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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 9607148" data-attributes="member: 29398">I mostly agree, though species-based languages are sometimes a handy make-things-simpler tool.The trick - though more work for the DM - is to add dialects to species-based languages that are different enough to qualify as laugnages of their own.&nbsp; Could be regional, could be societal, could be tribal, whatever; but Orcs (for example) might have several or even many regional or tribal dialects while Hobgoblins all speak exactly the same language because that's what their ultra-lawful society dictates.EDIT to add: a species' deities might have a say (pun intended!) here too, in keeping language consistent within a species or culture or whatever.It also depends on how common and-or widespread a given species is in one's setting.&nbsp; If there's very few Gnomes, for example, and they all live roughly in one area then it's reasonable to think all they'll have is Gnomish.&nbsp; Also, if there's lots of interchange between otherwise-separated populations (e.g. two Dwarven strongholds half a continent apart) there's more likelihood of language similarity than if those populations remain isolated.And Humans, mirroring our real world, should have loads of different languages.Though the players might find it annoying, the best way of reflecting this in-game is to not force all PCs to know Common and have number of languages known be a (slightly randomized) feature of Intelligence, meaning a low-Int character might know its native tongue (which Common cannot be) and that's it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 9607148, member: 29398"] I mostly agree, though species-based languages are sometimes a handy make-things-simpler tool. The trick - though more work for the DM - is to add dialects to species-based languages that are different enough to qualify as laugnages of their own. Could be regional, could be societal, could be tribal, whatever; but Orcs (for example) might have several or even many regional or tribal dialects while Hobgoblins all speak exactly the same language because that's what their ultra-lawful society dictates. EDIT to add: a species' deities might have a say (pun intended!) here too, in keeping language consistent within a species or culture or whatever. It also depends on how common and-or widespread a given species is in one's setting. If there's very few Gnomes, for example, and they all live roughly in one area then it's reasonable to think all they'll have is Gnomish. Also, if there's lots of interchange between otherwise-separated populations (e.g. two Dwarven strongholds half a continent apart) there's more likelihood of language similarity than if those populations remain isolated. And Humans, mirroring our real world, should have loads of different languages. Though the players might find it annoying, the best way of reflecting this in-game is to not force all PCs to know Common and have number of languages known be a (slightly randomized) feature of Intelligence, meaning a low-Int character might know its native tongue (which Common cannot be) and that's it. [/QUOTE]

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