Low Literacy World: Which classes would be literate (read/write)?

[Emirikol]

Which classes would be literate (read/write) in a low-literacy world? For example, which classes /absolutely/ need to be able to read/write in order to practice their trade

Artificer (Eberron PHB)
Battlesmith Artificer
Avenger (PHBII)
Pursuing Avenger
Isolating Avenger
Barbarian (PHBII)
Rageblood Barbarian
Thaneborne
Bard (PHBII)
Cunning Bard
Valorous Bard
Cleric
Battle Cleric
Devoted Cleric
Druid (PHBII)
Guardian Druid
Predator Druid
Fighter
Battlerager Fighter (BoMP)
Great Weapon Fighter
Guardian Fighter
Tempest Fighter (BoMP)
Invoker (PHBII)
Preserving Invoker
Wrathful Invoker
Paladin
Avenging Paladin
Protecting Paladin
Ranger
Archer Ranger
Beastmaster Ranger (BoMP)
Two-blade Ranger
Rogue
Aerialist Rogue (BoMP)
Brawny Rogue
Cutthroat Rogue (BoMP)
Trickster Rogue
Shaman (PHBII)
Bear Shaman
Panther Shaman
Sorcerer (PHBII)
Chaos Sorcerer
Dragon Sorcerer
Spellscarred Multiclass (FRPG41)
Chaos Mutation (ToC chapter 3 DM’s choice)
Gift of the Chaos Gods (Toc170+, DM’s choice)
Swordmage (FRPG)
Assault Swordmage
Shielding Swordmage
Warlock (Fey, Infernal, Star, Dark pacts)
Deceptive Warlock
Scourge Warolock
Warden (PHBII)
Earth Warden
Wild Warden
Warlord
Bravura Warlord (BoMP)
Inspiring Warlord
Resourceful Warlord (BoMP)
Tactical Warlord
Wizard
Control Wizard
War Wizard

 

[deleteme123456]

Well, I would start with an easy first pass... any class with ritual caster should be literate. Historically, members of the clergy were often the most educated, so divine classes may lean more toward literate... arcane classes semi-literate, martial classes generally illiterate (although warlord might be), and primal generally illiterate.

For some interesting ideas, race might matter too... it's hard to imagine an illiterate Eladrin, for example.

 

[Obryn]

Are we looking for an easy distinction or a tough one?

As a guess, I think an easy way to separate them is that Arcane classes always have literacy; Divine classes probably have literacy; Martial classes might have literacy; and Primal classes never have literacy. Perhaps give a percentile chance based on this.

Also, any class that starts with Alchemist or Ritual Caster should either be literate, or else have an alternate, writing-like way of storing rituals.

-O

 

[Danceofmasks]

I'd go an alternate route.
Rather than making arbitrary class-based judgements, I suggest (arbitrary) background-based judgements.

The (reverse) assumption is that literacy is a significant investment in time (read: education), and D&D characters without literacy would have learned something else in lieu.

So, mechanically, make all classes illiterate by default, make literacy take up a "trained skill" slot, and give everybody an extra trained skill (to be literate with if they want).

And, if a character should want to later on, they can learn to read with a skill training feat.

 

[Regicide]

I'd go an alternate route.
Rather than making arbitrary class-based judgements, I suggest (arbitrary) background-based judgements.

That. Theres no reason that arcane casters requires literacy in 4E. Even in 3E magic wasn't written in common (okay, not counting martial scrolls.)

 

[Hammerhead]

I would just assume that all of the PCs have learned how to read, even if most of the world can't (unless someone wants to be illiterate).

 

[Inyssius]

All of them! None of them! You couldn't do this logically in 3.X, and you can't do it now. Observe.

A wizard should surely be among the most literate of men, right?

No. Born in the Feywild, he was raised by displacer beasts. His mind is uneducated, yet he is a master of cunning ploys and deceitful stratagems. Always full of shifting, complex plans, constantly guessing at his associates' true positions. His "spellbook" is a stolen crystal necklace imbued with spirits of air and chaos; he wields his powers instinctively, a natural consequence of life in High Magic demesnes; or communes with the spirits of the realm, and through a shifting web of favors and tricks persuades them to wield power on his behalf.

A barbarian, though--surely, he should be the least educated man one might find?

No. Born in the shining keep of Harain, Wyan Richter Kaisenföst III--the son of the great baron Jaas--was raised every inch the immaculate gentleman. His fondest wish was to be a scholar in the great library of Harain, but was forced to enlist in the army as is a good son's duty. Now a commander, he knows this is not his rightful calling; but though his heart is filled with rage at the foes of his nation and the unfeeling world that brought him to this, he channels his fury into an unbreakable determination to be the best leader his men will ever have (and the best poet, incidentally, but that's neither here nor there). His men respect him for his tireless drive, his undeniable charisma, his skill in the arts of war, his legendary anger when wronged--and perhaps most of all, for fighting in (if not far in front of) the front lines of every battle, a furious whirlwind of steel, leading by example, aiding his allies and slaying his foes.

Bards should be literate, right? Ha ha ha. Does the name "Homer" ring any bells? Don't bards owe their entire existence to being oral historians in a culture without writing?

 

[Starfox]

If you want game values to decide literacy, base it off Int. Make the requirement low. If you want most but not all your heroes to be literate, set it to Int 10, and you probably get around 75% literacy. Setting it to 11 would probably mean about 50% literacy in the party. Setting it to 13 would make literacy rare, perhaps 25%. I would suggest making the requirement 10 (or 9, if you want an odd number), but as I said it depends on how common you want it to be.

This assumes, of course, that your players would not take Int just to be literate, which would increase literacy rates somewhat. In fact, this could be the cure for Int as the universal dump stat.

You also have to make sure there exists alternate, non-written mediums for rituals. I suggest ritual fetishes that contain the information of the ritual in non-written form, as suggested in (I believe) the PH2.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Another idea is keying off the knowledge skills - while knowledge does not require reading, the Int-based knowledge skills are ones that heavily associated with reading (Arcana and Religion have a lot of bookish connotations).

Cheers, LT.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Another idea is keying off the knowledge skills - while knowledge does not require reading, the Int-based knowledge skills are ones that heavily associated with reading (Arcana and Religion have a lot of bookish connotations).

Cheers, LT.

Yeah, I was going to suggest the same thing, but you can certainly present an argument for any knowledge skill to be had without literacy. In fact the PCs seem to have all their knowledge in their heads, generally speaking. One does not require a library to make an Arcana or Nature etc monster knowledge check for instance.

Still, it stands to reason that characters with knowledge skills, especially those of formal knowledge, Arcana, History, and Religion, are more educated and more likely to be able to read.

Another option is to utilize the linguist feat. It allows understanding of three additional languages. It could alternatively be used to allow understanding of three forms of written language. So if you take linguist you can choose to be able to read say Dwarvish, Elven, and Common, or you could choose to be able to both speak and read Dwarvish and read Common.

Characters could also choose to use one of their starting skill slots to learn 3 written languages (since a skill is attainable via a single feat, this just basically allows a starting character to substitute linguist feat for a starting skill). Additionally a character could choose literacy in one language as a starting benefit in lieu of the +2 skill bonus granted by a character background.

I think that would work pretty well. At a cost of a +2 background skill bonus you can read one language, at a cost of an entire skill you can read three languages, and any time later in the game that a PC wants to become (more) literate they can use a feat slot to do so. No complex new rules required, nor in fact any significant stretching of existing feat/skill rules, simply a slightly broader interpretation of one feat and an option to trade one skill for the linguist feat.