Thenerdymusician
First Post
Do you guys use the regional languages of the Forgotten Realms or do you use strictly Common?
-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
D&D 5E Languages
- Thread starter Thenerdymusician
- Start date
In my Greyhawk campaign (because Greyhawk is better than Realms 
), Humans start with a bonus racial language (like the regional languages). In addition, you gain/lose Tools/Languages based on your Int Modifier. Therefore, most people (NPCs) speak their racial language and Common, but those with lower Int often lose Common to rely on their racial language. PCs can do what they wish, but unless someone keeps a 5 or lower Int, it seem unlikely they would ever choose to give up Common.
), Humans start with a bonus racial language (like the regional languages). In addition, you gain/lose Tools/Languages based on your Int Modifier. Therefore, most people (NPCs) speak their racial language and Common, but those with lower Int often lose Common to rely on their racial language. PCs can do what they wish, but unless someone keeps a 5 or lower Int, it seem unlikely they would ever choose to give up Common.
Inchoroi
Adventurer
I haven't run FR in a while, but I used to use a mixture, I suppose. The regional languages were a thing that the players could use, but almost never did, except one time when one of my players made a monk from Shou who didn't speak Common at all. That was fun.
That actually led to my setting have 60+ languages, and the only thing resembling "Common" as its thought of in D&D parlance is a military/merchant pidgin that, outside of those two social classes, almost no one knows. I grant my players bonus languages to help out a bit, however.
That actually led to my setting have 60+ languages, and the only thing resembling "Common" as its thought of in D&D parlance is a military/merchant pidgin that, outside of those two social classes, almost no one knows. I grant my players bonus languages to help out a bit, however.
I used to not really care because adventures over vast areas are harder to run if players don't know the language.
However, my current job is linguist so bring on the language barrier! Two of my current players are linguists. It helps when you are playing in Mystara which has Earth analogues. So having players and a DM that (in this and former campaigns) can speak and do an accent for Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew it really helps.
In college one player spent a year in The Czech Republic. She played an elf and Czech and the Czech accent became Elvish. Fun.
Languages add a lot to a fantasy game. But it's hard to do if you don't have background knowledge to pull it off.
At a minimum, though, I'd suggest making languages. If a PC doesn't know the language he doesn't understand. A fantasy planet should have dozens of languages.
However, my current job is linguist so bring on the language barrier! Two of my current players are linguists. It helps when you are playing in Mystara which has Earth analogues. So having players and a DM that (in this and former campaigns) can speak and do an accent for Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew it really helps.
In college one player spent a year in The Czech Republic. She played an elf and Czech and the Czech accent became Elvish. Fun.
Languages add a lot to a fantasy game. But it's hard to do if you don't have background knowledge to pull it off.
At a minimum, though, I'd suggest making languages. If a PC doesn't know the language he doesn't understand. A fantasy planet should have dozens of languages.
Ed Laprade
First Post
I just kitbash modules to form my campaigns, so no. Besides, I lost any interest I had in that sort of thing when encounters ground to a quick halt when no one in the party could talk to anyone in the area they were in. That's GMing 101.
Eltab
Lord of the Hidden Layer
I have Common be, well, commonly spoken. Because the fun grinds to a halt when nobody can understand a word you are saying.
If you need an IRL example, most people world-wide with a good-quality education can speak English, even if with a thick accent. (Says the guy with a pure Midwest American accent.)
You can tell, though, if a person is from London or Tay-ex-us or the Deep South sugar or da Yoo-Pee or India or Noo Yawk by their accent.
When I think of it, I try to put a bit into an NPC's speech to indicate "You have travelled a long way." But I'm not consistent about it.
And a fun historical fact: Benedict Arnold's contact with the British Army was caught because there just weren't any local farmers (he was wearing a disguise) who sounded like they came from the City of London.
If you need an IRL example, most people world-wide with a good-quality education can speak English, even if with a thick accent. (Says the guy with a pure Midwest American accent.)
You can tell, though, if a person is from London or Tay-ex-us or the Deep South sugar or da Yoo-Pee or India or Noo Yawk by their accent.
When I think of it, I try to put a bit into an NPC's speech to indicate "You have travelled a long way." But I'm not consistent about it.
If I Was the Evil Overlord said:
And a fun historical fact: Benedict Arnold's contact with the British Army was caught because there just weren't any local farmers (he was wearing a disguise) who sounded like they came from the City of London.
Last edited:
Similar Threads
- Poll
