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Where Do They Get Their Literacy?
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<blockquote data-quote="rmcoen" data-source="post: 7739134" data-attributes="member: 6692404"><p>In my current (4e) campaign, the PCs come from a wide variety of backgrounds, most of which aren't relevant to this conversation. However, there is one elf in the group, and he is also the only one who understands Elven without magical aid. (There are two wizards, and both have Comprehend Languages.) The *player* of this elven ranger is a combat-hound, and takes naps when we aren't in combat. The rest of us (players and GM) take perverse pleasure in his discomfiture when his elf must act as the "face-man" for the group. Sometimes it is because of needed parley with other elves. Currently, it is because they are stuck in an extraplanar drow city, and he's the only one who can understand their enemy (outside of CompLang castings).</p><p></p><p>How does this apply to literacy? As the only "native speaker" of Elven, the ranger is the only one given chances to decipher "High Elven" tomes and riddles, or make quick in-combat decisions based on labeled doors/crates/potions, etc. Not something that comes up often, but was key when they explored the ruins of the lost Elven capital, and relevant as they go marauding the Drow Houses now. In every other circumstance... everyone in the party is literate except the warforged automaton - who can read warlock sigils, due to the nature of his "creation backstory", but nothing else. *LAck of literacy" therefore pretty much never becomes an issue.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rmcoen, post: 7739134, member: 6692404"] In my current (4e) campaign, the PCs come from a wide variety of backgrounds, most of which aren't relevant to this conversation. However, there is one elf in the group, and he is also the only one who understands Elven without magical aid. (There are two wizards, and both have Comprehend Languages.) The *player* of this elven ranger is a combat-hound, and takes naps when we aren't in combat. The rest of us (players and GM) take perverse pleasure in his discomfiture when his elf must act as the "face-man" for the group. Sometimes it is because of needed parley with other elves. Currently, it is because they are stuck in an extraplanar drow city, and he's the only one who can understand their enemy (outside of CompLang castings). How does this apply to literacy? As the only "native speaker" of Elven, the ranger is the only one given chances to decipher "High Elven" tomes and riddles, or make quick in-combat decisions based on labeled doors/crates/potions, etc. Not something that comes up often, but was key when they explored the ruins of the lost Elven capital, and relevant as they go marauding the Drow Houses now. In every other circumstance... everyone in the party is literate except the warforged automaton - who can read warlock sigils, due to the nature of his "creation backstory", but nothing else. *LAck of literacy" therefore pretty much never becomes an issue. [/QUOTE]
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