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

[Remathilis]

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.

I love Enworld. Why create a rule to allow training in a rare language when you check create a whole subsystem to puzzle out what the djinni is saying.

 

[Osgood]

I'd noticed this glaring omission too. The most obvious solutions would have been to remove the +1 to Intelligence and make Linguist an Origin feat. Or just keep Backgrounds with a language, just let it be one of choice.

Personally, I would have gone with adding free languages to a few more subclasses, Draconic for dragon sorcerers, Primordial for elemental monks, the language of their patron for warlocks (Celestial, Deep Speech, Infernal, or Sylvan respectively), a choice of Celestial, Abyssal, or Infernal for all clerics, and just a free language or even two to all wizards for being smart! I may just house rule it that way.

 

[Remathilis]

I'd noticed this glaring omission too. The most obvious solutions would have been to remove the +1 to Intelligence and make Linguist an Origin feat. Or just keep Backgrounds with a language, just let it be one of choice.

Personally, I would have gone with adding free languages to a few more subclasses, Draconic for dragon sorcerers, Primordial for elemental monks, the language of their patron for warlocks (Celestial, Deep Speech, Infernal, or Sylvan respectively), a choice of Celestial, Abyssal, or Infernal for all clerics, and just a free language or even two to all wizards for being smart! I may just house rule it that way.

I'm waiting to see if the topic gets addressed in the DMG, but I'm very tempted to add free languages to a bunch of features and subclasses if it's not.

It's kinda sad I have more potential house rules for 24 than I did in 14...

 

[lall]

In both 5 and 5.5, the default starting number of languages and tools combined is 4. 5.5 states you get 3 languages and has restrictions for those. It also allows a “tool” through the background and allows for older backgrounds not in the 2024 PHB. Arguably, one could use a customized Folk Hero background that includes a rare language rather than a tool. So my 5.5 character is restricted to Common and 2 standard languages to fit the 5.5 box and I accept that. However, staying within the 5.5 box, his 1 “tool” is Sylvan.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I like the split between rare and standard languages.

As a houserule, I can see allowing players to have one rare language for two standard ones, or two tools/languages for a skill with the skilled feat. -- I suspect that's what I'll do, if any player is interested.

I kinda feel the opposite, if they didn't care about languages they wouldn't have removed Linguist or limited them to Material-plane languages only.

I find this pretty funny, actually. At no point in the past ten years have I seen anyone take the Linguist feat. It was a joke -- along with the 2014 Weapon Master, one of the worst feats in the old PHB.

But they just didn't include them in places they should be. Thaumaturge (Cleric) and Magician (Druid) could have given a bonus language in Celestial/Infernal/Abyssal or Primoridal/Sylvan respectively.

This is a really good idea.

Scholar (for Wizard) should have given a free language. Draconic Sorcerers should get Draconic,

Possibly, but I don't think this follows. Wizards don't bother to learn languages because they have a first-level spell. And I don't speak the languages of my ancestors; not sure why a draconic sorcerer would unless they put in the effort.

Warlocks get the language of their patron (Celestial, Deep Speech, Abyssal/Infernal or Sylvan as appropriate). Fey Wanderer get Sylvan. Etc. They missed such easy layups.

Here I'd say no -- Warlocks aren't learning the language and culture of their patrons; they're looking for power.

I feel like a broken record at this point, but I REALLY hope learning languages are easy downtime activities in the DMG...

I think there are better fixes than reducing the value of the languages that you choose, which this does.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm waiting to see if the topic gets addressed in the DMG, but I'm very tempted to add free languages to a bunch of features and subclasses if it's not.

It's kinda sad I have more potential house rules for 24 than I did in 14...

That's an indication that the game has moved farther away from your preferences. I get that.

 

[Remathilis]

That's an indication that the game has moved farther away from your preferences. I get that.

So far, it just a number of choices that feel backwards compared to 2014. For example: the floating ASI being replaced by background specific ones, or the restricting languages and limiting the ability to get new ones, or the elf lineages just being spell choices. Things they had already figured out and then for whatever reason felt they needed tinker with. Nothing so far has been game breaking; I can allow custom ASI choices or expand language options without breaking the game, but as I said I shouldn't have to. This was stuff that worked fine and no one was clamouring for. It's nitpick stuff that can easily be fixed but it shouldn't need to because it wasn't broken in the first place!

 

[Nijay]

A Druid or Ranger speaking Sylvan is iconic imo and allowed parties to negotiate with Fey and other creatures to avoid combat. That one is slightly more of a loss to me.

Languages are one of several things that distinguish characters from each other and that DM's can use to give the spotlight to someone. Reducing it I guess strengthens Comprehend Languages? But I thought a character that spoke a rare language could be much more interesting than someone casting a spell. The ability to make contacts, negotiate, or generally interact with more NPC's is a good thing. Languages are part of my character builds and back stories, and I think limiting them does no favors for RP.

 

[Remathilis]

A Druid or Ranger speaking Sylvan is iconic imo and allowed parties to negotiate with Fey and other creatures to avoid combat. That one is slightly more of a loss to me.

Languages are one of several things that distinguish characters from each other and that DM's can use to give the spotlight to someone. Reducing it I guess strengthens Comprehend Languages? But I thought a character that spoke a rare language could be much more interesting than someone casting a spell. The ability to make contacts, negotiate, or generally interact with more NPC's is a good thing. Languages are part of my character builds and back stories, and I think limiting them does no favors for RP.

Well said

 

[Blue]

WotC has no idea what to do with languages, they're kind of like spell components in that they're in the game because they've always been in the game, but they don't really serve any functional purpose or add anything interesting except in rare situations.

Except that spell components serve several important purposes in 5e.

First, just like weapons, it allows a caster to be (mostly) disarmed. So PCs don't have to kill every caster they fight, and foes can disarm PC casters they capture instead of just killing them.

Second, expensive material components act like a throttle to casting the spell. Take Heroes' Feast for example. If there was no expensive component that would be cast everyday and would fade from a wonderful buff to all the party for something special to a bunch of communities and math adjustments that were always in play.