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<blockquote data-quote="Saeviomagy" data-source="post: 807010" data-attributes="member: 5890">I think that pretty much outlines how common would work - you get along fine in 90% of the places that you've ever heard of, in the other 10%, you'll probably have to find someone around there who can translate, and in everywhere that's truly new an interesting, you'll need to learn some other language yourself.The difference is that in D&amp;D that last category is quite likely to be some 80% of the campaign world.Alternately it would be possible to think of common as &quot;enough to get by just about everywhere&quot; rather than english.So an education in common would cover your native language, plus some english, russian, cantonese, smatterings of the romantic languages etc.Two people speaking in common will probably communicate in a somewhat halting fashion until they're used to each others peculiarities.Furthermore, someone's knowledge of common would be constantly expanded and extended as they travel. Barring a teleport, it's unlikely that characters will travel fast enough that they outstrip their own evolving knowledge of common.Further languages are learnt so easily because they're partially incorporated into knowledge of common - learning the new languages is merely a formalisation of previously acquired knowledge. It's moving from enough to ask for directions and food, cursing, apologising and thanking, to being able to perform witty repartee. Within a party of adventurers, their own peculiar form of common rapidly becomes all-but a new language that all participants are very fluent in.There - verisimilitude reached, while still keeping the existing system!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Saeviomagy, post: 807010, member: 5890"] I think that pretty much outlines how common would work - you get along fine in 90% of the places that you've ever heard of, in the other 10%, you'll probably have to find someone around there who can translate, and in everywhere that's truly new an interesting, you'll need to learn some other language yourself. The difference is that in D&D that last category is quite likely to be some 80% of the campaign world. Alternately it would be possible to think of common as "enough to get by just about everywhere" rather than english. So an education in common would cover your native language, plus some english, russian, cantonese, smatterings of the romantic languages etc. Two people speaking in common will probably communicate in a somewhat halting fashion until they're used to each others peculiarities. Furthermore, someone's knowledge of common would be constantly expanded and extended as they travel. Barring a teleport, it's unlikely that characters will travel fast enough that they outstrip their own evolving knowledge of common. Further languages are learnt so easily because they're partially incorporated into knowledge of common - learning the new languages is merely a formalisation of previously acquired knowledge. It's moving from enough to ask for directions and food, cursing, apologising and thanking, to being able to perform witty repartee. Within a party of adventurers, their own peculiar form of common rapidly becomes all-but a new language that all participants are very fluent in. There - verisimilitude reached, while still keeping the existing system! [/QUOTE]

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