

[Saeviomagy]

To me making illiteracy widespread among PCs (ie - incurring any sort of cost to be literate, or just making illiteracy the default) risks too much. There are so many adventure scenarios that require at least one literate party member.

Additionally there are so many abilities that PCs can have that would require them to also have literacy, which would make such a system a tax on particular skills and abilities.

That said - if departing significantly from basic D&D, it's entirely workable.

But in general - it's a giant pain for minimal benefit (really - you're playing D&D. literacy statistics should be far from your mind most of the time).

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

3.5 Barbarian is sad because he can't read this thread.

3.5 Barbarian doesn't want to spend 2 skill points.

 

[DandD]

Bah, just start as rogue, then multiclass into Barbarian. Or get some obscure item from an obscure third-source book that grants literacy, like some kind of googles.

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

make all characters illiterate and give them a free feat
make a new feat "Literacy"

(*wizards and clerics could get literacy automatically and not get a free feat)

make the ability to read something usefull

 

[Jhaelen]

Everyone should be illiterate and PC's just have to learn it like any other skill.

This. In 3E I'd have said: it takes a skill point to learn speaking the language and another to read/write it. Done.

I'm not sure yet, how it should best be implemented in 4E. But it definitely wouldn't make sense to have only the Barbarian class (if WotC decides to keep this awful name for the class) be illiterate.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

This. In 3E I'd have said: it takes a skill point to learn speaking the language and another to read/write it. Done.

I'm not sure yet, how it should best be implemented in 4E. But it definitely wouldn't make sense to have only the Barbarian class (if WotC decides to keep this awful name for the class) be illiterate.

Saga uses a feat to learn a number of languages based on your INT (1+Int?). A similar approach could be taken for languages and literacy in 4E.
If you want to go all simulationist, you could define common alphabets and multiple languages working with the same read/write "point".

 

[D.Shaffer]

I really, REALLY hope that, this time around, they rename the class 'Berserker'. Especially since they seem to be going with the more totemic aspects from the historical berserkers.

 

[Quenditar]

Saga uses a feat to learn a number of languages based on your INT (1+Int?). A similar approach could be taken for languages and literacy in 4E.
If you want to go all simulationist, you could define common alphabets and multiple languages working with the same read/write "point".

If you want to go semi-simulationist and still get something semi-playable, what about 1 point per script plus 1 point per group of closely related languages (where "closely related" is up to the DM depending on the game)? So 2 points could get you the Roman alphabet and all the western Romance languages. Another point could get you Czech, Polish, spoken Russian, etc., but to read Russian you'd need a fourth point for the Cyrillic alphabet. And so on.

Most players don't care, I think, and that feat would work fine.

As for literacy, I really think that should be up to the DM. Either "you're all illiterate unless you take a scholarly class or pay for it otherwise" or "you're all literate unless your backstory says you're not" makes sense; the first is much more realistic for the period before universal schooling and the second reduces problems in play.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Druid's have been hinted at being "primal strikers"

ug thats a shame. they were the best controllers in 3.5 at mid level.

 

[breschau]

Considering how far afield 4e is going (cultural historical accuracy and all that), there's no reason the barbarian wouldn't be illiterate. Considering it was a Latin word to describe non-Romans, there's no illiteracy test to be a barbarian. You just can't be a Roman. Illiterate barbarians is like spell-casting druids. They weren't magical historically, and historically the barbarians weren't illiterate. You can have one without the other though. I'm hoping for spell-casting (or wildshaping) druids and barbarians who can read. That's just me.