Speak Language

[Henry]

You get common and your racial language, plus one additional language per point of int mod which can be chosen from the list included in your race's entry.

But you don't get common, every languge included in your racial entry, and one more per point of int mod beyond those. If that were the case Humans and Half Elves would speak every language in existance, other than Druidic.

I found out something interesting when making my most recent character: Kalashtar only get TWO possible bonus languages: Draconic, and Riedran. They auto-get common and Quori, but a kalashtar with 16 INT or higher gets points wasted for extra languages. (Not that I'm compliaining too much, the DM gave the PC an 18 INT).

 

[Kurotowa]

I found out something interesting when making my most recent character: Kalashtar only get TWO possible bonus languages: Draconic, and Riedran. They auto-get common and Quori, but a kalashtar with 16 INT or higher gets points wasted for extra languages. (Not that I'm compliaining too much, the DM gave the PC an 18 INT).

You think that's bad? Warforged start with only Common and have NO bonus languages. A drawback of the race that is usually not noticed.

On the matter of scouts, the class makes very good explorers and guides. Rangers just have to be good at hanging out in the woods and being nice to the animals, but scouts are more likely to be meeting strange people of all races and types. Being able to speak to the people you meet is a big help to scouts (not to mention being able to understand conversations when you're spying on the enemy and stealing their paperwork).

 

[ydirbut]

It's that so that not only will it be almost useless, it will be cross-class as well

 

[el-remmen]

An optional rules I've seen that I like is allowing characters to buy a language at 'pidgen' level. If you normally pay 2 points for to speak a language fluently, you can spend one point to speak it, er, not fluently. So character knows a few conversational and/or trade phrases - sort of high school french level.

Heh. In my game that is called "one rank of a spoken language" regardless of how many points it costs ya

 

[Tatsukun]

I personally think 2 skill points is a ridiculously low cost for a language. IMC, you start with the standard number (common + Racial + 1 per INT) and from then on, it's a feat to learn a language. Also, humans get “Human” and common (not the same language).

Of course, most of the players (and I) are language teachers, so I guess we're biased!

-Tatsu

 

[davidschwartznz]

Do people actually limit bonus languages to the 'racial' bonus languages? Every game I've been in, we let characters have any bonus languages they can justify.

 

[el-remmen]

Do people actually limit bonus languages to the 'racial' bonus languages? Every game I've been in, we let characters have any bonus languages they can justify.

I don't even give any bonus languages for high Int. You got bonus skill points, spend them on languages if you like, or not. . .

Humans get 2 ranks Common + 2 ranks Local Dialect
Half-Elves get to choose - 1 rank of Common, 2 ranks of Elvish, or vice versa
Half-Orcs get to choose - 1 rank of Common, 2 ranks of orcish, or vice versa
Elves get 2 ranks Elvish, 1 rank Common
Dwarves get 2 ranks Dwarvish, 1 rank Common
Gnomes get 1 rank Common, 2 ranks Gnomish
Halflings get 2 ranks Common (no halfling spoken language)

Oh and everyone pays for Literacy or else like most people in the world, ya can't read. . .

 

[Sejs]

Do people actually limit bonus languages to the 'racial' bonus languages? Every game I've been in, we let characters have any bonus languages they can justify.

Kinda-sorta. In my games I break it down by character region rather than race. This group of languages are spoken here, these languages are spoken in the regions next door, etc. If you're a spellcaster, chances are that planar languages and draconic are available as well. Certain languages serve as analogues to common amongst monster-type critters (orcish and giant, in particular).

But then add in the fact that in my game the Underdark is actually a paralel Prime Material Plane, and Undercommon is just their version of common, and things get a little complicated, heh.