Handling the Language Barrier

[Zilfer]

in Dnd if you raised 2 points of intelligence you'd get a +1 and immediately learn a language.... <.<

[High Priest Mikhal]

The RDMG has some suggestions for this, such as a particular domain's language being Common, just getting rid of language barriers and using Common as normal, or for native characters with bonus languages from a high Intelligence to not spend their points and instead use them to pick up other languages during play after some experience with foreign languages. That could easily be adapted for outlander characters. Or allowing them to learn languages without spending skill points with successful Intelligence checks against a DC determined by how long the PCs are immersed in the language; the longer they're exposed, the easier it is to pick up on it. That's how it happens IRL.

As always, Rule Zero: It's your game. Pick whatever works.

[Jimsolo]

In my game, I had each PC retain their normal languages, but each Outlander PC found, after the first 24 hours in Ravenloft, that their least useful language (according to me) changed to the regional language of the domain they had arrived in (Lamordia, in this case). The time delay was to make sure that everyone understands that there is some kind of 'Universal Translator' effect going on. (They've noticed a few disparities that even this doesn't solve, since the translation effect breaks down on some specific points, like the Faerunian concept of tendays versus weeks.)

[ewancummins]

Just as a side note on how D&D handles languages, I'm a huge fan of the way it works in B/X or BECMI (AKA 'Classic' the seperate D&D line from the 80s to early 90s, in contrast to AD&D 1E and 2E).
Intelligence score determines number of languages that may be known as well as level of literacy. Rolled an 8? Your guy can speak his native language and read simple words. 12? He's literate and speaks his native language/s. 3? get ready to roleplay total illiteracy and a lot of brutish grunting and broken speech.

If one uses the optional general skill system from the Gazeteers or the Rules Cyclopedia, high INT gives extra skill slots, which could be used to learn new languages. GAZ 1: Grand Duchy of Karameikos notes that a player may chose for his PC (or the DM may choose for an an NPC, of course) could be designed as unlettered for story purposes, INT score notwithstanding.

[herkles]

I prefer how BRP/CoC handels languages which is a skill ranged from 0% to 100%. It is important to note that in BRP that few people have 100% in their own language however if you know say 25% Vaasan in Vaasa then you won't be totally helpless. It won't be easy by any means but you will be able to get by.

Now I don't do outlander PCs for my ravenloft, but I also don't have a common language in ravenloft either. Instead their a few lingua francas that people can use, such as Darkonian or vaasan. So if you know a lingua franca then you can get by in most lands.

[Cam]

An issue I sometimes struggle with is when players want to make Core-native PCs who are well traveled, but who are martial characters without high enough intelligence for multiple languages (or without enough skill/language/whatever points for multiple languages after they've fleshed out other necessary attributes and abilities to enable them to play the character concepts that they envision). I usually get around this by giving out partial languages -- this is your main one (in which you are fluent), and you can get by a little bit, with embarassing miscommunications, in these other two. I am almost always perfectly happy not to give people reading/writing unless they pay the rulebook price for it, however. I find that having one or two illiterate PCs in a party forces the players to roleplay a bit more than they otherwise would. It also gives the DM good plot devices -- "The rest of the party is relaxing at the inn, while Joe wanders down by the docks looking at the sights of the big city. Joe sees what looks like a framed treasure map for sale at an artist's kiosk. it's the treasure map the party has been looking for! He looks at it, but of course can't read any of the labels, and the salesman won't explain anything unless Joe buys the map, so he has only a vague idea about the directions it provides. By the time Joe rouses the rest of the party and brings them to the docks, the artist and his wares are packed up and gone. Now the party has to try to find the burried treasure based only on Joe's shoddy recollection of the letters and pictures he saw."

Near the beginning of my campaigns I also usually have the party find a magical item that enables one of them to understand or read foreign languages. This alleviates a lot of potential problems, and the PCs never mind. I'm sure they would rather find a magical weapon, but everyone knows that understanding foreign languages is very useful.

[alhoon]

What I do is that the DPowers add the language of the first domain the outlander lands in.
I.e. a person from Faerun and one from Krynn that get into Barovia, both can speak and understand Balok, although with accent marking them as non-native speakers.

[Nyarlathotep]

I prefer how BRP/CoC handels languages which is a skill ranged from 0% to 100%. It is important to note that in BRP that few people have 100% in their own language however if you know say 25% Vaasan in Vaasa then you won't be totally helpless. It won't be easy by any means but you will be able to get by.

Now I don't do outlander PCs for my ravenloft, but I also don't have a common language in ravenloft either. Instead their a few lingua francas that people can use, such as Darkonian or vaasan. So if you know a lingua franca then you can get by in most lands.

See, as it turns out, I'm working on converting Ravenloft to BRP for this campaign. However, the language system, while realistic, poses some problems for outlander PC's. The PC's don't have the opportunity to put starting points in Ravenloft languages and gaining points in play is so slow. Add to this that the game is going to travel to prettymuch every domain and that makes it even harder. So I'm rolling around ideas to limit the problems caused by not being able to speak/read the local languages.

[HuManBing]

You could port the language mechanic into a separate mechanic entirely - that's what Gurps does. Three levels of spoken familiarity (broken/accented/fluent), each requiring a point, and a separate three levels for literacy. Points can be spent whenever the GM feels the PC has spent enough time acclimatizing.

I seem to recall BRP and COC are not points-buy progression, but the GM could just unilaterally award the points when deserved.

[Hazgarn]

Since you're going to be traveling around the Core, you could decide how to handle each language differently on a case-by-case basis. For example, have the Mists replace "common" with the first language they encounter; give them a minor magical item that grants knowledge of one or more (if that sounds too easy, make it cursed or problematic); have a fey creature or Vistani "sell" them another language for some bizarre price; if they have an extended stay at some point, they might take the time to learn that language the old fashioned way; decide that another language is a dialect or closely related to one of the earlier ones, and allow the group to muddle through using Intelligence checks; give them a (for fun, potentially unreliable) translator or guide for another, etc.

Also, if you're using the "finding roots" option for Darkon, I believe the false memories grant knowledge of Darkonese. I don't recall it saying anything about losing the language when they get their memories back. Would mean a detour in the plot, but it's something to consider.

[herkles]

I seem to recall BRP and COC are not points-buy progression, but the GM could just unilaterally award the points when deserved.

They are not point buy progression, they are skill use progression. Basically you mark down if you used a skill in a session, when the session is over. You roll a d100 and try to get higher then the skill. If you do you increase in the skill a bit. This means that it is easy to learn the basics of something but mastering something will take a lot of time and energy. Or in the case of languages, you might not be able to read great lituature in that language but you can navigate around the area.

[Nyarlathotep]

I seem to recall BRP and COC are not points-buy progression, but the GM could just unilaterally award the points when deserved.

They are not point buy progression, they are skill use progression. Basically you mark down if you used a skill in a session, when the session is over. You roll a d100 and try to get higher then the skill. If you do you increase in the skill a bit. This means that it is easy to learn the basics of something but mastering something will take a lot of time and energy. Or in the case of languages, you might not be able to read great lituature in that language but you can navigate around the area.

Yeah, which is realistic, but in application might end up being annoying, since you only get an experience check if you successfully used the skill (Other Language starts at 1%) and only get experience checks at the end of the adventure. Even if you succeed, you only get a d6% increase. As written, this translates to there being a 1% chance that any given PC will have the possibility of increasing to 2-7% in a local language by the time they are leaving for somewhere else, where they have to start over.
I'm thinking I might need to replace the language system, or maybe institute something like D20 Conan, where PC's just get free language points at certain times to show what they've picked up in their travels.

[Joël of the FoS]

barriers in short adventures can be good for instilling a sense of strangeness and isolation.

Indeed.

IMC, people on the core (and probably the islands too, haven't been there yet IMC) do have a regional language, as per RL canon. However, most of these people also speak some kind of common.

That can mean some interesting situation, depending on my goal for a specific adventure:

- in most areas, language isn't a problem, but people have a local accent. Adventure flows freely, without being slowed by slow comprehension of local people;
(so far, all my campaign have been that way, but I have the flexibility for two more possibilities:)

- in some areas they speak only the regional language, so language in this case is a problem and a cause of isolation;
- and in some areas they keep to that regional language, refusing to speak common with foreigners, another possibility. Finding a person wishing to speak with the PCs can be part of the adventure.

Joël

[Nyarlathotep]

You know, having just reread House of Strahd, I see that they were pretty wishy-washy about the languages within their own stories. It specifically points out that the villagers only speak Balok and that the merchant/Inn keeper have a percent chance to speak a common language with the PC's, but then with the gypsies, Ireena, the burgomeisters son, and all the letters and books, no such issue is ever mentioned.

[Ryan Naylor]

It's a game. I've never felt constrained by trying too hard for realism if it doesn't work with the story I want to tell or the game I want to play.