Talk:Supernatural Languages (3.5e Variant Rule)

Topics for Discussion

Some things I'm uncertain of for how to fully integrate this variant:

Does comprehend languages apply to supernatural languages: I go back and forth here, but over all I think I'm leaning towards no, since this spell doesn't allow you to speak with animals after all, and since there will be individual spells for each language.

Should each supernatural language have a feat to speak it: I was thinking it might be a good idea to have a "Supernatural Tongues" feat to make one eligible to take feats making them permanently able to speak one of the languages, like how "Wild Talent" makes one eligible to take psionic feats, but I'm not sure. It could be that each individual feat would not be overpowered at all.

How should the spells be handled: speak with animals is a right useful spell, but how useful would speak with fire-based creatures be? On the other hand, speak all supernatural languages seems like it may be too high level a spell to be balanced. I'm not quite sure how to handle this and have it be well balanced.

--Banyan 14:29, 6 September 2007 (MDT)

First off I feel that this could be improved if it made to be more structured. This seems to be rambling on and on and it is very hard to get the meaning out of this. Anyway, about animal communication. The two sides about animal communication in D&D that I see (I may be way off) relate in ways that animals can communicate. One is that they speak like normal cognitive beings—their own language. The other way that I see is that they communicate by body language. I think that D&D feels they communicate via Body Language, and I think this variant would be improved if animals were made to speak languages, each group their own language. Anyway, to answer your questions with the idea that "each animal their own" being kept in mind. I think that comprehend languages should work for animals because they would be speaking their own languages. It states "The spell enables you to understand or read an unknown language, not speak or write it." and since each group of animals would have their own language, comprehend languages should allow the animals tongue to be understood. "Should each supernatural language have a feat to speak it?" I go both ways on this... I feel that an animal language should not be as easy to learn as a normal language, however a feat seems a little much. "How should the spells be handled?" I think speak with animals, if each group of animals is going to have their own languages, should be broken up into other spells or maybe have it's level raised... Anyway, I hope this comment has been helpful. --Green Dragon 21:49, 9 September 2007 (MDT)

When it comes to fantasy languages of the D&D realms, I have put together a plethora of information on the spoken and written languages, their lineages, dialects and descendants, as well as a few new ones. I thought that I had been rather unique in making Titanic an ancient language, even though the MMI does not say that Titans have their own language. I decided it would make a good lineage for Giant (Rephaim dialects), and in fact is one of the original ancient languages in the Jashnian Cosmology.

I would like to share a page with you. Please be forewarned: this content is represented by myself and Paul Lapidus of New Funtiers, because of its potential for publication or inclusion in future projects. It is not currently OGL content in any form, and should not be stolen or copied until more is known about this publication effort. Please read through it, and see if this information helps your own. As far as I am concerned, this is the best language tree that D&D currently has. It includes new languages, such as Seraphim, Elohim, and cultural languages of the Jashnian Campaign Setting. It also is focused on Aleph, a mystical language mentioned in "Tome and Blood" and "Complete Arcane". Thanks!

http://elftown.com/_grammaticum%20primeaval -- xido 22:10, 11 November 2007 (MST)

Updated Variant

As should be obvious, I've overhauled this variant considerably. Thanks for all the comments, and keep them coming so I can continue to improve. --Banyan 23:32, 7 December 2007 (MST)