D&D (2024) Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth? - Languages in 2024

[Micah Sweet]

I agree on all these.

Languages are one of those niche areas of any RPG which a gaming group could choose anything between totally ignore the topic and make it a strategic resource. Similar cases can be said for encumbrance, spell components, rations/water/survival and more.

On a very high level, I think D&D designers always lacked a more ambitious vision for the game to be a giant toolbox that each gaming group can setup according to their playstyle preferences, instead they always choose a lukewarm middle-ground default: languages are in the game but not too much, encumbrance is in the game but not too much, and so on... just not to alienate players who hate one extreme or the other, but then the DM still has to do some work to decide how much to handle the topic without any support from the books. So there is a default set by the books, but the default is lousy and not sufficient for the DM to count on it without additional work. Why not providing at least guidance for the DM on how to dial?

Negating spells are always part of the problem. They exist exactly to make an entire (potentially interesting) topic irrelevant, if it annoys someone. Managing light sources such as torches/lamps as limited resources, keeping track of their ranges and duration, is potentially a very interesting strategic element of a RPG for those who want it, but at the same time it can be totally a dealbreaker for another gaming group who has zero interest in this strategic element. So what do game desigers do? They put it in the game, but then they also put "switch off" abilities (low-level light spells) that entitle players to remove the strategic element entirely. Perhaps the crux of the matter is that they put this into the players' hands instead of the DM, which means that according to the rules, a single player who doesn't like the strategic element can remove it from the game for everyone, unless the DM intervenes but then becomes adversarial to that single player.

If they haven't learned a better way in 50 years, I have little faith they ever will.

The better way IMO is to decide what you want your game to be about and don't include elements that remove those things.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Does the draconic sorcerer not grant draconic as language any more?

They went it out of their way to word it in both playtests so that the dragon sorcerer doesn't know draconic. Just that 'dragons always know what you say'.

No clue if that's changed for the final book, but as presented in the playtest it was an outright nerf, and clearly done that way intentionally. It was no longer possible for the sorcerer to switch to another language to prevent the dragon understanding them.

 

[Baumi]

I like that rare Languages are now really rare. But I do agree that Classes, Species and Backgrounds should have given fitting Languages automatically.

But I find it especially strange that you don't get your Species Language automatically. I have seen two generated Characters so far (one on Beyond, the other a Video from Sly Flourish) and both don't have their own species-language. For some Characters it could be fitting that they don't know it (was raised by another Species/Culture), but I think that will be a part of many Characters now (most will simply overlooked it, like Sly Flourish who just rolled on the table).

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I'd have preferred the opposite approach to what they've taken tbh. Plenty of ways to pick up languages as you go along, but also allowing players to only start with a single language.

Every character being forced to know tons of languages is frustrating, and can be extremely jarring with many backstories.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Honestly 5.5 might have been better off removing these bits of fiction altogether and just hand-waving it. It looks to me like they want to make it not matter anyway. Just rip the band-aid off and focus their mechanics attention where they want it.

What they really ought to do is remove the spells that negate "nitty gritty realism" aspects of the game, but then create low level magic items (like common or uncommon let's say) that do the same thing.

It would be much easier for a DM to be like "sorry none of the magic shops have a Basket of Goodberries or a Helm of Comprehend Languages" than it is to ban spells that players will expect to be able to take during character creation. Or if your group doesn't play with those aspects of the game then make the magic items cheap and plentiful

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Intelligence stopped affecting languages after 3e.

Looking at the Playtest, it was originally Common + Background + Free pick, and Background could be anything (such as Acolyte learning Celestial). But people pitched a fit that Gladiators spoke Orc and Farmers spoke Halfling so language got removed and two free choices got added with no mechanic to learning Rare languages...

Oh, so another mechanic where they went all-in for something right up until the very end, and then when that collapsed, they had to scramble to do something, knock-on consequences be damned?

Well, at least 5.5e's apple hasn't fallen far from the tree, I guess.

 

[Minigiant]

It does appear so. Making Rogues and Rangers the best Polyglots in D&D

That makes sense as they are the most experienced in other cultures.

 

[Remathilis]

Where does it say Elves take a century to learn Elvish?

One of the older era sources. It's part of that whole "you're physically an adult at 20, but you're considered one until 100" facets of elven culture. It

 

[Yaarel]

It is odd if there isnt a way to access some of these rare languages.

In the meantime, it is possible to use skill checks to try comprehend a language.

Arcana:
• Aberration − Deep Speech
• Elemental − Primordial
• Fey − Sylvan

Religion:
• Celestial − Supernal
• Fiend − Abyssal
• Fiend − Infernal

History:
• Humanoid languages
• Giant languages

Nature:
• Draconic


I would organize the skills slightly differently, but the core rules above from the Study action are functional enough. The DMs prerogative can assign a DC of say 10, 15, or 20 depending on whether what is being discussed in the language is general vocabulary or high specialized jargon.

 

[mellored]

It is odd if there isnt a way to access some of these rare languages.

In the meantime, it is possible to use skill checks to try comprehend a language.

Using Int to interpret makes plenty of sense to me.

Communication in an unknown language.
When you attempt to communicate in a language that you are not proficient in, either verbal, written, or otherwise, choose to convey either simple, moderate, or complex ideas. As usual, the DM may modify the DC based on circumstances.
Failing the check results in a misunderstanding, which often reduces their trust in you, and may even start violence.

Simple; DC 15. Getting getting the general direction to a destination, or asking the price of an item on display, or the home of a person you have a picture of. You can not attempt Persuasion or Deception check and they will only reveal common information. It takes 3x as long as normal.

Moderate: DC 20 Multi-step directions, the home of a person based on description. Or how many pages of a book you can show on YouTube. You have disadvantage on Persuasion and Deception checks. Conversing takes 2x as long as normal.

Complex: DC 25 you converse clearly. Though it is still obvious that you are not a native speaker.

Rare language: due to their more alien origin, conversing in a rare language increases the DC by 5.