CT rules: How many languages known?

[Maladominus]

Hi all

I wanted to know... for Classic Traveller, are there any rules (or maybe some obscure JTAS article) on a system for allowing characters to know languages other than their native tongue?

What are the MAJOR factors that come into play?

Linguistics skill?

Education attribute? College?

 

[Maladominus]

Hi all

I wanted to know... for Classic Traveller, are there any rules (or maybe some obscure JTAS article) on a system for allowing characters to know languages other than their native tongue?

What are the MAJOR factors that come into play?

Linguistics skill?

Education attribute? College?

 

[daryen]

CT:AM1 (Aslan) has rules for characters trying to learn the Aslan language. (It is on page 39.)

Generally, however, the CT rules assume that either the players have access to the required language (through knowledge of one or more players or a translator), or that the lack of knowledge is important for the adventure.

As for what languages a player knows on character creation, that is pretty much done by player backstory and referee fiat.

 

[daryen]

CT:AM1 (Aslan) has rules for characters trying to learn the Aslan language. (It is on page 39.)

Generally, however, the CT rules assume that either the players have access to the required language (through knowledge of one or more players or a translator), or that the lack of knowledge is important for the adventure.

As for what languages a player knows on character creation, that is pretty much done by player backstory and referee fiat.

 

[Maladominus]

Originally posted by daryen:

As for what languages a player knows on character creation, that is pretty much done by player backstory and referee fiat.

While I agree with you here, I still would have liked some kind of systematic way of doing this, if there was one.

Right now, the House Rule that I use is the following, and I wanted to know if it sounds reasonable.

1) all characters automatically know their citizenship language... example, all Imperial characters know Galanglic, all Solomani Confederationists know Rim Anglic, etc.

2) in addition, a character KNOWS the local language/dialect of his native homeworld, if it is different from his "national/imperial" tongue.

Example, someone born in some fictional planet called "New Tokyo" will speak Japanese, in addition to Imperial Galanglic; this is assuming that the character is both an Imperial citizen as well as a native of the planet "New Tokyo". And this is assuming that New Tokyo is inside the Imperium.

3) Education:

EDU of 9-12, allow character to know an EXTRA language, on top of the native languages known above. This EDU level is possibly due to some moderate college-level education for this character.

EDU of 13-15, allow the character to know an EXTRA 2 languages, on top of the native languages known above. This EDU level reflects a high degree of collegiate/academic studies for this character.

4) Linguistics skill: a character with Linguistics skill level 1 to 2, allow him to learn an additional (foreign) language; Linguistics 3 or 4, allow him to learn 2 additional (foreign) languages; etc


Let me ask... is this system excessive?? Am I giving the characters way too many languages?

Summary Example:

PC Eneri Gadriish

Vilani Human, born in a Vilani-speaking world inside the Third Imperium. Education of 11 (he's very educated), Merchant Trader, has Linguistics-2

Hence, languages known:

Galanglic (because of his Imperium citizenship)
Vilani (because of his home ethnicity/culture)

One extra foreign language - because of EDU 11
One extra foreign language - because of Ling-2


Grand Total: He knows 4 languages upon mustering out. For the two extra languages, Eneri chooses
Gvegh(Vargr) and Bwap(Newt).

Is this excessive? Or is this about right? This character speaks FOUR languages with fluency upon mustering out. Then again, he *is* a well-educated man, plus his many years of service in Merchants has given him Linguistics skill, which explains why he easily picked up another language.

 

[Maladominus]

Originally posted by daryen:

As for what languages a player knows on character creation, that is pretty much done by player backstory and referee fiat.

While I agree with you here, I still would have liked some kind of systematic way of doing this, if there was one.

Right now, the House Rule that I use is the following, and I wanted to know if it sounds reasonable.

1) all characters automatically know their citizenship language... example, all Imperial characters know Galanglic, all Solomani Confederationists know Rim Anglic, etc.

2) in addition, a character KNOWS the local language/dialect of his native homeworld, if it is different from his "national/imperial" tongue.

Example, someone born in some fictional planet called "New Tokyo" will speak Japanese, in addition to Imperial Galanglic; this is assuming that the character is both an Imperial citizen as well as a native of the planet "New Tokyo". And this is assuming that New Tokyo is inside the Imperium.

3) Education:

EDU of 9-12, allow character to know an EXTRA language, on top of the native languages known above. This EDU level is possibly due to some moderate college-level education for this character.

EDU of 13-15, allow the character to know an EXTRA 2 languages, on top of the native languages known above. This EDU level reflects a high degree of collegiate/academic studies for this character.

4) Linguistics skill: a character with Linguistics skill level 1 to 2, allow him to learn an additional (foreign) language; Linguistics 3 or 4, allow him to learn 2 additional (foreign) languages; etc


Let me ask... is this system excessive?? Am I giving the characters way too many languages?

Summary Example:

PC Eneri Gadriish

Vilani Human, born in a Vilani-speaking world inside the Third Imperium. Education of 11 (he's very educated), Merchant Trader, has Linguistics-2

Hence, languages known:

Galanglic (because of his Imperium citizenship)
Vilani (because of his home ethnicity/culture)

One extra foreign language - because of EDU 11
One extra foreign language - because of Ling-2


Grand Total: He knows 4 languages upon mustering out. For the two extra languages, Eneri chooses
Gvegh(Vargr) and Bwap(Newt).

Is this excessive? Or is this about right? This character speaks FOUR languages with fluency upon mustering out. Then again, he *is* a well-educated man, plus his many years of service in Merchants has given him Linguistics skill, which explains why he easily picked up another language.

 

[aramis]

Method in MT: Each level of Linguistics skill adds one language. Galanglic is assumed as a default for imperial characters, plus homeworld dialect thereof.

Me, I prefer to use Edu/5 additional languages past homeworld. I round down; but that's also an MTism.

 

[aramis]

Method in MT: Each level of Linguistics skill adds one language. Galanglic is assumed as a default for imperial characters, plus homeworld dialect thereof.

Me, I prefer to use Edu/5 additional languages past homeworld. I round down; but that's also an MTism.

 

[parmasson]

I don’t think you are giving them too many languages at all. If anything it is too few.

In the real world finding people who speak three languages is not unheard of and not necessarily tied to education. Anglic+native should be a minimum if you intend to venture out into space. Just think of all those local dialects that over the course of the Long Night drifted away from their parent languages.
Naaaa let em have those languages, it spices up the PCs’ background.
Edu or Int/5 sounds good to me.
Don’t forget characters who learned a language for military reasons (D.L.I. type stuff.)

 

[parmasson]

I don’t think you are giving them too many languages at all. If anything it is too few.

In the real world finding people who speak three languages is not unheard of and not necessarily tied to education. Anglic+native should be a minimum if you intend to venture out into space. Just think of all those local dialects that over the course of the Long Night drifted away from their parent languages.
Naaaa let em have those languages, it spices up the PCs’ background.
Edu or Int/5 sounds good to me.
Don’t forget characters who learned a language for military reasons (D.L.I. type stuff.)

 

[aramis]

Other thought:
0+(Int+Edu)/5
Odds are really good that most characters will show multiples, and it puts the maximums without linguistics at 6.

Of course this puts the real-low-end types (Int2 Edu2) as non-verbals... but that works for me.

 

[aramis]

Other thought:
0+(Int+Edu)/5
Odds are really good that most characters will show multiples, and it puts the maximums without linguistics at 6.

Of course this puts the real-low-end types (Int2 Edu2) as non-verbals... but that works for me.

 

[jfetters]

I like the different interpretations here. I have always found that "winging it" can lead to too many abuses, but limiting "number of languages" to the Linguistics skill completely ignored fluency.

Aramis said:

Of course this puts the real-low-end types (Int2 Edu2) as non-verbals... but that works for me.

But that is OK if you are playing the character. You just sit in the corner and drool. It's also handy if you are hung over.

 

[jfetters]

I like the different interpretations here. I have always found that "winging it" can lead to too many abuses, but limiting "number of languages" to the Linguistics skill completely ignored fluency.

Aramis said:

Of course this puts the real-low-end types (Int2 Edu2) as non-verbals... but that works for me.

But that is OK if you are playing the character. You just sit in the corner and drool. It's also handy if you are hung over.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Hey, grunt and point happens to work just fine when you're 2.5m, 200kg!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Hey, grunt and point happens to work just fine when you're 2.5m, 200kg!

 

[SanDragon]

Tim Taylor gone to seed?

 

[SanDragon]

Tim Taylor gone to seed?

 

[aramis]

Errr?? OOOK! Ar Ar Ar!!!!

 

[aramis]

Errr?? OOOK! Ar Ar Ar!!!!