Bonus Languages Question

[davedoty]

I'm about to try to run my first game, and I think I've worked most of the kinks out, or at least enough to try running the first game. The issue I'm having trouble with is the bonus language issue.

Let me begin by saying that I'm running a world on Iron Heroes rules. It's an all-human civilization, with monsters sort of roaming around wreaking havok (similar to the ancient myths). Each region is based loosely on an era of the ancient world. The main gameplay is in a region based on ancient Greece at the height of the city-states, and it's ringed by three empires based loosely on the Roman, Persian, and Minoan civilizations.

I want to incorporate language more than it is in most campaigns I've played. Instead of "common," they will know Phaleronian (Greek), which will serve them well until the story expands in scope to have them travel abroad, at which point they will have to either know the language there or depend on NPCs who potentially, by accident or deliberately, are unreliable translators.

The problem is that while I've worked out their home region, their immediate neighbors, and a couple of other places I expect them to wind up, I haven't fleshed out every corner of the entire game world. If they eventually travel afield to a region based on, say, ancient China, it doesn't seem reasonable to penalize them for not knowing the language of a country that didn't exist at character creation. If it happens too often, it may turn the language barrier from an interesting twist to a constant problem that hampers the fun of the game.

My question is: am I being too paranoid, or is this a valid concern? And if so, how do I address it? I'm thinking about the following rules:

Since I'm going to be open about the countries being based on real-world ancient analogues, if they want to assign a bonus language to a RW culture, then if and when we encounter a country based on that, they can swap for the fictional language. So if they choose "Chinese" and we wind up in a Chinese-based country, they will have that language.

Another possible rule, either additionally or alternatively, is to let anyone with bonus languages leave one unassigned language slot if they choose. It represents a random language they studied simply for the hell of it (the way I studied German). When they encounter a language they don't know, they can make a check (knowledge? intelligence? Straight percentage check? TBD) and if they make it, this happens to be the language they studied.

Too complicated? Hidden problems I haven't seen? Making too much out of nothing?

 

[Tovec]

Just my two cents --

As long as your players buy into the base concept of this being a real world analogue. They should also be willing to accept the - there are lots of languages in the real world - concept. I would definitely make it so they can communicate in their own region and try not to make too many different languages they would have to deal with as they expand. It makes perfect sense for them to have to get a guide, interpreter or to learn the language if they went to another foreign land - like China. I would just try and not over do it. When they're in China maybe find a guild of some type that can help travelers from distant lands to be able to get around. Again I refer you to real world guides who would help people find lodging, food, not get robbed, communicate, etc. The guide can probably speak their language but probably can't teach them "Chinese". An interpreter might work a bit better if they want to be more open to making choices on their own and just want someone to help with the language barrier. This is also completely realistic and they be able to get a local or someone from wherever they are coming from to fill this role. Its possible an interpreter can teach them "Chinese". The last one is still to learn the language, I don't see this as a likely option unless they have a long time before the journey to a strange land to find an expert and manually learn the language. It is possible when they're in the land but that still encounters the same problems as before. I can also see this being the most lengthy but overall most cost effective option.

Like I said, no matter how you are going to deal with it make sure the players understand what to expect before going in. At the start of the campaign make it very clear that they are only going to be speaking a few similar regional (few "European" at most) languages and that they'll have to get some form of help when dealing with extra-regional.

 

[Sekhmet]

Interpreters are not that difficult to find among merchanting/trade organisations around the world.
Trust those that worship coins to come forth and act as intermediaries in any situation, and always put your faith in them to keep it purely neutral (except for that part they stuck in that gets them an extra pence in their pocket).

As for complication... if it is what makes sense in your world, do it, let the players know that they'll need to find an interpreter at times. The first one or two times it happens, it will provide role playing experiences, and the tertiary and iterative occasions will be no more dreadful than "I'm going to go to the market and offload some of this crap."

Just a part of the game that finds a way of happening without interrupting too much.

 

[davedoty]

Thanks for the suggestions, both of you. I'm definitely going to bring this up at character creation, but it will be a while before they actually have to deal with it. They'll be adventuring at home for a few levels, and it will only be as their power and reputation grow that they'll be adventuring abroad. And I'll definitely be keeping an eye out to make sure that it doesn't go overboard. I want it to be an interesting rp-based challenge, not a tedious slog of "Oh, not this again."

 

[Tovec]

As Sekhmet said, it probably won't become "Oh this again" if they understand its use. Just make sure to bring it up at the beginning - and to follow through - and it will become one of the regular activities when going somewhere, like finding an inn