Elf-talking

 On Language 

Languages are scattershot throughout not only D&D but RPGs overall. In order to make languages more regular, I decided to write a list for my game. The list is 16 languages long. Certainly there are many more languages, but these are the most useful ones. 

There are doubtless thousands of spoken and written languages; some dead and some living in some weird corners of the Realm.

Race Languages: 

1. Dwarven 

2. Elven

3. Goblin (goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears)

4.Draconic (dragons and similar creatures with linguistic capacity)

5. Giant (including ogres and trolls)

Alignment Languages:

6. Simite (Lawful)

7. Achromatic (Neutral Alignment)

8. Vitian (Chaotic)

Outsider Languages: 

9. Celestial (Good)

10. Infernal (Lawful)

11. Abyssal (Chaotic)

Infernal is very, very, very specific. It is the language chiefly of Devils. It is rarely if ever spoken by Men of the Realm but important contracts are written in Infernal as well as Common and/or Dwarven.

Celestial and Abyssal are superglottal languages. Men have not the ability to speak them, though they may learn to understand their aural or witten form. Audible Celestial forces evil creatures to check morale or cower in awe. Audible Abyssal does the same for Lawful creatures. (Note: A creature may be both Lawful and evil.)

Pidgins:

12. Common (men and hobbits)

13. Sylvan (forest creatures)

14. Undercommon (kobolds and subterranean beings)

Secret Languages: 

15. Thieves' Cant

16. Druidic

Secret Languages are not available to most characters at creation except for those characters who are part of the organizations which use them.

Knowing languages:

At creation, Men and Hobbits know their alignment language and common. Druids will also know Druidic. I don’t have thieves as a character class, so no one would know it to start. 

Additionally Dwarves and Elves will each know their racial language and 1-3 others bestowed based on their race. This means they will have the ability to know more languages than a Man with similar intelligence. This makes sense since Dwarfs and, especially, Elfs are very long-lived. 

Learning languages:

Characters may know an additional language (more than their starting languages) based on time and INT. It takes 6 seasons (18 months) to become fluent in a language. A character can learn a new language for every two points of INT above 9. (One for INT 11, two for INT 13, etc.)

This makes languages a skill-based system unmoored from level and class, which is totally unique. 

Oh well. 

Languages are important because talking is important - at least as important as fighting. A unique mechanic is necessary, just like the to hit chart and save chart.