Fantasy languages

[HeroGM]

I'd I want nothing but a list of fantasy languages I'd have to do a remove on all the ones already in the template correct?

[unclevlad]

You might be able to build your set of languages and save it as a prefab.

[Simon]

You could redefine/override the LANGUAGES container itself in the template, but the familiarity chart is not for the faint of heart...

[HeroGM]

I can believe that. Thank you

[JohnBear]

FWIW, in my game I just treated languages as a normal INT skill (no familiarity chart) and created a new skill for that. Also be sure to determine how you want to handle literacy (skills per alphabet, auto, etc)

[unclevlad]

 

2 hours ago, JohnBear said:

FWIW, in my game I just treated languages as a normal INT skill (no familiarity chart) and created a new skill for that. Also be sure to determine how you want to handle literacy (skills per alphabet, auto, etc)

 

That actually sounds easier, unless you're going to wrangle language familiarity.  What I might include is the 11- baseline, and a 3 point skill level that's +1 to all languages.  Otherwise languages get fairly expensive and they're relatively low-value.  

[HeroGM]

APG2 I believe talks about language as a skill. I like the idea from Skill though of being able to split up the four points in multi-culturial families.

[JohnBear]

One way you can do that is to model the skill on weapon or musical instrument familiarity (that's how I handled alphabets and literacy actually). You could also build separate skill adders (like linguist) to go with separate skill "types" for each language group. Though here you're getting much more complex.

[bluesguy]

Here are snippets from the Human template in my campaign world.  I included both the language & Musical Instrument Familiarity.

 

    <LANGUAGES DISPLAY="Language" EXCLUSIVE="No" INPUTLABEL="Language" OTHERINPUT="Y">
      <TYPE>LANGUAGE</TYPE>
      <OPTION XMLID="BASIC" DISPLAY="basic conversation" BASECOST="1" />
      <OPTION XMLID="FLUENT" DISPLAY="fluent conversation" BASECOST="2" />
      <OPTION XMLID="ACCENT" DISPLAY="completely fluent" BASECOST="3" />
      <OPTION XMLID="IDIOMATIC" DISPLAY="idiomatic" ID="IDIOMATIC" BASECOST="4" />
      <OPTION XMLID="DIALECTS" DISPLAY="imitate dialects" BASECOST="5" />
      <LANGUAGE DISPLAY="Ainuese (Japanese)" />
      <LANGUAGE DISPLAY="Hammehish (Viking)" />
      <LANGUAGE DISPLAY="Koorian (Mongolian)" />
      <LANGUAGE DISPLAY="Ligurian (Anglo-Saxon)" />
      <LANGUAGE DISPLAY="Samarain (Pict)" />
      <LANGUAGE DISPLAY="Scipion (Roman)" />
      <LANGUAGE DISPLAY="Wangain (Celtic)" />
      <ADDER XMLID="LITERACY" DISPLAY="literate" BASECOST="1" EXCLUSIVE="Y">
        <DEFINITION>If not standard for society</DEFINITION>
      </ADDER>
      <DEFINITION>This Background Skill represents a level of fluency in, and knowledge of, a language.</DEFINITION>
    </LANGUAGES>
    <SKILL XMLID="MIF" DISPLAY="Musical Instrument Familiarity" ABBREVIATION="MIF" WGABBREVIATION="MIF" BASECOST="0" EXCLUSIVE="Yes" MINCOST="2">
      <CHARACTERISTIC_CHOICE>
        <ITEM CHARACTERISTIC="GENERAL" BASECOST="0" LVLCOST="1" MINCOST="2" LVLVAL="1" />
        <ITEM CHARACTERISTIC="DEX" BASECOST="1" LVLCOST="1" MINCOST="2" LVLVAL="1" />
      </CHARACTERISTIC_CHOICE>
      <ADDER XMLID="1STRINGZITHER" DISPLAY="1 String Zither (Ainu)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="17STRINGZITHER" DISPLAY="17 String Zither (Ainu)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="BAGPIPE" DISPLAY="Bagpipe (Wangai)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="CORNUHORN" DISPLAY="Cornu Horn (Easterling)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="CRUMHORN" DISPLAY="Crumhorn" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="DULCIMER" DISPLAY="Dulcimer" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="GAMBA" DISPLAY="Gamba (Cello)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="GEMSHORN" DISPLAY="Gemshorn (Flute made from a horn)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="HARP" DISPLAY="Harp (Wangai)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="HOCCHIKU" DISPLAY="Hocchiku (Ainu vertical flute)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="HURDYGURDY" DISPLAY="Hurdy-Gurdy (Wangai)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="LUTE" DISPLAY="Lute" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="MUKKURI" DISPLAY="Mukkuri (Ainu mouth harp)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="ORGANETTO" DISPLAY="Organetto" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="PERCUSSION" DISPLAY="Percussion" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="PSALTERY" DISPLAY="Psaltery" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="REBEC" DISPLAY="Rebec (4 string fiddle)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="RECORDER" DISPLAY="Recorder" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="SACBUT" DISPLAY="Sacbut (Trombone)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="SHAWM" DISPLAY="Shawm (Clarenet)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <ADDER XMLID="TONKORI" DISPLAY="Tonkori (Ainu plucked string)" BASECOST="2" MAXCOST="2" />
      <DEFINITION>Musical Instrument Familiarity ("MIF") is the skill of playing musical instruments.  It organizes the musical instruments of the world based racial groups.</DEFINITION>
    </SKILL>

 

Maybe that will help.