Hello. I am currently trying to figure out how to make a character that can speak the most languages as possible.
Now I know there are things like the Bard UA feature 'Universal Languages' and the spell 'Comprehend Languages'. The thing is these are by magic and I would like my character to speaek the most themself without using a spell slot, bardic inspiration, or the like.
The same goes to speaking through telepethy to bypass the language barrier. That just feel cheap and only effect one person.
One final note. Yes you can use your down time to learn one over time, but what I am after is for a character as low level as possible that knows as many languages possible, so just having the ability to just buy all of the languages is not that fun. Feel a bit 'Pay to win' method to this chalenge/build
So now with this said, what is the best build to speak the most that is possible. I am even willing to count Unearth Arcana as a possiblity.(Druidic and Thieves Cant both count as true languages)
If this does not belong in this subform I am sorry. Thought it would count since Languages are a mechanic in game for the most part.
At 4th level in a class you could pick up the linguist feat for 3 more also.
If you want to be 1st level (as low level as possible), your best choice might be Human variant linguist feat + knowledge cleric + sage. Using this build instead of half-elf linguist (at first ASI) means you'd miss out on one language in the long run since human only gets 1 extra language instead of 2. On the other hand, you'd have more up until your first ASI.
Edit: There are only 16 languages (excluding dialects) listed in the personality and background chapter of the PHB (and druidic and thieves cant). If you follow DarkAbyssKeeper's build with linguist for your first feat, you could know 12 of those listed plus thieves cant.
Also edited to change from "4th lvl" to "first ASI" since DarkAbyssKeeper's build is multiclass.
There are only 16 languages (excluding dialects) listed in the personality and background chapter of the PHB (and druidic and thieves cant). If you follow DarkAbyssKeeper's build with linguist for your first feat, you could know 12 of those listed plus thieves cant.
And then you could bug your DM about the Belt of Dwarvenkind, a Dragon Mask and two Ioun Stones of Language. Then you could know every language except Druidic.
It's odd, I'd think that a wizard should be interested in learning languages (the more books you can read the more arcane secrets you can unlock), but mechanically this isn't the case. Only the newest UA wizard (Onomancy) gives wizards any extra languages, and it is only one.
If you're not interested in *just* knowing languages, but also making a thematic character, I might also suggest a half-elf or variant human sage onomancy wizard linguist. Not as many languages as the other build, but it has some cohesiveness that I think is missing from the cleric/rogue.
Single-classing any of these builds gets you less languages but maybe a more thematic character and one that is better prepared for tasks beyond reading and speaking.
If you're going the Onomancy route you only really lose out on one language. Keep the 1st level Knowledge Cleric and then go into Onomancy School Wizard. You get one extra language instead of the two from Mastermind (at one less level investment), then you can progress as whatever combination of Knowledge Cleric and Onomancy Wizard you prefer.
A bit on the high level side, but monk gets the ability to understand any speech and be understood by anyone at lvl 13. Misses out on written word, but a helm of comprehending languages could take care of that.
As a side note, something that works for all languages is the only way to guarantee that you'll be able to understand things you come across in the campaign world as DMs often add new languages for their own mysteries.
... Both of us mentioned Classes and Races in our posts...
Race: Half-Elf if you want a slight edge to total eventual languages. Variant Human picking the Linguist feat if you want more out the gate at level 1.
Class: Start as a Cleric, select Knowledge for your Domain. From level 2 onward you get one more language overall by going Rogue and then picking Mastermind as your archetype. If you want to be more Thematically focused at the cost of one additional language, the Onomancy school of wizardry from UA gives a bonus language, and focuses its shtick around True Names.
Bonus to the onomancy route is that the double proficiency you can get on History and Arcana would probably be helpful for finding true names of bigger baddies.
BTW, Warforged have an exclusive rare magical item, called the docent that is an orb with a consciousness that knows common and giant, can come with 4 more languages, and can learn more languages after some time spent encountering it. So, technically speaking, this isn't your character knowing the languages, but the docent can help you speak them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
So far this session I have hit my teammates twice, flat-out missed 3 times, and only hit the enemy twice. Trust me, you don't want to borrow my dice.
A slightly different tactic would be the Anthropologist background from Tomb of Annihilation. Like Sage it adds 2 languages known but the key thing is the background feature "Adept Linguist."
You can communicate with humanoids who don't speak any language you know. You must observe the humanoids interacting with one another for at least 1 day, after which you learn a handful of important words, expressions, and gestures - enough to communicate on a rudimentary level.
So it provides an accelerated way to learning (at least the gist of) more languages beyond what you'd get through race and class features.
I would talk to the DM and see if you could get it through backstory reasons. If not backstory, then I'd see if I could get a magic item that granted me Comprehend Languages. Subordinating your build to this single goal sounds like quite a sacrifice. In most campaigns I don't think this would pay off.
At the end of the day, if the DM wants you to understand something written or said, the DM will make it work for you. For example, I ask Rangers what favored enemy they will take so I can design in conflicts with that enemy so the Rangers may enjoy their basic abilities. But if the DM doesn't want you to understand something written or said, because he wants it to be a quest to find out or a puzzle to solve in the moment, then you simply won't understand it. It will be called Magical Obfuscation or some other property, and you'll have to deal with it.
So talk to your DM about why you want this ability and a good DM should be able to give you something that will allow you to enjoy playing the role of interpreter or detective or whatever you are going for. Good luck.
P.S. I got to start taking notice of the age of the threads. This one is almost two years old.
Hello. I am currently trying to figure out how to make a character that can speak the most languages as possible.
Now I know there are things like the Bard UA feature 'Universal Languages' and the spell 'Comprehend Languages'. The thing is these are by magic and I would like my character to speaek the most themself without using a spell slot, bardic inspiration, or the like.
The same goes to speaking through telepethy to bypass the language barrier. That just feel cheap and only effect one person.
One final note. Yes you can use your down time to learn one over time, but what I am after is for a character as low level as possible that knows as many languages possible, so just having the ability to just buy all of the languages is not that fun. Feel a bit 'Pay to win' method to this chalenge/build
So now with this said, what is the best build to speak the most that is possible. I am even willing to count Unearth Arcana as a possiblity.(Druidic and Thieves Cant both count as true languages)
If this does not belong in this subform I am sorry. Thought it would count since Languages are a mechanic in game for the most part.
Half-Elf gets Common, Elvish and One Extra. (3)
Sage Background gets Two More. (5)
Start as a Knowledge Domain Cleric, for Two More. (7)
Switch over to Rogue for Thieves' Cant. (8)
Decide whether level 4 is 'low level' enough for your needs. If so, go Mastermind and learn Two More Languages. (10)
So, 8 or 10. Common, Elvish, Draconic, Celestial, Infernal, Abyssal, Sylvan, Undercommon, Deep Speech and Primordial.
You could also pick up a Belt of Dwarvenkind? Ramp it up to 11. Ioun stones of Language are also a thing.
My DM's Guild Content - Mostly quick rules and guides.
At 4th level in a class you could pick up the linguist feat for 3 more also.
If you want to be 1st level (as low level as possible), your best choice might be Human variant linguist feat + knowledge cleric + sage. Using this build instead of half-elf linguist (at first ASI) means you'd miss out on one language in the long run since human only gets 1 extra language instead of 2. On the other hand, you'd have more up until your first ASI.
Edit: There are only 16 languages (excluding dialects) listed in the personality and background chapter of the PHB (and druidic and thieves cant). If you follow DarkAbyssKeeper's build with linguist for your first feat, you could know 12 of those listed plus thieves cant.
Also edited to change from "4th lvl" to "first ASI" since DarkAbyssKeeper's build is multiclass.
And then you could bug your DM about the Belt of Dwarvenkind, a Dragon Mask and two Ioun Stones of Language. Then you could know every language except Druidic.
My DM's Guild Content - Mostly quick rules and guides.
It's odd, I'd think that a wizard should be interested in learning languages (the more books you can read the more arcane secrets you can unlock), but mechanically this isn't the case. Only the newest UA wizard (Onomancy) gives wizards any extra languages, and it is only one.
If you're not interested in *just* knowing languages, but also making a thematic character, I might also suggest a half-elf or variant human sage onomancy wizard linguist. Not as many languages as the other build, but it has some cohesiveness that I think is missing from the cleric/rogue.
Single-classing any of these builds gets you less languages but maybe a more thematic character and one that is better prepared for tasks beyond reading and speaking.
If you're going the Onomancy route you only really lose out on one language. Keep the 1st level Knowledge Cleric and then go into Onomancy School Wizard. You get one extra language instead of the two from Mastermind (at one less level investment), then you can progress as whatever combination of Knowledge Cleric and Onomancy Wizard you prefer.
My DM's Guild Content - Mostly quick rules and guides.
But what class? and what race? As some races get 3 and others get only 2 or even 1
A bit on the high level side, but monk gets the ability to understand any speech and be understood by anyone at lvl 13. Misses out on written word, but a helm of comprehending languages could take care of that.
As a side note, something that works for all languages is the only way to guarantee that you'll be able to understand things you come across in the campaign world as DMs often add new languages for their own mysteries.
... Both of us mentioned Classes and Races in our posts...
Race: Half-Elf if you want a slight edge to total eventual languages. Variant Human picking the Linguist feat if you want more out the gate at level 1.
Class: Start as a Cleric, select Knowledge for your Domain. From level 2 onward you get one more language overall by going Rogue and then picking Mastermind as your archetype. If you want to be more Thematically focused at the cost of one additional language, the Onomancy school of wizardry from UA gives a bonus language, and focuses its shtick around True Names.
Bonus to the onomancy route is that the double proficiency you can get on History and Arcana would probably be helpful for finding true names of bigger baddies.
My DM's Guild Content - Mostly quick rules and guides.
Oh opps only saw the last post. my bad
BTW, Warforged have an exclusive rare magical item, called the docent that is an orb with a consciousness that knows common and giant, can come with 4 more languages, and can learn more languages after some time spent encountering it. So, technically speaking, this isn't your character knowing the languages, but the docent can help you speak them.
So far this session I have hit my teammates twice, flat-out missed 3 times, and only hit the enemy twice. Trust me, you don't want to borrow my dice.
i will say, as late as i am, a ranger with the deft explorer optional feature gets 3 extra languages for just picking the class.
A slightly different tactic would be the Anthropologist background from Tomb of Annihilation. Like Sage it adds 2 languages known but the key thing is the background feature "Adept Linguist."
So it provides an accelerated way to learning (at least the gist of) more languages beyond what you'd get through race and class features.
You realize that regardless of what you build you have to take the owlfolk ua race
Duolingo be trippin
I would talk to the DM and see if you could get it through backstory reasons. If not backstory, then I'd see if I could get a magic item that granted me Comprehend Languages. Subordinating your build to this single goal sounds like quite a sacrifice. In most campaigns I don't think this would pay off.
At the end of the day, if the DM wants you to understand something written or said, the DM will make it work for you. For example, I ask Rangers what favored enemy they will take so I can design in conflicts with that enemy so the Rangers may enjoy their basic abilities. But if the DM doesn't want you to understand something written or said, because he wants it to be a quest to find out or a puzzle to solve in the moment, then you simply won't understand it. It will be called Magical Obfuscation or some other property, and you'll have to deal with it.
So talk to your DM about why you want this ability and a good DM should be able to give you something that will allow you to enjoy playing the role of interpreter or detective or whatever you are going for. Good luck.
P.S. I got to start taking notice of the age of the threads. This one is almost two years old.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
changling is same amount as half elf (if ebberon) but has better rp prowess
Is no one going to mention ranger getting languages from favored enemy? They're the perfect diplomat.