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<blockquote data-quote="User51" data-source="post: 9619243" data-attributes="member: 7049160">I've been following along and I think an idea is starting to form about how I could introduce more meaningful language into my games without totally disrupting play. Most of the time, most characters understand most NPCs. I'll assume this is Common/Westron or whatever the lingua franca of the setting is. Most clues, maps, books, etc. are also in this language, unless it is specific to the adventure I'm running that it be different. (Why would Bunfundians write in Common to other Bunfundians? We will never know.)When a player meets an NPC and they speak the same language, there will be bonuses (+1, +2, advantage) to reaction rolls, investigation rolls, intuition rolls (how I hate that skill), or however socials are resolved. This simulates the positive reaction that people often get when someone unexpectedly understands their language, whether when they encounter each other in a foreign land or when someone clearly foreign knows some of the language.Players and NPCs who share a language can speak in that language to conceal what they are saying from others. PCs that overhear people speaking in a language they think the PC can't understand get to know what the NPCs are saying, basically no roll required unless there are impediments.I could go for two levels of fluency that would determine the extent of the bonus, as well as penalties for xenophobic types if we want to add that. (Oh, you know a little Bunfundian? Awesome! Wait - you know a lot of Bunfundian? That's worrisome....)&quot;Other languages&quot; becomes a potential plot hook. Go find someone who can translate King BunnyFunny's diary.Still considering whether to give additional bonuses based on the language itself. That's a level of magic that would be typical in 5e, but not my jam. Usually.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="User51, post: 9619243, member: 7049160"] I've been following along and I think an idea is starting to form about how I could introduce more meaningful language into my games without totally disrupting play. Most of the time, most characters understand most NPCs. I'll assume this is Common/Westron or whatever the lingua franca of the setting is. Most clues, maps, books, etc. are also in this language, unless it is specific to the adventure I'm running that it be different. (Why would Bunfundians write in Common to other Bunfundians? We will never know.) When a player meets an NPC and they speak the same language, there will be bonuses (+1, +2, advantage) to reaction rolls, investigation rolls, intuition rolls (how I hate that skill), or however socials are resolved. This simulates the positive reaction that people often get when someone unexpectedly understands their language, whether when they encounter each other in a foreign land or when someone clearly foreign knows some of the language. Players and NPCs who share a language can speak in that language to conceal what they are saying from others. PCs that overhear people speaking in a language they think the PC can't understand get to know what the NPCs are saying, basically no roll required unless there are impediments. I could go for two levels of fluency that would determine the extent of the bonus, as well as penalties for xenophobic types if we want to add that. (Oh, you know a little Bunfundian? Awesome! Wait - you know a [I]lot[/I] of Bunfundian? That's worrisome....) "Other languages" becomes a potential plot hook. [I]Go find someone who can translate King BunnyFunny's diary[/I]. Still considering whether to give additional bonuses based on the language itself. That's a level of magic that would be typical in 5e, but not my jam. Usually. [/QUOTE]

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