Who actually USES alignment languages? How?

[jeffh]

Put another way, if all chaotic evil forces were united by a single unified goal, ethos, deity, or origin....

... then they wouldn't be Chaotic Evil.

Which is one of the many reasons I quietly dropped them as soon as I understood the concept of house rules.

 

[Orius]

I don't use them. Alignments are too broad in nature for them to really make any sense, even with a Moorcockian angle. Nor does it seem logical for every creature of the same alignemnt to be able to use an alignment language, because there's simply too much diversity for it to make snese.

The outsider languages in 3e like Celestial, Infernal, and Abyssal might very well be decended from this concept, but they're more narrow in scope than the alignment languages, IMO.

 

[Agamon]

As one who dislikes the very idea of alignment, and thinks it's even worse as an in-game aspect that people use to describe themselves, language based on it didn't last long in my games.

 

[Korgoth]

I think the idea made more sense when there were just 3 "divisions" (Law, Chaos, Neutrality). Almost like a Cold War situation where 3 main factions are speaking mostly English, Russian, and Chinese. In a land of Chaos all the humanoids & evil men are speaking Chaos, etc.

It's harder to make sense of with the AD&D 9-alignment structure, where communities will have a greater mix of different alignments bumping into each other all the time (and you can't immediately guess by race who's who). I voted "tried to use it, but stopped".
​

I agree. The implied world of OD&D is polarized among these extreme forces... the 9-alignment system lacks the primal struggle of absolutely opposed forces for it to make that much sense.

But yes, it can be English vs. Russian, Norse vs. Giant(?), Latin vs. [take your pick], Hebrew vs. Philistine, etc.

For myself, I prefer a greater proliferation of languages. There might be alignments or institutions that are typically linked to one or more languages (the Church of Law might have most of its documents written in Old Altruskan or whatever) but just being affiliated doesn't give you the ability to speak the language.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Once I realized that you would change what language you knew if you changed alignment, and others could not learn the alignment language,

This, but to finish it my way: I realized that the concept was too stupid for words (you should pardon the expression) and ignored it.

 

[ironfang]

I think alignments are a great mechanical tool for a role playing game, since it helps create boundaries and benchmarks for creatures and magic. However, I never found "alignment languages" to make any sense at all. The overall concept is just odd, so its always gone ignored/never selected.

 

[Oni]

I've been reading some older gaming material lately and only recently encountered the notion of alignment languages. My reaction could pretty much be summed up as, huh? Especially the bit about changing alignments.

To me, they make little to no sense, I would never use them in a game.

 

[airwalkrr]

I have never really used it, but I have just started up an OSRIC game and plan to use it this way. There is not one language for each of the nine alignments, rather there are four alignment languages: law, chaos, evil, and good. They are simple means of communication to designate to another that you share a certain ethos or morality. It is more commonly used among those of good and lawful alignment than those of chaotic or evil alignment as those of the latter are less likely to trust each other. But it is not a complete language that one can converse in. It is only useful for getting simple messages across; mainly the purpose of identifying one component of one's alignment. Those of neutral alignment wouldn't know an alignment language.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Little-known facts on alignment languages...

LE is the language of lawyers and politicians. Utterance of LE words is considered an act of worship in some cultures to an evil philosophy known as Da Law.

NE is the language of informercial pitchmen such as Billy Mays, as well as Simon Cowell and the members of NKotB. "I love the white stuff....baby....in the middle of an Oreo..." (It just got Weird in here... )

CE is the language of postal workers and game designers. 'Nuff said.

LN is the language of the military and law-enforcement, and includes catchy phrases such as, "Roger that. Suspect's license plate is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot..."

The True Neutral alignment has only one word. "Meh." It is the language of convenience store clerks and suicide prevention hotline operators. Unsurprisingly, these two widely different groups often converse.

CN is the language of drunks, and indecipherable except by other drunks. "Bar...bartenjer. Pash me another....you're beautiful, man."

LG is also known as Preacher Talk, and is known for it's strong Southern dialect. "Frieeeends....I am here today, to talk to you about Gaaaawd...."

NG is only spoken by the Power Puff Girls.

CG is actually CB talk, and spoken mostly by truckers. "Shepherd to Lost Sheep, Shepherd to Lost Sheep. Got your ears on?"


And there you go. Lost secrets from the alignment languages.

 

[TheWyrd]

I never used them.

That said, if I were to try and use them now, I think I'd use them the way politicians use buzzwords on a conservative/liberal axis. Like how conservatives were tossing around the word 'socialism' without really knowing what the word means and liberals get all hopped up about 'change' despite being unable to articulate exactly what is going to change. And granted, there would be more intelligent/read leaders in the Lawful Good community that could tell you what "The greater good" means.. but by and large if you share an alignment with someone you can use the language for a little feel good bonding moment but for anyone else it just gets lost on them.