Kerrick
First Post
I've always thought the binary "either you don't know a language at all, or you're completely fluent in it" thing was stupid. Last night, as I was trying to sleep, I came up with an elegant (I think) alternative that models increasing fluency in a language. After revisin Speak Language, I had to come up with an alternative to "If you can speak it, you can write it" which is also crap - there are many ancient/dead languages that scholars can read, but no one knows how to speak. So, I took Decipher Script (which had a half-assed write-up anyway) and made it like Speak Language, then gave it some extra stuff. Let me know what you think - they're sblocked to save space.
Speak Language (None; Trained Only)
[sblock]The Speak Language skill doesn’t work like other skills. Languages work as follows.
There are three levels of familiarity with a language: proficient, conversant, and fluent. Proficient means you know basic words and phrases, enough to get by (ordering food, asking about basic services, etc.). Conversant means you know a fair bit of the language and can hold a conversation as long as the subject doesn't become too technical or esoteric. Fluent means you speak the language like a native.
Each level (skill rank) costs one skill point; you cannot spend more than one skill point a language when levelling up. In other words, you can't suddenly go from not knowing the language at all to being fluent in it – you have to become proficient and conversant first.
You start at 1st level knowing one or two languages (based on your race). You are automatically fluent in these languages. You gain an additional number of skill points equal to your starting Intelligence bonus; these can be applied to buy one or more levels of one or more languages (this is the only case where you can automatically become fluent – you are effectively deciding at character creation that the character can speak the given language fluently).
If a character is less than fluent in a language and is addressed by someone with a greater grasp of the language, he can make an Int check to understand what was being said. The DC is 10 if the speaker is proficient, 15 if he is conversant, or 20 if he is fluent. If the character is conversant, he gains a +4 insight bonus to his check. If the speaker is using a dialect the character doesn't speak, you can make a DC 10 Int check to identify the language; the character's level of fluency is reduced by one step for purposes of understanding the speaker.
You can purchase Speak Language just like any other skill, but each language has only three ranks as noted above, and you can't spend more than one rank per language each level. A list of common languages can be found on the table below (it's the same table as in the PHB).
Action: Not applicable.
Try Again: Yes, but only if the speaker repeats what he says in a simpler form.[/sblock]
Decipher Script (Int; Trained Only)
[sblock]
Check: The Decipher Script doesn't work like other skills. Instead of buying ranks in Decipher Script, you buy ranks in a language.
There are three levels of familiarity with a language: proficient, conversant, and fluent. Proficient means you know basic words and phrases (read/write on a child's level). Conversant means you know a fair bit of the language and can read and write most books, letters, etc., as long as they don't use a lot of vernacular, slang, or obscure words (this is the most common level for the average person). Fluent means you can read and write the language with a high degree of proficiency (a scholar, priest, wizard, or other learned person).
When you encounter a message or text with which you are familiar, you can make an Int check to read and understand it. The DC for the check depends on the complexity of the writing:
Complexity Examples DC
Easy A child's primer 8
Moderate A book written for the average person 12
Hard A text written in an obscure dialect but using normal language 16
Very hard An in-depth scholarly text 20
The DC can also be modified by one or more of the following.
Criteria Modifier
Language is archaic (a form no longer used) +5
Language is old (an uncommon form) +3
Text is badly damaged (less than 30% is readable) +10
Text is partially damaged (30-60% is readable) +6
Text is in code (same alphabet) +6
Text is in code (different alphabet) +10
Reader is proficient in the language +0
Reader is conversant in the language +3
Reader is fluent in the language +6
If the check succeeds by 4 or less, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check succeeds by 5 or more, you understand everything on the page; if the check succeeds by 10 or more, you can discern any hidden meanings (double entendres, metaphors, hidden messages, etc.). If the check fails by 10 or more (or you roll a natural 1), you have drawn a false conclusion about the meaning of the text (this is left up to the DM, based on what the text actually says). The Decipher Script check is made secretly, so you can’t tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.
If the language is one you can't read, but uses the same alphabet as one you can (giant and dwarven, e.g.), you can make a DC 10 Int check to identify the language.
Action: Deciphering the equivalent of a single page of script takes 1 minute (ten consecutive full-round actions) if you are fluent, 5 minutes if you are conversant, or 10 minutes if you are proficient.
Try Again: Yes, but only after you have acquireded more knowledge (i.e., gained one or more ranks).
Special: A character with the Diligent feat gets a +2 bonus on Decipher Script checks.
Synergy: If you are fluent in a written language, you get a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks involving scrolls written in that language.[/sblock]
Speak Language (None; Trained Only)
[sblock]The Speak Language skill doesn’t work like other skills. Languages work as follows.
There are three levels of familiarity with a language: proficient, conversant, and fluent. Proficient means you know basic words and phrases, enough to get by (ordering food, asking about basic services, etc.). Conversant means you know a fair bit of the language and can hold a conversation as long as the subject doesn't become too technical or esoteric. Fluent means you speak the language like a native.
Each level (skill rank) costs one skill point; you cannot spend more than one skill point a language when levelling up. In other words, you can't suddenly go from not knowing the language at all to being fluent in it – you have to become proficient and conversant first.
You start at 1st level knowing one or two languages (based on your race). You are automatically fluent in these languages. You gain an additional number of skill points equal to your starting Intelligence bonus; these can be applied to buy one or more levels of one or more languages (this is the only case where you can automatically become fluent – you are effectively deciding at character creation that the character can speak the given language fluently).
If a character is less than fluent in a language and is addressed by someone with a greater grasp of the language, he can make an Int check to understand what was being said. The DC is 10 if the speaker is proficient, 15 if he is conversant, or 20 if he is fluent. If the character is conversant, he gains a +4 insight bonus to his check. If the speaker is using a dialect the character doesn't speak, you can make a DC 10 Int check to identify the language; the character's level of fluency is reduced by one step for purposes of understanding the speaker.
You can purchase Speak Language just like any other skill, but each language has only three ranks as noted above, and you can't spend more than one rank per language each level. A list of common languages can be found on the table below (it's the same table as in the PHB).
Action: Not applicable.
Try Again: Yes, but only if the speaker repeats what he says in a simpler form.[/sblock]
Decipher Script (Int; Trained Only)
[sblock]
Check: The Decipher Script doesn't work like other skills. Instead of buying ranks in Decipher Script, you buy ranks in a language.
There are three levels of familiarity with a language: proficient, conversant, and fluent. Proficient means you know basic words and phrases (read/write on a child's level). Conversant means you know a fair bit of the language and can read and write most books, letters, etc., as long as they don't use a lot of vernacular, slang, or obscure words (this is the most common level for the average person). Fluent means you can read and write the language with a high degree of proficiency (a scholar, priest, wizard, or other learned person).
When you encounter a message or text with which you are familiar, you can make an Int check to read and understand it. The DC for the check depends on the complexity of the writing:
Complexity Examples DC
Easy A child's primer 8
Moderate A book written for the average person 12
Hard A text written in an obscure dialect but using normal language 16
Very hard An in-depth scholarly text 20
The DC can also be modified by one or more of the following.
Criteria Modifier
Language is archaic (a form no longer used) +5
Language is old (an uncommon form) +3
Text is badly damaged (less than 30% is readable) +10
Text is partially damaged (30-60% is readable) +6
Text is in code (same alphabet) +6
Text is in code (different alphabet) +10
Reader is proficient in the language +0
Reader is conversant in the language +3
Reader is fluent in the language +6
If the check succeeds by 4 or less, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check succeeds by 5 or more, you understand everything on the page; if the check succeeds by 10 or more, you can discern any hidden meanings (double entendres, metaphors, hidden messages, etc.). If the check fails by 10 or more (or you roll a natural 1), you have drawn a false conclusion about the meaning of the text (this is left up to the DM, based on what the text actually says). The Decipher Script check is made secretly, so you can’t tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.
If the language is one you can't read, but uses the same alphabet as one you can (giant and dwarven, e.g.), you can make a DC 10 Int check to identify the language.
Action: Deciphering the equivalent of a single page of script takes 1 minute (ten consecutive full-round actions) if you are fluent, 5 minutes if you are conversant, or 10 minutes if you are proficient.
Try Again: Yes, but only after you have acquireded more knowledge (i.e., gained one or more ranks).
Special: A character with the Diligent feat gets a +2 bonus on Decipher Script checks.
Synergy: If you are fluent in a written language, you get a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks involving scrolls written in that language.[/sblock]
