http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/speakLanguage.htm Hey whats with this skill? Is it proper D&D? I ask because it is not mentioned in ToEE among the skills, but IS mentioned in the skill focus feats - but then so is skill focus (scry) and skill focus (innuendo) and heaven knows what other stuff that I assume are leftovers from 3.0. Anyone shed any light on this? Where's Kalshane when we need him! :shrug:
I'm not sure if I understand... if it's possible to add this skill, it could be very useful for quests. For instance, there could be one when you should be able to speak Draconic to get more dialog with the lizardfolk. More so, if none of your PCs have this skill, then there could be a NPC that, if you have him as a follower, triggers the "undisclosed" dialog. If the question was about "is this an useful skill", then yes, I always thought that while I was a DM in pen&paper. It's always nice to know that not all the dialog will resolve in a straight-forward kind of way...
Completely proper D&D. As it's explained in the link, a rank means a new language. In specific settings, like Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms, characters know the common language plus the basic zone language. Greyhawk has the various humans languages also, like Oeridian, Baklunian, and others (L_Spike is the local sage on Greyhawk ) For example let's take Turuko, he says is Bakluni, so he would know common and Baklunian as basic languages, and let's say he has +2 intelligence bonus, could choose two more languages (let's say Goblin and Infernal), and also could spend two more skill points (for a single rank) and learn another one. Thus, at each lvl up, you can learn a new language.(not Druidic, it's exclusive, and no druid would teach it, unles you become a druid actually) Of course, in pnp games, it's a bit restricted, it's not that easy to learn Infernal, or Celestial. Also, Draconic it's considered a "mages" language, it's much more complex and detailed for magical formula and explanations, usually wizard's books are written in that language.(Sorcerers almost always know it, for ovbious reasons) It's useful also for fighters, who really don't have much use for another skills, and Bards and Rogues just for the trickery of it With that skill, you can also determine to which zone a character speaking common (or another language) belongs, by listening the accent. In ToEE wasn't of much use, apparently they didn't have time to implement it, but now it really opens a whole lot of useful/fun/intriguing oportunities :yes: I've never thought on apply skill focus on speak language...i suppose it could work like each bonus point as a new language (as if you are specifically a langauge student), but it would be unbalanced... Indeed, Scry (used for the crystal ball) and Innuendo (now handled through Bluff and sense motive), are from 3.0
KotB has both those The question is if and how I implement this skill. 2 more questions: 1) How come skill (speak languages) isn't one of the 41 skills recognised by ToEE? (Ok, thats rhetorical). 2) If its a genuine D&D skill, why is it not a class skill of anyone but Bards? Which is to say, why is it such an obscure skill? If modern day clerics have to learn other languages (Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Arabic or Sanskrit depending on affiliation) why don't clerics get it? Why have a skill thats perpetually a cross-class skill? To implement this I am going to have to over-ride a different skill, something useless like 'Read Lips', which is going to make the protos.tab look weird if I give it to NPC followers, and will mean having to make 'read lips' checks where I should be making 'speak languages' checks, and cause who-knows-how many problems :yawn:
Cos that way Bards have a little advantage. Their only especialization are being social dudes. Thus, the more languages they speak, the better chances of using all their social skills and Perform abilities. At 6 - 10 level, they usually know so many languages that they can speak with almost anyone. Clerics don't learn another languages always. In my country they don learn so many (maybe Latin), but have in mind that's is more a tradition (to properly read texts) than a need. You can be a Cleric or priest and still know just the common language, and a few more. Being a wanderer, and having no affiliations, it's logical that bards have more use and need of such skill. They need to adapt all the time, and also they use it to learn different places gossip rumors and songs. Have in mind the "bardic knowledge" ability... Also perform it's a cross class skill for each class but Bards; maybe the language could be applied as a bonus of perform, and players would start to spend points on that. Perform isn't just singing, it could be used by Clerics for preach, or fighters to raise morale and prepare to battle some troops etc etc... Remember that Perform works like the Knowledge skills; you don't know automatically all forms of art or use all instruments, you must buy "Perform: flute" or "Perform: preaching", so if languages are applied could be "Perform: languages" automatically, and bards will get also their bardic music abilities. It could be really advantage for bards, but it would make people have some use for them, as the vast majority of people use Rogues for party's face...
Yeah, i forgot about monks; evem better, that would make monks more versatile (they are bit like bards, not especialized in anything, well, maybe in "weirdness" ), and could have some sense, they are recluse, it would be useful learn to speak with another people, since they are wanderers too. And for Rogues it's ovbious too
Yeah but thats the thing - Perform is for more than one class. A skill for only one class, that would be useful for everyone and appealing to a couple of different classes (clerics, wizards, and even good ol' Rogues - why have a dozen social skills when you can't even speak the language) well it just strikes me as bizarre. :scratchhe Ne'er mind. I'm running tests to get it in atm (if you take my meaning :blush: )
