I don't really like the rules about languages in 4e. It can work with a language-poor campaign like the basic setting, but if if you want to develop honestly your world (or play in a world with many nations and ethnicities, like Mystara), it doesn't.
Here's an idea I came with and I'd like to have some advice. It's based on the idea that trained skills represent extensive or academic training and the idea that adventurers travel a lot.
At 1st-level, you receive :
- The languages according to your race description.
- Languages if you're trained in certain skills, such as
Arcana : learn 1 dead or magical language
Diplomacy : learn 1 local language
Dungeoneering : learn 1 local language
History : learn 1 local or dead language
Nature : Learn 1 local language
Religion : learn 1 dead or magical language
Streetwise : learn 1 local language.
Remember to stay coherent background-wise and that most characters will have an average of 2 of these skills trained.
Afterwards, you receive :
At levels 6, 11, 16, 21 et 26, you learn another language.
Again, stay coherent according to the life of your character.
Now, let's go about this idea of yours:
1. The reason why the language is considered "dead" is because it's NEVER been used in anything beyond ritual chants or what not. Specifically because the race or racial group that invented and/or used it no longer exists.
1.1: If Arcana and Religion allow access to a dead language, which is only usable or practical in ritual spellcasting, then just have the rituals specifically written in the dead language, with Arcana &/or Religion checks to have the caster determine what the spell does.
1.2: Even if you knew a dead language from your History, it would probably be so rare that you can make use of it -- with the language being dead and all -- that the DM could just issue a skill check to determine if you can remember the writings and all that, without having to list down the dead language as part of the languages you know.
2. If, at character creation, you already know all the local languages of your hometown by heart, what additional "local" languages are you going to learn?
3. Just because adventurers travel a lot, doesn't necessarily mean they take the time or effort to learn the language of the area. After all, often times money is the language that adventuring groups speak, and not everybody has a "No Common here, use our language instead" as a policy in their medieval fantasy world (although yes you could implement that if you want, forcing players to look for a guide or a translator...).
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With that out of the way, here's my take:
Background -- specifically, regional background -- could determine what additional language you could speak... especially if they grew up in the said region. It's the DM's choice whether to give the region's additional language(s) for free, or if players have to trade in one language they know [other than Common] for it, or if they are able to select it as an additional option for their background benefits [so instead of receiving access to a skill, or giving a skill an untyped bonus, he or she gets to master the said language].
It's simpler, cleaner, and for me at least, it makes more sense; you grew up in the area, and you probably had neighbors, friends, enemies, teachers, family members, etc. who spoke the local language... so unless you were isolated from birth, you'd probably know the language by heart. Trading in languages might also make sense, if your story revolved around families who never taught you the language of your race.
The additional languages would only be picked up if you bothered to understand anything beyond battlecries, incoherent gurgles of necks sliced open, and the noise of tavern brawls and marketplaces. Realistically speaking, it takes a long time for anyone to understand a new language, and while you could pick up a few words here and there, to be able to fluently speak and write in the said language would be too difficult, especially when you consider the fact that we're talking about a fantasy world which likely doesn't have easy access to stuff like E-Books and Audio Tutorials.
The Linguist feat (prereq: INT 13) would represent 3 things:
* a person smart enough to learn multiple languages
* someone dedicated enough time and effort to master languages picked up
* the character's time outside of adventuring being spent on learning new languages
Which seems alright; I suppose they insisted on adding 3 languages per feat taking, to allow players flexibility [you wouldn't have to take it 3x just to learn 3 languages], since it'd be a waste of effort (and feats) if you had to wait 4 levels just to learn 2 new languages. You aren't required to automatically know additional languages upon selecting the feat, right? So just delay the new languages until much later on, explaining that you don't learn languages that fast, so only at higher levels could you masterfully wield the new languages.
Or if you want, just give a chopped up version of Linguist for free: if the character is smart enough -- at least 13 INT -- they get to learn 1 additional language every 5 levels, depending on the languages spoken in the area(s) they adventure in, up to a maximum of INT mod number of languages. If they want to learn a new language, just have them retrain the previous language into a new one.
All in all, the language system of 4e is tight enough as it is; you could add an option here and there, to grant additional languages, but no need to make it too complex.
- There is no common. Certain languages can be understood in many places, but certainly not everywhere, like greek in the mediterranean area in the 5th century BC or French in Renaissance Europe. In the campaign I'm preparing for the Mystara setting (in 1000 AC), it's thyatian, but speaking it in places like Alphatia is a good way to pass for a barbarian or be summarily executed.
- Each race has several languages, more like 20+ for humans (each culture has his own), 2-3 major elven languages, etc.
- I take into account that D&D 4e 1st levels are no beginners, more like level 3-4 characters of previous editions.
- By dead languages, I speak of things like Latin, Ancient Greek or Ancient Egyptian in our world. Of course it's not really useful in everyday life, but when you're a wizard trying to decipher ancient secrets, a raider in old ruins or simply scholars who don't want the common people to overhear you...
- For the language learned according to trained skill, it's based on an observation in the university of my town : you can't learn ancient history without taking latin at the same time. By extension, trained in Streetwise means you know all the communities of your town and how to mingle with them, etc.
For your idea of using Background, it's already done, in a way, as I will be using the Scales of War list. Certain background advantages give an additional language.
I like your system, and if my campaign were as language intensive as yours then I would use it.
One thing you might want to look into is that historically there were Trade Languages. These were amalgamations of several languages in an area and were often a bit limited in scope, but allowed people's from different cultures in the same general area, to function. These would be limited, and you couldn't have a seerious political or philosophical debate in them, but it would alow you to buy necessary items in the market place, negotiate a room for the night, and ask where the prison is (so you can spring your friends
) They borrowed enough from each language that people that only spoke one of the base languages could at least get the general idea of what you are saying.You might want to consider giving your players one or two Trade Languages at certain levels, instead of the full language.
Quote
At 1st-level, you receive :
- The languages according to your race description.
- Languages if you're trained in certain skills, such as
Arcana : learn 1 dead or magical language
Diplomacy : learn 1 local language
Dungeoneering : learn 1 local language
History : learn 1 local or dead language
Nature : Learn 1 local language
Religion : learn 1 dead or magical language
Streetwise : learn 1 local language.Remember to stay coherent background-wise and that most characters will have an average of 2 of these skills trained.
Afterwards, you receive :
At levels 6, 11, 16, 21 et 26, you learn another language.
Again, stay coherent according to the life of your character.
Let's say that you do have 30+ languages in your game. Well, that's been the case in D&D before! But then the issues arise... for instance, can the party members understand each other? If they aren't speaking the same language, they shouldn't be able to... but of course they do understand one another perfectly at the table. So generally players may try to pretend they can't understand one another at first, but then it will either threaten to bring the game to a halt or players will tire of that aspect and begin ignoring the language barrier more and more (particularly when a player is faced with the choice of choosing to understand or suffer major character penalties for misunderstanding).
On the other hand, if virtually all the PCs have a common language and most of the NPCs know it to, then this language will be used almost exclusively unless you try to force the players to do otherwise. Even with the limited number of languages that currently exist in the game, there is generally very little use of them. Players typically don't use Dwarven or Elven at all-- in all the games I've played in languages ended up being a bit of a bragging right, just a list of random items on the character sheet that were never used.
When languages are dragged up within the game it is only in a few aspects
1) Some sort of writing or instruction in one of the languages that hopefully one of the PCs knows, otherwise it is useless and if one PC knows it then all PCs get to know what it says.
2) An NPC (usually an Elf) decides to talk in their native tongue which half the PCs understand and those that don't just listen in anyway and even ask questions with the general understanding that whatever the NPC is saying, it is being translated by those who can understand. The only path around this is if you are playing in PbP games or you pass notes (which means the DM will be doing a lot of writing)
3) The DM wants to have the monsters say something or talk or otherwise appear to be active participants in the world instead of cardboard cut-outs for the PCs to stab repeatedly, but at the same time isn't really focused at or interested in coming up with a full believable conversation (I am sure everyone of us who has DMed can relate) so the DM simply says that the monster says something or they are talking in Goblinish or Kobold or Giant or Draconic or whatever the monster's native tongue is.... but then if one of the PCs has that language and decides to ask what the conversation is about, either the DM has to come up with something or give a vague answer with the general point that the monster's conversation is not important (i.e. "complaining about their boss" or "talking about what's for dinner" or such)
So unless you have a group of players who are vastly interested and invested in playing pantomime games at the table, trying to expand the language system is a fool's errand. We had a much more expansive language system in 1st-3rd edition and as it became increasingly clear that no one has ever or will ever use 90% of them and the 10% that are used tend to be roadblocks more than helping define and detail the world, the language system was collapsed into fewer and fewer languages over time. This wasn't an accident, it was a slow progression that was made in order to meet the desires and needs of the overwhelming majority of gamers.
My question is this, though: what happens when they go to an area where no one speaks the local language? Are they meant to turn around and go home? Do they stay for months and learn the language? Or do they just find a translator in town? Well, if that's the case, and every time they go someplace new they're just getting a translator, then it defeats the purpose of multiple languages, right?
I'm not trying to crap on your idea. I actually like it... but I don't know if there's a perfect solution. That being said, let us know how it works when you do it.
What would really be interesting would be too see language trees. You would have a handful of most basic langauges (your Latin, Greek, Ancient Egyptian, Sanskrit...) and then the langauges that grew out of them. Then you could have characters decipher aspects of other langauges based on how close the langauges they speak are to the one they are trying to understand.
Obviously this is a complicated affair, it wouldn't work with a group who doesn't enjoy roleplaying more than stabbin's and such. There is a good deal of stuff going on there and that could easily result in some interesting (and experience worthy) RP puzzles.
All in all, I would think this is the kind of thing that could get a very specific type of person interested in your game. I'm thinking of my friends who study Classics.
I would also be hesitant to say that the average person learns only one langauge. People in places that have multiple spoken langauges are very often bilingual, people who have to work with large groups of people might pick up over a dozen langauges, not by study alone, but just as a part of everyday life. An adventuring group of reasonable intelligence would learn plenty of langauges in their travels.
-Usagi
When the players create their characters, I will make sure they have a common language as they can't gain one fast enough (as would be the case in 3.5).
As for communicating with NPC, if they don't speak it, they can use rituals like Comprehend Language, buy relevant magic items or hire someone to do the translation. The "local guide" is a common NPC of adventures set in exotic places.
As for the average people speaking only one language. I would say speaking only one fluently and know a little of another. The "racial languages" rule of Common + 1 works for them. But, IMO, 4e adventurers are not "most people". They're pulp heroes.