Language Rules

Language Rules

Languages are normal skills which can be used, trained, studied or learned by experience in the usual ways.
Here is a guideline to what the raw skill percentages actually mean:

10%	Rudimentary - communication may be possible: "Food!"
25%	Basic - can get by amongst native speakers: "What moneys for sheep?"
50%	Normal - communication is assured: "How much for that leg of lamb?"
75%	Advanced - as fluent as most clever natives: "But that mutton was rotten before it was butchered!"
100%+	Courtly - the language of poets, philosophers, diplomats and emissaries: "Surely the assessment for this specimen of decomposing provender should be re-evaluated in consideration of it's advanced state of putrefaction."

Ticks for language skills may be awarded for roleplaying the appropriate level of fluenc

 


Learning Languages
Most non-player characters will know their native tongue to about 50% but will be illiterate.
Most player characters will speak their native tongue at INT x 5% and read/write its associated script at (INT - 5) x 10%.


Languages related to each other can be spoken at half the skill of the highest in their group. An averagely intelligent character would thus have the basics (25%) of all languages related to their native tongue. Day-to-day communication in a language counts as training under a Tutor with a 50% skill (see "The Experience System"). Tuition usually under a tutor with about 100% skill) may be undertaken in addition to this. Scripts are easier to learn than languages - but note that a higher skill is required to be fully literate.

25%	Inadequate - Cannot understand most of what is read, almost everything written is illegible.
50%	Slow reader - Can get the gist of most things but has to trace with a finger and speak out loud.
75%	Adequate - Reads and writes correctly most of the time but often misreads or writes illegibly.
100%+	Fully literate - Can read and write accurately and quirckly, only erring rarely, perhaps when under pressure.