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Xysma
Master of Realmslore

USA
1089 Posts

Posted - 02 Oct 2005 :  06:39:31  Show Profile  Visit Xysma's Homepage Send Xysma a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
I'm curious about the extent to which my fellow scribes use regional languages as a barrier to effective communication. Can it be assumed that most folk speak common, or is that more commonly (no pun intended) spoken by merchants, travelers, adventurers, etc.?

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Thysl
Seeker

USA
64 Posts

Posted - 02 Oct 2005 :  07:01:05  Show Profile  Visit Thysl's Homepage Send Thysl a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I have an idea of the amount of 'common' speakers in an area as soon as I know the PCs are planning on going there. In places from a Thorp to a small city (100-12.000) I have about 45-70% trade language speakers, aside from all shopkeepers, tavern, inn, feasthall workers, anyone who travels as his career. From large city to metropolis size the percent of trade language speakers go up to about 75-95%. This is assuming that the city has a 'normal' ecomony, are part of a multi-national trade route, and are not extremely xenophobic.
That's just me though.

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webmanus
Learned Scribe

Sweden
338 Posts

Posted - 02 Oct 2005 :  21:57:59  Show Profile  Visit webmanus's Homepage Send webmanus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
My house rule is that Common is a bonus language, and not an automatic language. Thus, only PCs and NPCs with Int 12+ might know Common. Of cource, PCs and NPCs who spend 1 or 2 skill points on Speak Language (Common) know Common.

Races of Faerūn have details about who speaks Common and not. For example, "Chondathans speak Common and Chondathan ..." while "Most Illuskan speak Illuskan ... They usually speak Common as well ...". Again, plese look at Races of Faerūn. Each race and human group have a "Language and Literacy" entry. However, according to the FRCS (page 84), all humans and many nonhumans speak Common as a second language.

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Xysma
Master of Realmslore

USA
1089 Posts

Posted - 03 Oct 2005 :  03:56:43  Show Profile  Visit Xysma's Homepage Send Xysma a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by webmanus

My house rule is that Common is a bonus language, and not an automatic language. Thus, only PCs and NPCs with Int 12+ might know Common. Of cource, PCs and NPCs who spend 1 or 2 skill points on Speak Language (Common) know Common.

Races of Faerūn have details about who speaks Common and not. For example, "Chondathans speak Common and Chondathan ..." while "Most Illuskan speak Illuskan ... They usually speak Common as well ...". Again, plese look at Races of Faerūn. Each race and human group have a "Language and Literacy" entry. However, according to the FRCS (page 84), all humans and many nonhumans speak Common as a second language.



Now that you mention it, I bet that discrepancy is what caused the confusion. Races of Faerun would supercede the FRCS, so I'll look to it. Thanks

War to slay, not to fight long and glorious.
Aermhar of the Tangletrees
Year of the Hooded Falcon

Xysma's Gallery
Guide to the Tomes and Tales of the Realms download from Candlekeep
Anthologies and Tales Overviews

Check out my custom action figures, hand-painted miniatures, gaming products, and other stuff on eBay.


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warlockco
Master of Realmslore

USA
1695 Posts

Posted - 03 Oct 2005 :  05:01:27  Show Profile  Visit warlockco's Homepage Send warlockco a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Xysma

quote:
Originally posted by webmanus

My house rule is that Common is a bonus language, and not an automatic language. Thus, only PCs and NPCs with Int 12+ might know Common. Of cource, PCs and NPCs who spend 1 or 2 skill points on Speak Language (Common) know Common.

Races of Faerūn have details about who speaks Common and not. For example, "Chondathans speak Common and Chondathan ..." while "Most Illuskan speak Illuskan ... They usually speak Common as well ...". Again, plese look at Races of Faerūn. Each race and human group have a "Language and Literacy" entry. However, according to the FRCS (page 84), all humans and many nonhumans speak Common as a second language.



Now that you mention it, I bet that discrepancy is what caused the confusion. Races of Faerun would supercede the FRCS, so I'll look to it. Thanks



While the Player's Guide to Faerun supercedes both.
It specifically says that ALL starting characters know Common, on page 8.

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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36804 Posts

Posted - 03 Oct 2005 :  05:35:41  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by warlockco

While the Player's Guide to Faerun supercedes both.
It specifically says that ALL starting characters know Common, on page 8.



While this is certainly true, it doesn't mean that all NPCs will speak Common. So the original question remains.

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warlockco
Master of Realmslore

USA
1695 Posts

Posted - 03 Oct 2005 :  07:34:34  Show Profile  Visit warlockco's Homepage Send warlockco a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by warlockco

While the Player's Guide to Faerun supercedes both.
It specifically says that ALL starting characters know Common, on page 8.



While this is certainly true, it doesn't mean that all NPCs will speak Common. So the original question remains.



Then again we could always fall to Rule Zero i.e. up to the DM.
In a Cross-planar game, I made the players use made to use skill points to learn "Common" for each world (GH, FR, DL, and others).

I know I had to kinda do that for an NPC for Daggerford that was an arcane spellcaster.
So made him a Damaran Sorcerer, and part of his description, he speaks Common very poorly.

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