Languages [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Languages [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
bigboy5584
05-18-07, 05:28 PM Can anybody help me with a list of every language possible in D&D? Not including any list in the PHB3.5 of course. I'm trying to make a linguist and I'm betting there are more than meets the eye. Thanks much.
HappyGhoul
05-18-07, 05:43 PM Somewhat campaign-specific. A lot of the new monsters listed in various supplements have their own language, and you can have theoretically infinte languages for different sects, organizations, subraces, etc. Drow sign language is a good example of this.

So a complete list would vary depending on what books were being used and what organizations and needs might exist in the campaign world. No goatfolk means nobody speaks Ibixian, probably, whereas a secretive cabal of mages might have their own tongue for some reason.

Bottom line, a universal list isn't very useful. I'd focus on what languages you're likely to encounter in that particular campaign instead, since a language nobody but you speaks is just sort of silly.
bigboy5584
05-18-07, 06:05 PM Silly isn't nescessarily bad.
HellflameArcanite
05-18-07, 06:51 PM Exactly. And insanity can add flavor to an otherwise monotonous day!
Gorbeck
05-18-07, 07:16 PM I think HappyGhoul got it right. It depends on which campaign setting you're using, which monster's your DM uses, etc. In real life there's nearly 7000 languages in use today. Now add other species to that and you've got a number that's probably too big to be able to list them all.

In my opinion you're probably better off with some of the feats that let a character communicate with any creature they encounter. Wanderer's Diplomacy (PHBII) lets you spend one minute and make a check to communicate "in a simple way" with creatures whose language you don't know. Smatterings (RoD) lets you spend 2d6 days with another race to temporarily speak their language. Communicator (CArc) lets you cast Comprehend Languages as a 1st level sorcerer once per day, even if you're not a magic user. Then, of course, there's the epic feat Polyglot which lets you speak fluently in every language.

I don't really have an answer for your question though. I'd probably start going through one of the four Monster Manuals. Maybe you can be done by July when the fifth one comes out. :D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
bigboy5584 05-18-07, 05:28 PM	Can anybody help me with a list of every language possible in D&D? Not including any list in the PHB3.5 of course. I'm trying to make a linguist and I'm betting there are more than meets the eye. Thanks much.
HappyGhoul 05-18-07, 05:43 PM	Somewhat campaign-specific. A lot of the new monsters listed in various supplements have their own language, and you can have theoretically infinte languages for different sects, organizations, subraces, etc. Drow sign language is a good example of this. So a complete list would vary depending on what books were being used and what organizations and needs might exist in the campaign world. No goatfolk means nobody speaks Ibixian, probably, whereas a secretive cabal of mages might have their own tongue for some reason. Bottom line, a universal list isn't very useful. I'd focus on what languages you're likely to encounter in that particular campaign instead, since a language nobody but you speaks is just sort of silly.
bigboy5584 05-18-07, 06:05 PM	Silly isn't nescessarily bad.
HellflameArcanite 05-18-07, 06:51 PM	Exactly. And insanity can add flavor to an otherwise monotonous day!
Gorbeck 05-18-07, 07:16 PM	I think HappyGhoul got it right. It depends on which campaign setting you're using, which monster's your DM uses, etc. In real life there's nearly 7000 languages in use today. Now add other species to that and you've got a number that's probably too big to be able to list them all. In my opinion you're probably better off with some of the feats that let a character communicate with any creature they encounter. Wanderer's Diplomacy (PHBII) lets you spend one minute and make a check to communicate "in a simple way" with creatures whose language you don't know. Smatterings (RoD) lets you spend 2d6 days with another race to temporarily speak their language. Communicator (CArc) lets you cast Comprehend Languages as a 1st level sorcerer once per day, even if you're not a magic user. Then, of course, there's the epic feat Polyglot which lets you speak fluently in every language. I don't really have an answer for your question though. I'd probably start going through one of the four Monster Manuals. Maybe you can be done by July when the fifth one comes out. :D