AZNtrogdor
First Post
Can the spell, tongues, allow a person to speak druidic?
Can tongues allow a person to speak druidic?
Sound of Azure
Contemplative Soul
Well, the spell description says you can "speak and understand the language of any intelligent creature, whether it is a racial tongue or regional dialect", so I don't see why not.
However I would hesitate for the spell to count as a requirement for something else (say, a Prestige class requirement). Also, I would think people could tell if your language ability came from a spell, or was learnt the normal way (it might sound a bit strange and artificial).
Which is good when talking to druids with Tongues (who are forbidden to teach it to outsiders).
However I would hesitate for the spell to count as a requirement for something else (say, a Prestige class requirement). Also, I would think people could tell if your language ability came from a spell, or was learnt the normal way (it might sound a bit strange and artificial).
Which is good when talking to druids with Tongues (who are forbidden to teach it to outsiders).
Arbiter of Wyrms
First Post
Speak the language impies, to me, speak a language of the target creature, if it has one (or more), but, to my knowledge, no one grows up speaking druidic as a first language. I would rule that tongues allows you to speak with druidic speaking creatures in some other language they know, other than druidic - their first language, preferably.
Ogrork the Mighty
Explorer
So you wouldn't allow tongues to work on goblin spoken by an orc?
Huw
First Post
Short answer: yes.
However, depending on your game world, druidic might not be a language as such. It might be the local language with enough code words and conventions put in to render it unrecognisable to outsiders, like real world polari and shelta.
Alternatively, tongues will translate it into recognisable words, but the sentences might sound like riddles. Druids will already know the answers to these riddles from their training. This would be similar to a Mandarin chengyu .
However, depending on your game world, druidic might not be a language as such. It might be the local language with enough code words and conventions put in to render it unrecognisable to outsiders, like real world polari and shelta.
Alternatively, tongues will translate it into recognisable words, but the sentences might sound like riddles. Druids will already know the answers to these riddles from their training. This would be similar to a Mandarin chengyu .
Arbiter of Wyrms
First Post
Good examples, Huw.
Ogrork the Mighty,
No, I wouldn't allow it unless that orc grew up speaking goblin rather than orc. The point of the spell is to allow communication with any creature that has a language, regardless of what language they use. Take it from a linguist - given the huge number of language-using creatures in D&D, this is an awesome spell. I doubt that it was ever intended to circumvent the limits on druidic, and I feel most comfortable, from a game-rationale pov, ruling that tongues allows the subject to speak the (or a) first language of the target creature. I believe that that is the intent of the spell and that anything more is broken (for my campagin).
Ogrork the Mighty,
No, I wouldn't allow it unless that orc grew up speaking goblin rather than orc. The point of the spell is to allow communication with any creature that has a language, regardless of what language they use. Take it from a linguist - given the huge number of language-using creatures in D&D, this is an awesome spell. I doubt that it was ever intended to circumvent the limits on druidic, and I feel most comfortable, from a game-rationale pov, ruling that tongues allows the subject to speak the (or a) first language of the target creature. I believe that that is the intent of the spell and that anything more is broken (for my campagin).
Sound of Azure
Contemplative Soul
I like your reasoning, Arbiter of Wyrms. Makes sense to me, on thinking a little bit.
Al the Absentminded
First Post
I'd say that it translates any language that is not magical. However, it doesn't translate codes.
It translates what you hear into your native tongue. It translates what you say into their native tongue (which is almost certainly not druidic).
Is Druidic a natural language, or a manifestation of the Green? If it's Green, then it probably doesn't translate without more powerful magic.
-Albert
It translates what you hear into your native tongue. It translates what you say into their native tongue (which is almost certainly not druidic).
Is Druidic a natural language, or a manifestation of the Green? If it's Green, then it probably doesn't translate without more powerful magic.
-Albert
Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
Arbiter of Wyrms said:
I do not think the entire point of the spell is to only allow communication in one language. It also includes understanding anything that is said. So if someone says something in Druidic, you should be able to understand it using tongues, regardless of whether or not it was their first language. There are no rules for first languages, or order that languages were taught to someone.
Xiam
First Post
That would refer to situations where a character wants to chat with a creature who's language he usually wouldn't understand.
But what about a character eavesdropping on two druids who just now use drudic to communicate with each other? Can he understand what they're saying?
Does the spell just translate their sayings into his own toung? After all, the spell description says that he gains the ability to speak and understand an unknown language...
But what about a character eavesdropping on two druids who just now use drudic to communicate with each other? Can he understand what they're saying?
Does the spell just translate their sayings into his own toung? After all, the spell description says that he gains the ability to speak and understand an unknown language...
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