Aquilonian (literate)

[Supplement Four]

I'm looking for a published adventure to throw at my group, and I was thumbing through Trial of Blood the other day, when I saw some NPC write-ups with languages listed like this: Aquilonian, Argossean, Zingaran (literate).

Obviously, this NPC can speak all three languages but only read and write Zingaran.

I was wondering about that before--the reading and writing part. I think there's even a thread here about it that I posted about a year ago.

My question is: Is that listed in the rules somewhere? About how to distinguish which languages a character can speak and which he can read/write as well?

I didn't see it in the main rule book, but maybe I missed it.

 

[Clovenhoof]

We discussed that matter recently:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=39128&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=literate&start=0

 

[decker423]

I started that last thread because of similiar confusion (mine was that by learning a new language are you automatically literate in it, I thought that like the Medieval times that most people would be illiterate and use pictures in lieu of words on signage, etc.).
What probably needs to be done is a rules clarification by Mongoose but as the rules currently state, if you speak it you're literate in it (unless you're a certain barbaric race and it specifically states you have to spend skill points to learn how to read/write).

 

[Supplement Four]

What probably needs to be done is a rules clarification by Mongoose but as the rules currently state, if you speak it you're literate in it (unless you're a certain barbaric race and it specifically states you have to spend skill points to learn how to read/write).

I don't have Trial of Blood. I was only flipping through it at a store. I'd like to go back and look, though...where the NPCs with the "literate" tags some sort of barbarian races that had to spend skill points?

If so, then it's exactly by the book. If not, it's something new to the rules.

 

[B_Steele]

What it is, actually, is my adding some personality quirks to the NPCs. No rules to back it up, merely the fantasty-realistic idea that these sword & sorcery types would not be able to read and write the slew of languages that they likely picked up over their travels in the smattering of nations that dominate the Hyborian age.

In short, I did it because I wanted these NPCs to be more realistic.

Sorry to kill your debate. lol

-Bry

 

[Supplement Four]

What it is, actually, is my adding some personality quirks to the NPCs. No rules to back it up, merely the fantasty-realistic idea that these sword & sorcery types would not be able to read and write the slew of languages that they likely picked up over their travels in the smattering of nations that dominate the Hyborian age.

In short, I did it because I wanted these NPCs to be more realistic.

Sorry to kill your debate. lol

-Bry

No problem, Bryan. I applaud xstuff like that in adventures, when it's done for a purpose, as what you've outlined above. It reminds rules grognards that it's OK to mess with stuff.

It got me to thinking, as a quick-n-dirty house rule....to allow, as a general rule of thumb, characters to be literate in a number of languages (player's choice) equal to his INT modifier.

Barbarians would still have to spend extra skill points.

Nobles and Scholars are automatically literate in all languages that they speak.

Something like that, I think, would work fine.

 

[decker423]

I like the thought of being literate or illiterate in some languages. Literacy is (IMHO) reserved for nobles and scholars. Higher ranking soldiers and specialized thieves I can see learning literacy (writing/passing orders on the battlefield; deciphering script of ruins you aim to loot, etc.).

In the 2nd Ed. book, p. 15 there is nothing under Languages to indicate literacy or illiteracy.

P. 27 states that Kushites or Northern Black Kingdom Tribesmen start out as illiterate unless they choose to spend 2 skill points to become literate. The same for the Picts on p. 31, the same for Southern Islander or Southern Black Kingdom Tribesman on p. 34.

Given the book, I would say that literacy is based on one's race (ie you do or don't come from a culture with a written language).

Personally, IMHO, it's easier to learn and pick up languages than to read them (from experience in Iraq, I can't read Arabic or Kurdish for the life of me but by the time I left I was having "simple" conversations in those languages) and I think learning to speak the language should be different from reading/writing that language. IMHO.

 

[B_Steele]

I'm thinking that I am going to repair this issue in my next book. I add skills all the time, who says I can't add some definitive literacy rules?

Two threads, 30+ posts, I think it is warranted.

-Bry

 

[Supplement Four]

I'm thinking that I am going to repair this issue in my next book. I add skills all the time, who says I can't add some definitive literacy rules?

Two threads, 30+ posts, I think it is warranted.

-Bry

Sounds good to me. I think it needs to be done, too.

Just keep in mind the character's background. I don't think this calls for a one-size-fits-all ruling. For example, having each character spend the same amount of skill points to get literate (or simply making reading/writing a sepearte skill) wont' do it.

Scholars and Nobles will be more literate in more languages than, say, Barbarians or Nomads.

Then, again, a good ruling on this should probably not be entirely based on character class. We should keep in mind the character's race. A Hyborian Scholar should probably be much more literate than a Pict Scholar.

The idea would be to create a simple rule for all characters but list exceptions for special cases (i.e. the Aquilonian Scholar vs. the Pict Scholar).

 

[Spade]

Don't create a hard and fast rule unless you want to actually make a big deal about literacy on occasion. Otherwise it's complexity in the name of realism without a meaningful game impact.

In my campaign setting, literacy and languages are a big deal. So reading at all is at least a DC 15 skill check, and speaking multiple languages takes feats.

Every scrap of paper can be an adventure hook if most people can't help you translate it.

- Spade

 

[zozotroll]

Rules would be good, you never know when it might come up. And I prefer to have a published something to point to, it keeps push players in check with fewer hard feelings.

even though I dont own a Conan book yet, but I WILL.......