Languages
MythCraft does not officially track languages, but assumes that any humanoid can find some way of accurately communicating very basic ideas and simple conversations with other humanoids, either via translator or nonverbal cues. If you want to add a little more complexity to your games, you can use one or more of the following models for adding languages to your game.
Lineage Languages
This model approaches languages through the lens of lineages. Each sapient lineage has its own tongue, and there is a common language shared by all. This model is usually human-centric, assuming that the human tongue is the common language, so you can maintain this trope or invert it and, for example, choose that Halfling is the common tongue.
If you use this model, then in character creation, each hero gets to know two languages: the common tongue and their own lineage language. If a lineage’s own tongue is considered the common tongue, then a hero of that lineage knows any one additional language of the character’s choice.
Learning Languages
As an optional rule if you use languages in your game, you might allow heroes to learn 1 additional language for every 2 points of INT that they have.
Alternatively, you might introduce a special Languages skill with the INT and knowledge tags. Heroes could make Languages checks in order to decipher the intent of a creature speaking a language that they don’t know. Additionally, for every 4 skill points a hero has in this skill, you could allow them to learn another language.
If your world has a large number of languages, you might consider allowing your heroes to learn another language for every 1 point of INT that they have, or for every 2-3 points of the Languages skill, or both.
In addition to the languages spoken by individual lineages, you might introduce languages associated with the Five Sources of Magic or with the various pantheons. You might also introduce languages spoken by humanoid creatures in the Creature Compendium, such as centaurs and clikkiri.
A few MythCraft lineages would likely share the same languages, and this is reflected in the following table. You can use this table or modify it to suit your own campaign.
| Language | Creatures that Speak it |
|---|---|
| Arcanic | Arcane |
| Avadrian | Avadri, Raedeen, Remnants |
| Caninian | Hondu |
| Celestial | Celestials, Divine |
| Clikkiri | Insectoid Humanoids |
| Common | Halflings, Humans |
| Critterine | Kleppins |
| Draconic | Dragons, Dragonfolk, Dracani, Wyrms, Wyverns |
| Dwarvish | Dwarves |
| Eldritch | Occult |
| Elvish | Elves |
| Faetongue | Centaurs, Fae, Minotaurs |
| Felinese | Kettek, Sphinxes |
| Infernal | Fiends, Fiendbloods |
| Primordial | Elementals |
| Trolltongue | Bhrunai, Trollkin |
| Ursone | Urkou |
National and Cultural Languages
Separately from or in addition to lineage languages, you might decide to introduce languages based on the nations in your world. If you use this system, then there is likely no “common” language, but the more economically powerful nations have their languages spoken more frequently.
If you use both this approach and the lineage languages, consider giving each of your heroes fluency in three or four languages to start out, as communication might be difficult otherwise.
Instead of presenting each nation as having its own language, you might group nations together by approximate cultural similarity and assign regional languages using that framework. Typically, the language spoken in such regions will be named after the oldest nation from that region.You can get more information on Nations on the Exploring Ancerra page.
| Language | Nations that Speak it |
|---|---|
| Ahtenat | Ahten, Dyspara, Nent |
| Anedonian | Anedonia, Roshallan, Thaaj |
| Betallese | Betaal |
| Chehozrani | Chee, Chenozran, Getar |
| Dorian | Eryndor, Pash, Ruptaea, Vaenyth |
| Doshairi | Doshairiel, Falth, Rovel |
| Fjordenhavian | Fjordenaven, Renden, Skavr, Yodvan |
| Gavaran | Gavare |
| Kendarian | Constel, Forsten, Kendaria, Nevna |
| Kessian | Bishal, Derk, Kess |
| Muskshiri | Musksihr, Vel |
| Nausan | Nausa |
| Nevnan | Nevna, Kendaria, Vel |
| Noordan | Noord, Tenvik, Yodvan |
| Roshallani | Roshallan and its vassal states |
| Tafanian | Sozein, Tafunga |
| Theshi | Bridgemoor, Falth, Husk, Kandiff, Lesmishan, Nalathesh |
| Unjaarni | Buyleist, Unjaarn, Vadan |
| Valstromese | Shadrodoth, Falth, Valstrom |
| Velan | Vel |
Translators
In a campaign with many languages, you might find that it becomes an obstacle to moving the plot forward if none of your heroes speak the right language.
You might choose to assume that trustworthy translators can be found in any settled area, and only worry about tracking languages when your heroes are in the wilderness.
You could also treat translators as powerful politicians. Many diplomats might slightly change the meaning or nuance of words as they facilitate a conversation between parties that otherwise cannot understand one another. Translators that do this might have designs on power or leadership and promote their own agendas by manipulating such conversations.
*Updated to Print 2