D&D 5E If Runes are now linked to Giants, Giant language should use Giant Script

[Minigiant]

The 5e PHB says the Giant language is used by giants but uses the dwarven script. Other books say that the dwarves took giant runes to make their own language.

But with the Rune Knight Fighter sublclass and future Giant tied subclasses being tied to runes, it makes more sense that Dwarven script and Giant script are 2 different sets of runes.

Giants aren't stupid. When not the ones high on the Ordning. So it would make sense that giants have their own script. They aren't like orcs and goblins in the default rules who don't have a culture or society sophisticated enough to make there own script.

Same with Primordial. Old primidial elementals and genies would be using dwarf letters.

Language	Script	Dialects
Common	Common
Dwarvish	Dwarven
Elvish	Elvish
Giant	Giant
Gnomish	Dwarven
Goblin	Dwarven
Halfling	Common
Orc	Dwarven
Abyssal	Infernal
Celestial	Celestial
Deep Speech	-
Draconic	Draconic
Druidic	Druidic
Gith	Gith	Githyanki, Githzerai
Gnoll	Infernal
Infernal	Infernal
Primordial	Giant	Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran
Slyvan	Elvish
Undercommon	Elvish

 

[Parmandur]

I mean, the 4E concept was the Dwarves got their Runes from the Giants. And hey, look, James Wyatt in the byline, writing about Runes...

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Nah I find it fine that they share the same script even with different languages.

 

[Shiroiken]

I've always assumed that the "dwarven script" was just from the perspective of dwarves and other non-giant humanoids. To the giants, dwarves use "giant script."

 

[Charlaquin]

Do giants use Dwarven script, or do dwarves use Giant script? (I assume written Primordial is a transliteration).

Speaking of transliteration, it’s weird that each language has one and only one script it’s written in. Realistically you should be able to transliterate just about any language into any script, if you’re familiar enough with both.

 

[Minigiant]

Nah I find it fine that they share the same script even with different languages.

I've always assumed that the "dwarven script" was just from the perspective of dwarves and other non-giant humanoids. To the giants, dwarves use "giant script."

That would make sense before.
But with heavier push of runes and runes being tied to giants, then the giant's runes have to look different from dwarven runes.

Because if dwarves borrowed giant runes but couldn't figure out rune magic,that makes dwarves look stupid with there higher population and frequent contact with giants.

 

[Charlaquin]

That would make sense before.
But with heavier push of runes and runes being tied to giants, then the giant's runes have to look different from dwarven runes.

Because if dwarves borrowed giant runes but couldn't figure out rune magic,that makes dwarves look stupid with there higher population and frequent contact with giants.

Who says dwarves couldn’t figure out rune magic? Last I checked, none of the rune magic subclasses or feats are off-limits for dwarves.

 

[Minigiant]

Who says dwarves couldn’t figure out rune magic? Last I checked, none of the rune magic subclasses or feats are off-limits for dwarves.

The rune magic follows giant themes not dwarven. So while dwarven might have figured out runic magic,they seemed to be unable to incorporate dwarven aspects or themes to it.

Rune magic as it currently is in 5e is giant based.

 

[Shiroiken]

That would make sense before.
But with heavier push of runes and runes being tied to giants, then the giant's runes have to look different from dwarven runes.

Because if dwarves borrowed giant runes but couldn't figure out rune magic,that makes dwarves look stupid with there higher population and frequent contact with giants.

Dwarves and giants use the same runes for language the same way that English, French, and Spanish all use the same characters, but Russian, Chinese, and Japanese do not. Not all runes are going to be magic runes. You could not have a language that consists entirely of magic runes, because the mere act of talking/reading/writing would trigger magic all over the place. The few that have magic can only be used/accessed by those who can understand magic.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

That would make sense before.
But with heavier push of runes and runes being tied to giants, then the giant's runes have to look different from dwarven runes.

Because if dwarves borrowed giant runes but couldn't figure out rune magic,that makes dwarves look stupid with there higher population and frequent contact with giants.

Or...it could mean that dwarves were like, "hey, these runes are great, but we don't want literally every message we send to be giving away our secrets." So they invented a new, non-magical script, which was inspired by giant runes but intentionally non-magical.

Then the giants come along and say, "hey, this idea of non-magical writing, so we can, y'know, write out stuff and not have it accidentally set off a friggin' blizzard of spells, sounds like a pretty nifty idea." So they steal it from the dwarves just as the dwarves stole runes from them.

Reciprocal idea theft is kind of the foundation of modern civilization.

 

[Weiley31]

Considering that in my games, Dwarves/Giants are "distant" cousins to each other in a very loose step-family kind of way, it makes sense that the Dwarven Dethlek rune language would be based off the same script that composes Giant Script and Runes.

 

[Charlaquin]

The rune magic follows giant themes not dwarven. So while dwarven might have figured out runic magic,they seemed to be unable to incorporate dwarven aspects or themes to it.

Rune magic as it currently is in 5e is giant based.

It’s giant-themed because it originated from giants. They invented it.

 

[Minigiant]

Or...it could mean that dwarves were like, "hey, these runes are great, but we don't want literally every message we send to be giving away our secrets." So they invented a new, non-magical script, which was inspired by giant runes but intentionally non-magical.

Then the giants come along and say, "hey, this idea of non-magical writing, so we can, y'know, write out stuff and not have it accidentally set off a friggin' blizzard of spells, sounds like a pretty nifty idea." So they steal it from the dwarves just as the dwarves stole runes from them.

Reciprocal idea theft is kind of the foundation of modern civilization.

Yeah but the current lore has the Storm Giants and Cloud Giants be anything but stupid and uncultured. And all giant must follow their lead.

It is more likely that the Giants had their own script and rune before or by the time Dwarves borrowed from them.

So it became more like the Japanese adopting Chinese characters and changing it.

 

[SkidAce]

Considering that in my games, Dwarves/Giants are "distant" cousins to each other in a very loose step-family kind of way, it makes sense that the Dwarven Dethlek rune language would be based off the same script that composes Giant Script and Runes.

Same here.

Giants > Dwarves > Human (Norse analog)

 

[SkidAce]

 

[Maxperson]

But with heavier push of runes and runes being tied to giants, then the giant's runes have to look different from dwarven runes.

Why? I've seen several languages that I cannot read that are written in the A-Z alphabet. Using the same lettering(runes) doesn't mean that they are the same language.

Because if dwarves borrowed giant runes but couldn't figure out rune magic,that makes dwarves look stupid with there higher population and frequent contact with giants.

Dwarves in multiple prior editions had rune magic. Was it the same as giant rune magic? Maybe yes, maybe no. I don't see why they cannot have rune magic in 5e.

 

[Minigiant]

Why? I've seen several languages that I cannot read that are written in the A-Z alphabet. Using the same lettering(runes) doesn't mean that they are the same language.

Dwarves in multiple prior editions had rune magic. Was it the same as giant rune magic? Maybe yes, maybe no. I don't see why they cannot have rune magic in 5e.

What I'm saying that in 5th edition, the designers are making Runes and Runic Magic strictly created and developed by Giants. Any race can use it but rune and rune magic is still completely giant based

They also say that the Dwarves used the Giant runes for the base of their script and alphabet. However they changed it enough to no longer be inherently magical. Thee isn't Giant Rune Magic and Dwarven Rune Magic. Just Giant rune magic. Runic Magic in 5th edition only ever mentions giants and always follows giant theming.

So my theory is that Dwarves changed the Giant Runes enough that the Dwarven Runic Script is actually different from the Giant Runic Script. Because the dwarves wear never able to create new runes.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

What I'm saying that in 5th edition, the designers are making Runes and Runic Magic strictly created and developed by Giants. Any race can use it but rune and rune magic is still completely giant based

They also say that the Dwarves used the Giant runes for the base of their script and alphabet. However they changed it enough to no longer be inherently magical. Thee isn't Giant Rune Magic and Dwarven Rune Magic. Just Giant rune magic. Runic Magic in 5th edition only ever mentions giants and always follows giant theming.

So my theory is that Dwarves changed the Giant Runes enough that the Dwarven Runic Script is actually different from the Giant Runic Script. Because the dwarves wear never able to create new runes.

Giant Runes were never innately magical. They did certain things to make magical runes. Them writing words down does not make it magic.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The 5e PHB says the Giant language is used by giants but uses the dwarven script. Other books say that the dwarves took giant runes to make their own language.

But with the Rune Knight Fighter sublclass and future Giant tied subclasses being tied to runes, it makes more sense that Dwarven script and Giant script are 2 different sets of runes.

Giants aren't stupid. When not the ones high on the Ordning. So it would make sense that giants have their own script. They aren't like orcs and goblins in the default rules who don't have a culture or society sophisticated enough to make there own script.

Same with Primordial. Old primidial elementals and genies would be using dwarf letters.

Language	Script	Dialects
Common	Common
Dwarvish	Dwarven
Elvish	Elvish
Giant	Giant
Gnomish	Dwarven
Goblin	Dwarven
Halfling	Common
Orc	Dwarven
Abyssal	Infernal
Celestial	Celestial
Deep Speech	-
Draconic	Draconic
Druidic	Druidic
Gith	Gith	Githyanki, Githzerai
Gnoll	Infernal
Infernal	Infernal
Primordial	Giant	Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran
Slyvan	Elvish
Undercommon	Elvish

I’d say that common should use a halfling script*, gnomish and elvish should use Sylvan script, giantish, orcish, and the primordial languages should use Primordial script, undercommon should use dwarvish runes, and goblin should have it’s own script.

*influenced by celestial (and theme celestial as being very easy to understand regardless of language, so that part of why common is so commonly spoke is literally that it’s based in a language that supernaturally makes itself understood, so it’s genuinely the easiest language to learn)

 

[Maxperson]

What I'm saying that in 5th edition, the designers are making Runes and Runic Magic strictly created and developed by Giants. Any race can use it but rune and rune magic is still completely giant based

They also say that the Dwarves used the Giant runes for the base of their script and alphabet. However they changed it enough to no longer be inherently magical. Thee isn't Giant Rune Magic and Dwarven Rune Magic. Just Giant rune magic. Runic Magic in 5th edition only ever mentions giants and always follows giant theming.

So my theory is that Dwarves changed the Giant Runes enough that the Dwarven Runic Script is actually different from the Giant Runic Script. Because the dwarves wear never able to create new runes.

First, there's a difference between runic language and magical runes. Second, even if giants came up with it, nothing prohibits dwarves from coming up with their own runic magic. I can easily see dwarves taking the giant runic alphabet and making it their own, then being inspired by those runes to come up with their own runic magic.