Pregame Discussion

[Rex]

If you want to bounce some ideas off me feel free. I have re-read my Greyhawk folio for the first time in years and have been looking at some websites for idea. My secondary skill roll was a good one but has made me re-think some things to make it work. Going to be an interesting character.

[beniliusbob]

Ahh okay awesome thanks for the DMG references. I actually have a physical copy of it, but I’m not a master of the contents!

[Darklin2]

Anyone ever play with the rule that Mages get their intell bonus for spells like Clerics do? I have had a couple games do that. Makes the Mage more useful at low levels.

[Rex]

When using Hyperborea yes. Never in 1e but it would work just fine.

I have never been much for running magic-users but in the groups I played in almost all the magic-users run either multi-class (usually fighters, occasionally clerics) or dual-class fighters first, then magic-user after the fighter reached second or third level. I can't remember anyone running a straight magic-user.

[dmw71]

Anyone ever play with the rule that Mages get their intell bonus for spells like Clerics do? I have had a couple games do that. Makes the Mage more useful at low levels.

I've played in (or am familiar with) games where this has been the rule. I'm not opposed to it in theory, but not for this game. In this game, I want to strive to recreate the games of my early youth when trying to learn the system where we pretty much followed all the rules as closely as possible.

One thing I will volunteer, and I (regretfully) cannot remember where I first read/heard about this (possibly in the Tale of the Manticore podcast?) but no one except for the caster themselves knows the full capability of the user of magic. Magic user's don't walk around with signs advertising what level they are. When a 1st level magic user casts their single spell during an encounter, none of the opponents (or possibly companions) will know they've exhausted their magical capabilities. They can always threaten more use. Their bluff can get called, obviously, but I love the role-playing possibilities surrounding spell limitations.

[Zhym]

Hi, all. Thanks for letting me in the game and sorry I’ve been quiet already—I was out of town on a road trip for a week and a half. I’ll try to catch up on the forums this weekend and get a character started, if that’s okay.

[dmw71]

Hi, all. Thanks for letting me in the game and sorry I’ve been quiet already—I was out of town on a road trip for a week and a half. I’ll try to catch up on the forums this weekend and get a character started, if that’s okay.

No worries, man. I'm still slowly getting this game ready, but I am working on it in the background.

Let me/us know if you have any character creation questions.

[dmw71]

I had a lot of ideas for different house rules when I started this game, and I’ve abandoned all of them… except my (perhaps foolish) attempt to make languages meaningful.

But how?

That is a question I’ve been struggling with — a lot — but I think I finally figured it out. It might take me some time to formally commit this idea to words, but hopefully in the next day or two.

---

P.S. This “breakthrough” utilizes a very 1e roll-under mechanic.

[dmw71]

It might take me some time to formally commit this idea to words, but hopefully in the next day or two.

It may require some tweaking or clarification, but the 'Languages' topic in the 'Character Generation Rules' section has been updated.

The list of available languages still needs my attention.



I know it may seem complicated, but the worst is over during character creation.


Feel free to share any thoughts or feedback.

[shaidar]

Quick question, if we can have more than one additional language, do we get them all at the start or just the one.

Reading your languages post I think it's just the one, but I wasn't 100% sure.

[dmw71]

Quick question, if we can have more than one additional language, do we get them all at the start or just the one.

Given the importance or detail I'm adding to languages in general, I'm thinking I'm going to allow all extra known languages per your intelligence bonus to be known from the start.

I'm still open whether those extra languages need to be:

1. Pre-determined from the start, or
2. Leave known languages slots open, filling them during gameplay (automatically, through exposure).
   ---

   A character with an open language slot finds themselves where an unfamiliar language is being spoken. As long as that player is able to provide a good reason for how their character would know that language, they can fill an open language slot with this unfamiliar language.
   
   The goal being to avoid having characters pre-select languages that never come into play.
   

   ---

I also want to build in a mechanic where, each time a character is exposed to a language they're previously not familiar with, they get a small bonus in that language -- maybe 1 or 2 points. There's a chance, however small, that just having heard the language spoken before they might be able to retain something useful.

I will continue to think on this, but definitely welcome any thoughts or feedback on the idea.

[Rex]

Language rules look good but I do have a question. Half-orcs and dwarves have a Chr penalty, but it only applies to non-members of their race. Thus my half-orc has a Chr of 9 for most people and an 11 for half-orcs. Which would I use to calculate her fluency?

[beniliusbob]

Quick question, if we can have more than one additional language, do we get them all at the start or just the one.

Given the importance or detail I'm adding to languages in general, I'm thinking I'm going to allow all extra known languages per your intelligence bonus to be known from the start.

Just to make sure I’m following… I have INT 14, so 4 “additional languages.” I know Common and Olman. Do I have two more languages for a total of 4, or four more languages for a total of 6?

[dmw71]

Half-orcs and dwarves have a Chr penalty, but it only applies to non-members of their race. Thus my half-orc has a Chr of 9 for most people and an 11 for half-orcs. Which would I use to calculate her fluency?

Her fluency score is human-based, so her charisma for most purposes would count as a 9.

If, however, she’s communicating with orcs, her fluency would be 2 higher, or 11.

Just to make sure I’m following… I have INT 14, so 4 “additional languages.” I know Common and Olman. Do I have two more languages for a total of 4, or four more languages for a total of 6?

Common and your local dialect (e.g. Olman) are free.

The 4 from intelligence are extra, so 6 total.

[Rex]

Thanks. Now I need to do some research to find what language the Rovers speak.

[Rex]

It is Flan in my case.

[Scott308]

Not gonna lie, I was kind of looking forward to my 7 INT dwarf only speaking Dwarven. Everyone else, maybe not so much.

[dmw71]

Not gonna lie, I was kind of looking forward to my 7 INT dwarf only speaking Dwarven. Everyone else, maybe not so much.

That sounds like a choice. He could still do it even if he understands more languages.

[Zhym]

I still haven't had a chance to dig into the rules and start up a character, but I hope to get to it in the next few days.

[beniliusbob]

It might take me some time to formally commit this idea to words, but hopefully in the next day or two.

It may require some tweaking or clarification, but the 'Languages' topic in the 'Character Generation Rules' section has been updated.

The list of available languages still needs my attention.



I know it may seem complicated, but the worst is over during character creation.


Feel free to share any thoughts or feedback.

By the by… while I really like the idea of “quantum languages,” if there are indeed 10+ players, it might end up feeling extremely gamey, because we’d have so much linguistic potentiality that I doubt we’d ever end up unable to communicate with anything. I’m a rather gamey guy, but I offer this up as a consideration depending on where you sit on the style spectrum.