Café de Nuit

4e has certainly solved the issue of everyone being a polyglot; however, as people have pointed out, two or three languages isn't going to cut it in a Core full of single domain languages like "Falkovnian" or "Luktar". I prefer having less languages myself (I think when I know more fictional languages than real ones I have a problem), so I set about trying to adapt the 4E system for my needs.

Firstly, none of the PCs languages are set at character creation, because there is no Common. Even demihumans like elves and dwarves don't have to take their racial languages if they don't want to.

Secondly, I set about collapsing and double stacking languages so that they could be applied to as many domains as possible. It's not a perfect system - it fully caves in to the more "fantastic" side of Ravenloft, and I still ended up with a few more languages than are in the PhB, but I think it might work out.

The List:

Common
High Mordentish (Dementlieu, Mordent, Richemulot, Borca, Avonleigh, Nidalia, Valacan, Souragne)
Low Mordentish (Tepest, Forlorn, Borca, Kartakass, Mordent, Avonleigh, Nidalia)
Balok (Barovia, Borca, Invidia, Kartakass, Hazlan)
Vaasi (Darkon, Nova Vaasa, Hazlan, Pharazia, Kartakass, Valacan)
Pharazian (G'henna, Sebua, Har Akir, Pharazia, Hazlan)
Darkonian (Lamordia, Falkovnia, Darkon)
Sithican (Elves, Vechor, Kartakass, Sithicus, Fey)
Futhark (Graben Island, Druids, Dwarves, Giants, Fey)
Iotheric (Magicians, Darkon, Draconic, Rokushima)
Devanāgarī (Shri Raji, Underwater and Subterranian Creatures [Deep Speech])
Patterna (Vistani)
Supernal (Outsiders - not learnable by PCs)

Defunct
Ancient Akiri (written language only)
Thaani
Vossoth Nor
Abber Nomad

If your wondering about odd domains like Nidalia being in there, I based it off my revision map here:
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj19 ... ppymap.jpg
Obviously, the list won't perfectly fit normal Ravenloft.

Like I said - not perfect. For one thing, you get some odd combinations like the Rokushimans speak Draconic - there's probably some legend about how dragons created the people or something. And I'm still not sure about how many languages ended up in Kartakass (even if Verbrek did get stuffed in there as well). For another, the "Defunct" languages are both woefully incomplete and a bit of a fifth wheel. I put languages under defunct because they're not likely to be very useful unless the DM goes out of the way to make them so, which means I wouldn't recommend a player to take them... so how would a PC go about learning them?

Thoughts/comments/suggestions/nitpicks appreciated.

How did 4th Ed solved the problem of all characters being polyglots?

Looking at changes in geography (some of them awesome) I presume you are thinking of RLR project, aren't you?

Charney wrote:How did 4th Ed solved the problem of all characters being polyglots?

Because there are fewer languages to learn in general and instead of just throwing skill points at languages, you have to spend a feat to learn more. A lot of creatures that spoke different languages in 3e now speak the same language in 4th.

Paladyn wrote:Looking at changes in geography (some of them awesome) I presume you are thinking of RLR project, aren't you?

Very much so. In fact, I've posted all my completed revisions on the the board. So far, there has been merging Verbrek with Kartakass, revisingValachan and Von Kharkov, a Dragonborn article in QtR#15 (a netzine I suspect no one reads), the Warlock Patron list, and the Train Line. (I posted the map before as well, but I forgot where.)

I realize there is a RLR project already (I started before them, to be accurate ) but there was too much compromise involved in a forum-wide project, and a lot of the changes I wanted (like throwing the Darklord system out on its ear) were far to radical for the stated objectives of the project. I'm also firmly in the 4e camp, where most people seem to prefer Pathfinder or 3.5, hence the language discussion.

Thoughts? Any major extinct Ravenloft languages to add to the "Defunct" lists?

Quite interesting. In my campaign, I "collapsed" all Core languages into 4: Balok (Barovia, Borca, G'Henna, Invidia, Verbrek), Mordentish (Mordent, Dementlieu, Richemulot, Lamordia), Vaasi (Nova Vaasa, Tepest, Hazlan, Kartakass) and Darkonian (Darkon, Falkovnia). There is no Common tongue, but if you speak a couple of those, you're going to be OK anywhere you go, mostly (or at least, easily find a friendly local willing to help you out). Also, PCs get a bonus language at character creation to spend on a domain language of their choice. Between them, characters in my group can speak all four plus dwarven and elven, and can thus travel the Core freely.

Although, the Elven expert got offed by Tristessa yesterday, so I don't know how the language distribution in the group stands right now.

In any case, I like your system. It shows an interesting personal view of the setting, and suggests internal consistency. Having some domains speak several tongues is also useful. Still, even 4E's "simplified" language list hinges on most intelligent monsters speaking Common anyway. Have you considered giving the characters a bonus language at character creation?

I have. I'm not certain whether I want to yet. All races in the PhB get at least two to start with - "Common" and their racial languages, so I unset the
required language choices, meaning there's enough wiggle room for the party to have a common language (we once tried to have a party without a common language - the DM got sick of it and gave us all Mordentish for free) and for everyone else to have one more. Half-Elves get three languages, which might make the race more attractive, and there's a feat that gives three more languages which would also look more attractive as well. I suspect the only way for me to really know is to playtest having less languages at character startup and see what happens.

One idea I have been thinking of, which this makes me think of. Is that instead of races you choose nationalities.

The only issue is that you wpuld have to many races. Though having a few like your collapsed lanquages could work however.