SPEAK LANGUAGE
(Intelligence; Trained Only)
Skill Groups: Academia
Speak Language is a skill that encompasses a number of different languages, accents and dialects. You can expand the number of languages that you are fluent in by investing skill points to cover new languages.
When you first build your character, you automatically gain fluency in your native language, allowing you to speak that language perfectly without making a Decipher Script check. In addition, you gain a number of literacies or fluencies (see the Decipher Script skill above) equal to your Intelligence bonus. For example, a character with an Intelligance of 14 may choose two bonus literacies, two bonus fluencies, or one bonus literacy and one bonus fluency.
You may become fluent in additional languages by spending 1 skill point for each language. These skill points do not improve your Speak Language ability, they simply grant you additional languages with which you are fluent.
Check: You can interpret speech in an unfamiliar language or dialect or spoken in an incomplete or archaic form. Make a check with DC 20 for unfamiliar dialects of a language you know, DC 25 for forgein languages, and DC 30 or higher for intricate, exotic or very old language.
If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a speech about one paragraph long (or the equivalent). On a failure, make a Wisdom check (DC 5) to see whether you draw a false conclusion about the speech. Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; another failure means that you do.
Both the Speak Language check and (if necessary) the Wisdom check are made secretly, so you can’t tell whether your conclusions are true or false.
Cant: You can create a simple jargon to hide a message’s true meaning. Anyone hearing the message must make a Speak Languages attempt to understand it. Anyone who knows the jargon can understand it automatically, even without the Speak Languages skill.
Action: Interpreting the equivalent of a single paragraph of speech takes one minute (10 consecutive full-round actions).
Try Again: You may attempt a Speak Language check on a particular speech once per hour. If the check fails, you must wait an hour to try again.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Speak Language, you get a +2 bonus on Disguise checks that require a specific language, dialect or accent.
Take 10/20: You may take 10 on Speak Language checks, but you cannot take 20 because failure carries a penalty.
Extended Skill Checks: Your DM may rule that complex, long or intricate speeches and conversatons require an extended skill check. In this case, you may make one check per hour to interpret the speech.
Challenges: Speak Language uses the standard challenges given earlier in this chapter.