Core Books in other languages??

[Archibald Theocliste]

What are the core class names in French?

Ok I' not really sure since I always use English material but it must be something like :

Barbarian = Barbare
Bard = Barde
Cleric = Prêtre
Druid = Druide
Fighter = Guerrier
Paladin = Paladin
Ranger = Rôdeur
Rogue = Roublard
Sorcerer = Ensorceleur
Wizard = Magicien

If you want something funny

Great Wyrm = Dracosire (that you can translate by something like "Sir Draco"...)

Pit Fiend = Diantrefosse (that you can translate by something like "Damn! A pit.")

 

[Knight Otu]

Here in germany, we have the PHB and the DMG translated (format: the book packaged into a box )
In addition, the Sunless Citadel and the Starter Box (name?) from WotC have been translated.
The Creature Collection I (apparently with some small errata), the Ghelspad Gazetter and the Ravenloft Core Rules have been translated, IIRC.

The translation is pretty good, with some expections:

Sorcerer became Hexenmeister, which means Witch Lord.
Outsider became Externar (please, there are easier translations!)
Aberration became ... Aberration (OK, it isn't too easy to translate this).

The translation was on hiatus for quite a while (seems as though Hasbro made problems), but it is back on track now.

 

[Someone]

Core rulebooks have been translated by Devir (the company) to spanish, or like some sarcastic members of mail lists like to say, to "High Devirian". Not only the core rulebooks; the best part of WotC production is translated as well within six-seven months; other companies translate d20 stuff (scarred lands, witchfire, books of eldrith might, even "of sounds mind", and more)

Devir even gave away PHBs to spanish members of the RPGA. That´s how I have two PHBs...

 

[sword-dancer]

Hello Knight Otu

The translation is pretty good, with some expections:

Sorcerer became Hexenmeister, which means Witch Lord.

The translation was on hiatus for quite a while (seems as though Hasbro made problems), but it is back on track now.

Yes the rumour said it was due to Hasbro/WoTC making querries or couldn`t scope up with the reading of the translation.

How would you had translate Sorcerer?

 

[mmadsen]

Barbarian = Barbare
Bard = Barde
Cleric = Prêtre
Druid = Druide
Fighter = Guerrier
Paladin = Paladin
Ranger = Rôdeur
Rogue = Roublard
Sorcerer = Ensorceleur
Wizard = Magicien

Some of those seem obvious and natural (Barbare, Druide, Paladin), but others seem odd to me. Isn't Sorcerer Sorcier in French? And isn't Rogue...Rogue? Or does that have a very different connotation in French? I've never heard Rôdeur before.

 

[Rashak Mani]

SOMEONE ! Devir exists in Spain ? Might be coincidence... but in Brazil Devir dominates distribution of WoTC books. Not sure they are the translators of the books thou. Devir has existed for many many years in Sao Paulo so I am quite confident they are Brazilian.

BTW the translation in portuguese of the Monsters is hilarious sometimes !! They didnt translate certain wierd names, which is fine, but others they made up very strange substitutions !!

My DM makes a "Guess what monster this name is ?" question once in a while. We try to figure out what it is !! Very funny. Some are silly or outright stupid !

 

[Tsyr]

Pit Fiend = Diantrefosse (that you can translate by something like "Damn! A pit.")

*falls out of his chair laughing so hard*

 

[Knight Otu]

Hello Knight Otu



Yes the rumour said it was due to Hasbro/WoTC making querries or couldn`t scope up with the reading of the translation.

How would you had translate Sorcerer?

Hi, sword-dancer!

Personally, I would have gone simply with Hexe/Hexer. It doesn't imply a rulership over a certain group as the term Hexenmeister does. I admit that the translation for this would be witch/warlock, but with so many words in english that basically mean "spellcaster" it is hard to find a distinctive translation.

 

[Arsene Vulpin]

Some of those seem obvious and natural (Barbare, Druide, Paladin), but others seem odd to me. Isn't Sorcerer Sorcier in French? And isn't Rogue...Rogue? Or does that have a very different connotation in French? I've never heard Rôdeur before.

Yes you're very right : Sorcerer translates directly into Sorcier. I am not even sure that 'ensorceleur' (which would translate directly into 'bewitcher' or 'bemuser') is correct french.

Rôdeur is very correct, thought it normally literally tranlates into 'lurker', but the word 'Rôdeur' as the translation for 'Ranger' has become all too familiar to be contested.

As for 'Roublard' for Rogue -the word doesn't mean anything in french - , know that it translates to 'Wily' or 'smooth' or 'silver-tongued' and nothing else : 'roublard' is an adjective in french, and never is it made a name.

Often 'Rogue' has been translated as 'Voleur' ie Thief. But in D&D, this would identify the 'Thief' Class with the 'Rogue' Group. A correct way to translate 'Rogue' would probably be 'Filou'...

But as always, translators are given less than 1 week per 100 hundred pages to translate, and are payed peanuts, so, poor translation often occur.


The Fox wore Red, and other stories...

 

[Zappo]

Some of those seem obvious and natural (Barbare, Druide, Paladin), but others seem odd to me. Isn't Sorcerer Sorcier in French? And isn't Rogue...Rogue? Or does that have a very different connotation in French? I've never heard Rôdeur before.

Why, Rogue is Rouge, I thought everyone knew this. At least, a lot of people use it regularly, so...

In Italian, they translated it as "Ladro", which means "Thief", no ifs or buts.
It hasn't done much to dispel the idea that if you play a rogue you have to steal.