Monstrous Language

[luke]

The "language" capabilities of the three monstrous races are inconsistent as published.

Wolves have "language skills", Trolls get nothing, and Spiders have access to the Low Speech and High Speech traits. All three have access to the Vile Language trait.

Well, Spiders represent my final thoughts on the matter. Language ability should be a trait. Exact languages and dialects should be skill distributed freely by the GM.

All of the Wolves' language skills will be omitted from future releases of the lifepaths. In their place, they will get Low Speech for free and have the option of taking High Speech for a single trait point.

Trolls, being at the very bottom of the curve of "intelligent" anthropods will get High Speech for free and not have access to Low Speech at all.

Spiders will remain as is. (Though I may allow non-Undernest and Slave spiders to take Vile Language.)

After determining "what" these creatures can talk to, the GM and the player can decide exactly what languages this comprosis--just as for any other player character.


On another note, a player recently pointed out to me that a Pit Troll can attain his ranks without being able to speak Vile Language. This is true, the troll may still speak to other trolls in their native dialect, but he may not so communicate with Orcs, Trolls and Spiders.

-abzu

[Claymore]

Should these rules apply to normal (Human, Dwarf, and Elf) races as well, if a player want to take an excessive number of starting languages? (I have read your starting languages rules on BW.org, but sometimes a character may want a scholar type character who knows quite a few languages from study)


-Claymore

[luke]

sometimes a character may want a scholar type character who knows quite a few languages from study

I think that is different. Scholarly research or formal education regarding language is different than the circumstance of "natural fluency". People tend to learn the languages of the cultures they are brought up in. Usually no formal study is involved, it is something that evolves from exposure and fluency. It can be one, two or five languages, but it doesn't tax the brain like formal education.

I know the same could be said for many skills, but languages really are a different animal and such things spark debates in anthropologists, ethnographers and philosophers, not to mention the folks who study language for a living (what are they called again?).

All that said, scholarly research of languages that are not spoken in the character's culture requires that skill points be spent to learn them, just like any other learned skill.
Languages that are a part of the character's culture are free to take.

Dwarves, Men and Elves all have natural High Speech capabilities (it is an unwritten Common Trait for all of them). They are innately capable of speaking the many tongues/languages associated with their various cultures. Whereas only special members of these races can communicate in Low Speech--can communicate with the animal, repitilian and insect kingdoms.

Orcs can speak High Speech as well as a special language type called Vile Language. (To simulate certain Tolkienoid aspects of the races).

I will fully detail and clarify all of this in the Monster Burner.

Any other questions are welcome!

[mike_ravenwood]

Did you transpose the traits for Trolls?

Being the least intelligent wouldn't they get Low Speech for free and no access to High Speech (unless they took the freaky smart Troll feat)

[luke]

actually, no. It's a game balance issue, actually. Since trolls are the "most traditional" of the bunch, i felt they should just have the same language capabilities as the other anthropomorphic races. They are the most likely to be included in "regular" parties, thus i felt that giving them completely different language capabilities would just be making it hard on the players and GM.

Now this doesn't mean that trolls are fluent in ANY language. They just possess the brain and mouth structure to speak a certain kind of language.

[eruditus]

language is very important in my games.

Not only are the character's exposed to varying degrees of languages I really try to have the players play with linguistic concepts as well. Being interested in linguistics myself I try to bring a language as far as it is practical and endearing. Thus the players may recieve a prop that is a letter in another language. The characters may not know the language but a PC may recognize it as from a culture or time period. They may even begin to recognize words or ideograms. Or better yet, I thrill when an NPC speaks in tongue and a player picks up something he said.

"I don't know what's going on guys, but I thought I heard 'Nuradri' which I am pretty certain has something to do with torture."

So I am split on the idea of trait versus skills. I think traits are cleaner and simpler and for 90% of the time dictate what you need mechanically. There are rare instances where a number would come in handy.

Maybe thats what the Linguistics exponent could be for and language traits give you a die bonus on your Linguistics roll toward that language. Thus you could have exclusive language traits showing varying degrees of competancy in a language (basic and advanced) that give you one or two dice when doing a linguistics roll in relation to that language.

[luke]

all i am trying to do with the "language traits" is give characters access to certain families of fantastic languages. After they have access to the family, then characters may learn languages like skills if the GM desires.

I am trying to smooth over the rough patches of having Wolf and Spider characters here. (and there will be more like them in the future). Being "animals" they innately know the Low Speech. However, being "great" animals they have the option to learn "higher" speech.

Whereas Men, Dwarves, and Elves do not generally speak to animals, great or otherwise. Certain individuals are capable, using traits or spells they can understand the Low Speech. The opposite condition of the great animals.

Language is extraordinarily important in my games as well. Our games are full of miscommunications, bad translators, obscure tongues, and bizarre written heiroglyphs. I love that stuff!