I notice that despite the large quantity of languages and skills in D&D, I have yet to find any information on interpreting codes/unknown languages.
As a DM, how would you handle decoding and translating languages characters don't know? Do you create a brand new skill for it (Likely intelligence-based), or do you rely on standard checks? Do you give players with lots of experience in languages (Linguistics feat?) advantage on said checks?
I personally would like to make it a skill, but I'd like your perspective/advice on the matter.
It usually doesn’t come up. Either they know a language or they don’t. This isn’t entirely realistic, as I could probably get a word or two of a sentence in German or something (a language I don’t speak) thanks to mixing of languages, but I wouldn’t be able to get the meaning very well.
I’d just say it should be a basic Int check to get the general gist of it. Comprehend Languages isn’t that hard to get.
The linguist feat has some of this feel and history can be used to fill in the gaps.However Im gonna use an example from one of my friends campaigns,the language of the starwalkers (who pretty much everyone refers to as the ancients or the builders).
It's a language that seems Incredibly hard to decipher even with magic,and practically no one knows it.It can only be learned through the linguist feat(and counts as all three of the learned languages).Even if one learns it you must make dc 10-13 history or arcana checks to read the texts,taking one minute to decipher each attempt.
The language was used mostly for warnings,riddles and lore drops inside dungeons.It was also some times used to offer directions.
Flare76 has some points. Also the idea that linguists are good at figuring out languages on the fly is sort of a myth that doesn't play out well in reality. Having studied a few languages and being versed in theories of grammar syntax and lexicography does not give you Panglossia (that would be an epic boon, or at least a boon).
That said, there are a few "ancient" languages where if the researcher speaks combinations of say Draconic, Elvish, Giant, Primordial or Celestial and have either/and high INT and history or arcana proficiencies, they may get an idea of what a text is about and maybe in time get some of the story. I'm sort of doing this for some characters who've been spending their downtime with some Netherese texts they recovered. They think they're getting a hidden story behind the origins of Mithril and Adamantium ... I haven't decided whether the story's accurate yet. I allow Deep Speech, which is very difficult for most PCs to acquire in game, as a similar blanket for other lost civilizations.
But as far as I know there's no real hard and fast rules or guidance about exploring lost civiilizations which may or may not have ties to living languages, I could maybe see it being talked about in Tomb of Anhiliation but don't know off hand.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Comprehend Languages sorts out anything that isn't a purpose-created code or cypher. With those, there really isn't much anyone could do. If you've asked the gods themselves, as with Comprehend Languages, and they didn't tell you, then you're pretty much stuck.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<Insert clever signature here>
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I notice that despite the large quantity of languages and skills in D&D, I have yet to find any information on interpreting codes/unknown languages.
As a DM, how would you handle decoding and translating languages characters don't know? Do you create a brand new skill for it (Likely intelligence-based), or do you rely on standard checks? Do you give players with lots of experience in languages (Linguistics feat?) advantage on said checks?
I personally would like to make it a skill, but I'd like your perspective/advice on the matter.
Thanks : )
It usually doesn’t come up. Either they know a language or they don’t. This isn’t entirely realistic, as I could probably get a word or two of a sentence in German or something (a language I don’t speak) thanks to mixing of languages, but I wouldn’t be able to get the meaning very well.
I’d just say it should be a basic Int check to get the general gist of it. Comprehend Languages isn’t that hard to get.
The linguist feat has some of this feel and history can be used to fill in the gaps.However Im gonna use an example from one of my friends campaigns,the language of the starwalkers (who pretty much everyone refers to as the ancients or the builders).
It's a language that seems Incredibly hard to decipher even with magic,and practically no one knows it.It can only be learned through the linguist feat(and counts as all three of the learned languages).Even if one learns it you must make dc 10-13 history or arcana checks to read the texts,taking one minute to decipher each attempt.
The language was used mostly for warnings,riddles and lore drops inside dungeons.It was also some times used to offer directions.
Check out my homebrew subclasses spells magic items feats monsters races
i am a sauce priest
help create a world here
Flare76 has some points. Also the idea that linguists are good at figuring out languages on the fly is sort of a myth that doesn't play out well in reality. Having studied a few languages and being versed in theories of grammar syntax and lexicography does not give you Panglossia (that would be an epic boon, or at least a boon).
That said, there are a few "ancient" languages where if the researcher speaks combinations of say Draconic, Elvish, Giant, Primordial or Celestial and have either/and high INT and history or arcana proficiencies, they may get an idea of what a text is about and maybe in time get some of the story. I'm sort of doing this for some characters who've been spending their downtime with some Netherese texts they recovered. They think they're getting a hidden story behind the origins of Mithril and Adamantium ... I haven't decided whether the story's accurate yet. I allow Deep Speech, which is very difficult for most PCs to acquire in game, as a similar blanket for other lost civilizations.
But as far as I know there's no real hard and fast rules or guidance about exploring lost civiilizations which may or may not have ties to living languages, I could maybe see it being talked about in Tomb of Anhiliation but don't know off hand.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Comprehend Languages sorts out anything that isn't a purpose-created code or cypher. With those, there really isn't much anyone could do. If you've asked the gods themselves, as with Comprehend Languages, and they didn't tell you, then you're pretty much stuck.
<Insert clever signature here>