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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 7481463" data-attributes="member: 92305">Reading?  Writing?Here's a simple and easy to use rule in your game for character literacy.First off, note that the NPC class for Commoners default to illiterate.  If a Commoner classed character can read and write, it costs them 2 skill points.In the game, all PCs are considered to be literate.  I suggest giving each PC an extra 2 skill points that can only be put toward the Decipher Script skill.  If this is a cross-class skill for the character, then the 2 points will net the character 1 rank in the skill, which is enough to consider the character as "trained".  If the skill is a class skill, then the character starts the game with a bonus +2 ranks in that skill, which is appropriate for Scholars and Thieves, the only two classes that have Decipher Script as a class skill.THE READING CHECK:When a character needs to read something written in a language the he knows (the language is checked off on his character sheet as a known language), simply use the Decipher Script rules as written in the skills chapter--except use a DC 15.  The character's skill roll indicates how well he reads.The GM will use this same procedure for characters attempting to read something the character has written, except that the GM may want to modify the difficulty in reading the character's scribbling depending on the character's command of the language.KNOWN LANGUAGESThe rules in the game are fairly liberal as to the number of languages known by a character.  I suggest that you also consider the character's background when allowing starting languages.  A Cimmerian from an isolated valley in Cimmeria might only know the Cimmerian language.  So, even though the rules allow for a character to have several starting languages, it might be appropriate for the character to start the game only knowing the one language.Note that some Conan fans say that there is no written Cimmerian language.  It is a spoken-only form of communication.  If this is the way it is in your game, then consider holding off on awarding the character bonus 2 skill points to Decipher Script.  Once the character starts adventuring and learns another language that can be written (maybe using a trainer), then give the character the bonus skill points.  You may even want to hold off awarding the bonus points until the character spends a skill point or two on Decipher Script.The languages a character knows should be supported by his background.  There is no need to give every character the maximum number of languages possible.  Instead, use common sense and allow characters to know languages that grow organically from the character's previous adventures.  Of course, the same goes for NPCs.</blockquote>

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