Language reflects what a character can speak, read, and understand.
Most lands share some form of Common, but dialect, custom, idiom, class, and distance can make meaning uncertain.
Language comes through use and exposure, not intellect alone.
Only roll when meaning is uncertain and the risk matters.
Characters begin with Rough Common unless their Background, Ancestry, or Life Event says otherwise.
Level | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Rough | Speak and understand simple Common, but cannot read or write | Bane when meaning is difficult |
Literate | Speak Common and read or write simple text | No modifier |
Fluent | Speak clearly, understand nuance, and read complex or archaic text | Boon when language is the obstacle |
Language is not usually rolled for ordinary conversation.
If everyone understands enough to act, move on.
When language matters, roll:
d20 + ability modifier
Choose the ability that fits the task.
Ability | Use For |
|---|---|
WIS | Conversation, tone, intent, negotiation, persuasion, implication, and meaning beyond words |
INT | Reading, writing, formal language, obscure phrasing, records, contracts, and old texts |
If language is not the obstacle, do not roll.
If the character cannot reasonably understand the language, no roll is possible without aid.
Literacy is part of Language.
Level | Literacy |
|---|---|
Rough | Cannot read or write |
Literate | Can read and write simple text |
Fluent | Can read, write, interpret, and speak with nuance |
A Rough speaker cannot read or write without aid.
A Literate character can handle common signs, letters, ledgers, notices, and simple records.
A Fluent character can understand formal speech, difficult writing, old phrases, and layered meaning.
Common is not the same everywhere.
Speech may be shaped by:
Region
Class
Trade
Faith
Court
Military service
Rural custom
Foreign influence
The Referee may impose a Bane when meaning is strained by accent, idiom, custom, speed, slang, or unfamiliar speech.
Relevant Backgrounds, local knowledge, shared culture, careful listening, or time spent among the people may remove the Bane.
Writing is uneven across the world.
Distant or difficult texts may be:
Archaic
Abbreviated
Formal
Damaged
Symbolic
Culturally specific
Written in an unfamiliar hand
The Referee may call for a Language roll when the meaning matters.
Failure should not simply mean “you learn nothing.”
It may mean:
Partial understanding
Misread intent
Missing a key detail
Taking longer
Needing help
Drawing the wrong conclusion
Some speech and writing demands more than ordinary literacy.
Examples include:
Legal contracts
Religious texts
Guild records
Old chronicles
Noble correspondence
Courtly speech
Diplomatic letters
Military orders
These may require:
Fluent Language
A relevant Skill
A local guide or teacher
Time and proper tools
Access to context or tradition
A character may be able to read the words and still miss what they mean.
Language does not grant knowledge of everything written or spoken.
It does not cover:
Foreign tongues
Ancient languages
Codes or ciphers
Magical scripts
Secret signs
Guild marks
Thieves’ cant
Sacred mysteries
Hidden meanings known only to an Order
These require a relevant Skill, Background, Ancestry, Order, spell, teacher, or special knowledge.
Language improves through use.
A character may improve their Language level through:
Travel
Study
Long exposure
Living among speakers
Service in foreign courts
Work with armies, guilds, temples, or merchants
Training from a tutor, scribe, priest, diplomat, or local guide
The Referee decides when enough time and experience have passed.
Language should grow from the life the character lives.
Use Language to create texture, uncertainty, and discovery.
Do not use it to block ordinary play.
If the meaning is clear enough, move on.
Roll only when misunderstanding would matter.
Let dialects, customs, old writing, and social class shape the world.
A failed Language roll should create partial meaning, delay, risk, or confusion — not a dead end.
Language is not just words.
It is belonging, distance, trust, and danger.