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Message: <blockquote data-quote="delericho" data-source="post: 4948633" data-attributes="member: 22424">That's it in a nutshell.In actual fact, as soon as I start thinking about it too closely, I start to run into real problems with comprehend languages and the like. Do they handle slang, local phrases, and language drift? If it's like having a native translator, does he provide a literal word-for-word translation, or does he interpret to make more sense of the message? What about dead languages?The problem is, go too far in either direction and you hit problems. If it is a literal translation, then it may well prove to be of limited use. If he interprets, then why can't he interpret codes? (He is, after all, a native speaker.)There's also the other question: what is a language? Could the spell translate Morse Code? Semaphore? If so, why not a Caesar cipher? If not, why does it handle Dwarven runes?And so on.Of course, the truth is that it's not really intended to be thought about too deeply. It's a fantasy element for a fantasy game world, and should be interpreted to provide the most fun.(And, actually, I have some problems with WotC declaring that language problems are in the "not fun" category. So much for Daniel Jackson, Indiana Jones and Wesley from Angel.)True, although the levels of encryption available to a culture will vary greatly. For most fantasy worlds, I would argue that there's unlikely to be anything more sophisticated that the Enigma, and even that's really pushing it.(Please note, I did say most fantasy worlds! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> )That said, I'm actually with you as regards comprehand languages and ciphers, if for no other reason than that it's almost certainly more fun to require the PCs to have to hunt for the key.In the other thread, I alluded to an Eberron one-shot I might well consider running. The premise is actually quite simple: in Sharn the PCs are approached by a mysterious femme fatale who wishes to engage their services. A cunning agent (wizard/artificer/technologist) in her employ has been working on a new ritual/device that can break any code. His last message indicated some sort of breakthrough, but he has since disappeared...(Naturally, such a device would be of great interest to many factions, both to possess it for themselves and to prevent others from having it. And, of course, in keeping with the theme, the adventure would include several coded messages, either resolved as skill challenges of, even better with the right group, as puzzles for the players themselves to figure out.)</blockquote>

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