Even though I don't see myself as a good writer in any language besides my native one, I do speak five languages quite fluently. I don't see myself as very multilingual and more importantly I don't see myself with a Intellect score of 5.

What I'm saying is that languages are meant be a plot-device or some narrative function in this game and who's going to actually need to buy an extra language when more or less everyone speaks or understands Basic in the Galaxy?

What I'm saying is that languages are meant be a plot-device or some narrative function in this game and who's going to actually need to buy an extra language when more or less everyone speaks or understands Basic in the Galaxy?

I agree with that and it goes with what they mention about languages on page 44. So unless its a plot point don't bother with who knows which language.

I couldn't find anything about in the book about Languages so came up with a house rule for such, figured I would post it here if anyone else wants to use em.

I can't find the reference, but I believe they *do* in fact talk about Languages, and that it's not necessary except as a plot device. If it becomes a problem, call in a droid.

Edit: beaten by mere minutes!

Why not get rid of the 5 xp cost? Grant Basic and Native as you are doing (perhaps only Native if Intellect 1?). THEN, grant bonus languages: One per point of Intellect over 2 and one per point of Knowledge (education) skill. Leave the XP out of it and bam you have a list of languages if you so choose without affecting the system already in place.

Eta: I just added that to my house rule list. Thanks for sharing and inspiring.

No need to worry about languages when they can just read the subtitles.

Oops, metagaming again.

This is Star Wars. As the book says, unless you have a specific reason or plot point, everybody speaks, or at least understands, everything.

not to mention, that at the drop of the hat one of the players can flip a destin and say, well during my stay on nar shadda i learned huttese and therefore can either choose to speak huttese or at least understand the smuggle speak of others.

Its definitely in the book. Chapter 1 I believe. I'm AFB.

Hi people!

Here my suggestions.

No limit based on Inteligence, with enough effort everyone can learn languages (XP).

I wouls separate languages in 3 relative grades or just in 3 grades. Speaking, writing and reading comes together (help PC's!) XD

- First grade is from common languages and only cost 5 XP

- Second grade is for really strange or really uncommon languages and cost 10 XP

- Third grade is for lost or almost impossible to learn languages and costs 15 XP

The idea is that you can reduce those grades by one step and even two of them (limit grade 1 so 5 XP) this way, if you wish to learn some lost language like Celestial or Rakkata it would be Grade 3 (15 XP) but if you find a proper tool, translator or nice instruction booklet (or even a teacher) Grade can be reduced in one step or even further.

Hope you like it

I'm kinda torn when it comes to languages. In the movies, no one can understand Shiryook or Binary, except Han (shiryook) and Threepio (both).

But the book says to allow all players to have whatever knowledge they need to understand any language unless it's important to the plot. Shiryook is fine (we have a wookie in our party, so I'm assuming everyone can understand him), but I have a hard time justifying that anyone can understand Binary (in Escape from Mos Shuuta, the players can interact with the R5 in the junk shop if they want).

I suppose one way around it would be that one or more players has a translation datapad, and the droid in our party can understand binary. Or maybe I'll say that only the droid understands binary, forcing him to do all droid interactions. That might make for some interesting scenes.

I'm kinda torn when it comes to languages. In the movies, no one can understand Shiryook or Binary, except Han (shiryook) and Threepio (both).

Luke comes to understand both pretty well. I think Lando and Chewy understood each other.

I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, having languages could be real fun and games, on the other it could easily bog down the game and players could focus entirely too much on it.

I think that a Xenology check could suffice, if presenting someone with an unknown language and one of the players figures out who and what language it is and therefore makes a good argument for why her/his character should be able to understand and/or speak it. Also, sometimes a PC who can only speak her/his native language is a cool concept, even if this can create problems within the group.

Languages are in the book.

They are mentioned in a boxed text somewhere early on.

Basically it states that there should never be a problem between party members understanding each other.

Languages are in the book.

They are mentioned in a boxed text somewhere early on.

Basically it states that there should never be a problem between party members understanding each other.

Or used to keep the plot from the PCs... excepting when them not understanding is part of the plot.

Languages are in the book.

They are mentioned in a boxed text somewhere early on.

Basically it states that there should never be a problem between party members understanding each other.

Or used to keep the plot from the PCs... excepting when them not understanding is part of the plot.

Indeed. I think back of 3PO translating for Jabba, that can be very funny in an RPG setting. Doing both voices as a GM is a hard thing to do but when done well it can really add to the fun!

There are many instances in the movies where language is an aside and everyone ca just understands each other’s chirping and gibberish just fine. But there are also many times where a language barrier exists. The problem is that the movies are finite, encapsulated stories where it really doesn’t matter at the end of the trilogy who understood what. Whereas, in an ongoing RPG campaign, things are much more open ended and fluid.

Sure, you can do as the book suggests and just stick to what makes for good plot at the time. But what if in one adventure the plot doesn't care that everyone understands a Zabrak in his naive tongue, but then somewhere later down the road (in another adventure), the plot indicates its a good idea if the PCs don't understand someone speaking Zabraki? The players will balk if you forgot or are inconsistent. Over time, who understands what can get a bit muddled and inconsistent.

Out GM proposed a houserule that gives the PCs a moderate degree of fluency but also frames each character’s known languages in a pre-determined box for the sake of play.

Each PC speaks 2 starting languages (Galactic Basic and their native tongue - if human, pick another language). You also know (or at least understand) a number of additional languages equal to the character’s Intelligence + Cunning scores. You also gain a bonus language for each rank in Xenology. And can further buy 2 languages per 5XP if you want even more.

So the average PC knows 6 languages. This lets them get along (presumably) with anyone in the group with special issues (such as Wookiees). And a collection of other lingos they’ve picked up along the way.

For example, as a human pilot/scoundrel (with Int 2/Cunning 3) - frequenting the outer rim in and around the Arkanis Sector - I figured I’d be able to speak: Basic, Bocce and Huttese. And I chose to understand: Gamorrese, Geonosian, Jawa Trade Language and Rodese.

Anyway, that’s how we’re doing it. So far it’s been cool.

I still favor all languages for everybody.

If an adventure comes along that indicates that it might be good to not understand the Zabrak's language, I'd probably just change his species. Now he's a Kubaz. Or, he speaks a different dialect of Zabrak. It's certainly not outside the realms to have a planet have a few dialects.

We've had more then one game where characters have been stranded on a primitive planet, and can still understand the natives. I just justify it as, "they're the descendants of a lost colony. There accents a bit thick, and you don't catch everything, but close enough." On other occasions when I've wanted it to be harder, I'll make it incomprehensible.

There's no right or wrong answer though, go with what makes your group happy.

If an adventure comes along that indicates that it might be good to not understand the Zabrak's language, I'd probably just change his species. Now he's a Kubaz. Or, he speaks a different dialect of Zabrak. It's certainly not outside the realms to have a planet have a few dialects.

Which you can still do, even with finite languages known. If someone in the group speaks Zabrak, but you want to make things difficult, have the guy (as you pointed out) speak a different dialect. Now give the Zabraki-knowing PC a Hard check to try and pick out parts he can make out and maybe understand, but give him only parts you want to. Now you've added some fun roleplaying opportunities, IMO.

We've had more then one game where characters have been stranded on a primitive planet, and can still understand the natives. I just justify it as, "they're the descendants of a lost colony. There accents a bit thick, and you don't catch everything, but close enough." On other occasions when I've wanted it to be harder, I'll make it incomprehensible.

Or just have those people/colonies/species speak in Basic. With a thick accent, if you like, as you suggest. Or you can have them still speak some obscure language, but make sure it's one at least one of the PCs happens to know. Still not a problem with having people pick their languages in advance.

And I didn't say our houserule needed to be adopted by anyone, so of course play your way. I was just offering up our 2 cred. YMMV, and all that.

Fair enough, I certainly wasn't trying to suggest your way was bad. Every group and every team likes a different flavor. Ultimately, do what you like.

If I were to put together a rule limiting how many languages a character can speak and/or understand, I'd do something a bit simpler that doesn't directly require XP to increase with no further benefit for the expenditure.

I'd take Intellect + Cunning + Knowledge (Educated) + Knowledge (Xenology), and that's how many languages you know on top of Basic and whatever your native tongue is. You learn another language each time you increase your rank in one of those.

That gives your bog-standard Human 5 languages, your typical scoundrel 6-7, your minor noble 7-8, etc. It also gives players more of a reason to buy into some knowledge skills, even when it isn't their primary schtick. If nobody in your party can communicate with someone when you've got 20+ languages between the bunch of you, it's either a plot point, or bad planning on the GM's part.

"Well, that's easy for you to say." - See Threepio

I was thinking about languages, particularly the sidebar (which is on p44 among the descriptions of races)

I had been considering an approach similar to the ones mentioned here.

I do like to have some continuity, so having them understand a language in one scene and not another would bother me as much as the players. Dialects can explain this of course. (I took German in both high school and college, and still struggle to understand my dad and his relatives.) I would go a little narrower on that end, and say that it's not so much that the rest of the group can understand Zabraki, as they have come to understand their shipmate.

I like the idea of letting each character have a few extra languages, perhaps using existing knowledge and intellect, as Voice does above. Considering the nature of EotE, I would probably start with Native, Basic, and Huttese as beginning languages.

One way to avoid discontinuity would be that when it's not important, don't even specify. If I want to use language as a challenge or some other element, their choices could come into play.

The players could also use fluency in a language to their advantage. Perhaps they need to learn some information from a Bothan information broker. The broker doesn't like "aliens" but one of them has chosen Bothan as a language. Dealing with him in his own language could allow them to remove a Setback die from the roll.

Other scenarios could involve tricking information out of someone, involving "Cool" rolls to not let on that you understand them. (Think Daenerys' dealings with Kraznys in Game of Thrones)

As has been mentioned before, this is probably something best handled narratively. If a language is specifically rare, or if there is some point to having a language barrier story-wise, then tell the player they can't understand the NPC, or each other. Otherwise, in terms of house rules, Knowledge: Xenology seems the best bet. Xenology might cover some simple conversational phrases in the native tongue of that species. Similarly, Knoweldge: Outer Rim/Core Worlds can do the same.

Alternately, the XP buying system above is nice, but I would probably tweak it some. Languages have a tendency to have similar roots. If a planet has been exposed to intergalactic travel and trade for a few hundred years, I'd say these commonalities of the "Major languages" like basic and huttese are going to begin infiltrating their dialects over the course of a few centuries, giving many languages a lot of basic things in common. For instance, if you speak Latin, it makes learning italian, spanish, and portugese easier. With this concept of sister languages in mind, and the idea that the study of language and phenomes is going to become easier, the more languages someone learns and exposes themself to, I'd suggest the following alternate house rule:

1.) No limit to the number of languages one can learn.

2.) Starting languages = 2

3.) The first additional purchsaed language costs 5 XP. Each additional language costs 1 XP less, minimum 1.

I have always gone with the RAW, in fact that was the case even when I was running original D6 edition. Although different groups have different needs, the book clearly states on page 44 of the core rules "Player Characters are not required to track the different languages they speak". My feeling would be that if the group encountered a race with a completely different language then a protocol droid would come in very useful. As to more obscure languages, I would handle that through the Knowledge Xenology or Knowledge Education skills.

E

To determine languages understood:

Pick the higher of Intellect or Education. That's how many you initially understand. You can follow along, but not necessarily speak them.

To determine languages spoken:

Pick the LOWER of Intellect or Education (plus Basic, your native language, etc).

To understand a new language for an encounter:

Make an Education check.

• Add one or more Boost for ranks in Xenobiology.
• Add one or more Setback per "rarity" (eg, Huttese = common, so no Setbacks, but Ewoks are isolated from the galaxy at large, so maybe 2-3 Setbacks).
• Upgrade difficulty once if you're trying to speak the language, too.
• Upgrade difficulty twice if you're trying to read.
• Upgrade difficulty twice if you're trying to write.

Success indicates that you're good for the encounter and can at least follow the basics, although hilarious minor misunderstandings may ensue based on exact results.

If you roll a Triumph... you may spontaneously learn the language (or perhaps you always knew it but it never came up.)

Learning new languages:

In addition to the above Triumph rule, spend XP. 5 seems like a reasonable, flat number, although I could come up with all sorts of structures to make the cost tier up at you understand more.