* OPTIONAL LANGUAGE RULES FOR WFRP V1.1*
Written by Ben Fabian (fabian@inf.fu-berlin.de)

Note:

The following suggestions arose basically from two thoughts:

(i) The need of somehow revising the original rules for learning,
speaking and writing languages. My campaign runs on a very realistic
level (whatever that exactly means), and my players ask many, many
*questions*!

(ii) A pragmatical GM«s thought: Find another way for them to spend
their EPs!

Basic ideas:

1. There are differences in the quality of mastering a language.
Even a highly intelligent scholar should have some difficulties
in using a foreign language like a native speaker, and this should
be somehow reflected in game terms.

2. A difference has to be made between the spoken language and the
kind of *alphabet* it takes to write in this language. Therefore a 
single READ/WRITE Skill is not enough.

* NEW RULES: *

1. GRADES of expertise:

There are GRADES of mastering a language, ranging from
1 (worst) to 5 (best).

GRADE 1: The character can express basic and simple things
in this language, like "Me - hunger!" or "Troll - there - on hill!".

GRADE 2: The character can form grammatically correct sentences
and express most of his thoughts and needs (but slowly and with
recreational pauses inbetween.)

GRADE 3: The normal native speaker.
(Herr "Otto Normal" as he is called in the Empire.)

GRADE 4: The way of a native speaker who had the chance of enjoying
(should we say: being forced to?) a higher way of education,
it would include knowledge of "classical" or "canonical" authors
(or singers, story tellers in an oral culture) and understanding 
language-related puzzles and jokes. (Note that in most of the cases
this grade would require - in a literal culture - the
Read/Write Skill for this language.)

GRADE 5: The character is as fluent and expertised as a
great poet or author. The GM may restrict this Grade to
exceptional individuals.

For every language a character knows the Speak Language Skill is
noted seperately, followed by the Grade.

GAME USE: OK, it«s fine to have this nice classification, but now?
Well, it is used to modify language related test, for example
to understand an overheared conversation, to follow a song in
a foreign language, to solve a riddle (if you don«t want/can«t/
don«t bother to let a player solve it for real!), to move in
disguise and so on.

MODIFIERS on INTelligence:

GRADE 1: -20
GRADE 2: -10
GRADE 3:   0
GRADE 4: +10
GRADE 5: +20

How to increase one`s GRADE?
Answer: Spending time and EP«s! (Harr, Harr!)

But serious: Learning a language well is a long and intensive
process, therefore the following would suit fine:

Native speakers normally start the game with a GRADE 3 in their
native tongue.
(If the parents speak different languages, the lucky child may
have learnt two languages at Grade 3, GM«s decision. Perhaps it
is also interesting to roleplay a character with less speaking
ability...?)

To learn an additional language you certainly need basic training
by a teacher or a very good book (with introduction in your own 
language).
In the latter case, remember you need the R/W in your language too!
You also need a certain amount of time.

I would recommend the rules in the WFRP-Book, page 291, but applied
to each Grade of expertise. To learn a new Grade in a language
you need 12 months, minus 1 month for every full 10% of INT.
(You can do other things in this time, but players should announce
that their characters spend their free time learning.)
After that time the player makes an INT check for his character.
If successful, he can spend 100 EPs to aquire the new Grade.
(If you feel nasty, make the process cumulative, eg. Grade 1
- 100 EPs, Grade 2 - 200 EPs, Grade 3 - 300 EPs and so on. But it
could hold them back from learning languages.)
Otherwise, the character has to repeat the procedure, but
can spend the EPs elsewhere.

2. R/W skill for each alphabet that is used.

Here more realism can create some more complexity. One should
make a difference between different alphabets.
The point is, that some languages (e.g.the sub-groups of Old Worlder)
use the same alphabet and some can use two or more. Later will follow
a more detailed view on some Warhammer languages and alphabets.

Basically, there are two ways to handle this:

(i) To make gaming easier: Ignore the non-congruence (if i may
say so) between alphabets and languages. Assume, that every culture
has developed its own alphabet or changed foreign ones completely
by adopting it to their own language.

I would  recommend the following:
let the character learn the R/W Skill once, and everytime he/she
learns another language, double costs for Grade 1 (200 EPs).
Learning Grade 1 includes learning the alphabet after the basics
of R/W are learned once.

NOTE: If a character learns R/W Skill *after* learning several other
languages, it could be strange that he now learns how to R/W them
all in an instant.
 
(ii) Let them learn seperate R/W Skills for every alphabet
encountered, then use a list of the connections between alphabets
and languages to determine what they can read and write, and what
they can *understand*.
That seems to me the realistic way.
Time for learning an alphabet should depend on the number of signs
involved. I would suggest 8 months, minus 1 for each full 10% of
INT for every 100 signs (min. 1 month). After this time, a check
on INT; if successful: spending of 100 EPs and "heureka!".

3. Example:

Huithlorn, a well-travelled sea-elf merchant, now living in 
Marienburg, has the following language related Skills:

SPEAK LANGUAGE: Tar-Eltharin 4
SPEAK LANGUAGE: Fan-Eltharin 2
R/W Eltharin Runes
SPEAK LANGUAGE: Reikspiel 3
SPEAK LANGUAGE: Breton 2
R/W Latinic Alphabet
SPEAK LANGUAGE: Dark Tongue 1 (you see, something is strange
with him, but that is another tale...)

If he wants to learn Fan-Eltharin better, he has to find a Wood
Elf to help him out. After spending some time, EPs and money
it may work and give him Grade 3. No problems with normal
conversations in Fan-Eltharin anymore!

As you might notice, there are some changes in the classification
of languages.

LANGUAGES AND ALPHABETS

1. Languages and Dialects

I would recommend the following: To speak and understand a
dialect of a language, you need to learn it. There are lots
of differences between Slavic and Estalian, for example!
(I think it«s hard to think of them as dialects at all;
a dialect could be the way halflings in the Moot or Middenheimers
would speak Reiksspiel, but OK, that«s a question of
definitions.)

In game terms, you need to buy the Speak Language Skill for
each dialect and advance in the GRADES of mastering, like
learning a true foreign language.
But:
It has to be taken in account that if you already know one
dialect (sub-language) of any given language, learning another
is easier.
To reflect this in game terms, you cold do two things:

(i) After having learned one dialect of a language, the EP-costs
and time needed for learning another dialect of the same language
are halved (50 EPs and half normal time for each Grade, minimum
1 month).

Or:

(ii) By learning one dialect with Grade 3 or more, you
automatically gain Grade 1 in every other dialect of the same
language. For example: knowledge of Breton with Grade 3 would
give you Speak Albion 1, Speak Estalian 1, Speak Tilean 1 ...
Skills. I would note it down like this:

SPEAK Breton 3
SPEAK Other Old Worlder 1 

Later the character could for example learn Tilean with Grade 2,
spending time and 100 EPs as normal.

NOTE:
Learning a second dialect with Grade 3 will *not* increase the
other dialects« Grades!

To Huithlorns Language Skills (in Part 2) we would add:
SPEAK Other Old Worlder 1
SPEAK Other Eltharin Language 1

2. WARHAMMER LANGUAGES (not complete! please add!)

LANGUAGE: * Almecian (Ancient) * (New World)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Alomaic * (Alomas, New World; extinct)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Anatuzian * (Anatuzi, New World; declined)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Assurian (Ancient) * (Assurian Empire)
Alphabet: Cuneiform

LANGUAGE: * Atzlanian * (New World)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Battle Tongue (Secret Language) *
Alphabet: Tilean (and special signs)

LANGUAGE: * Cathan * (Cathay)
Dialects: many
Alphabet: Cathan, a very large one...

LANGUAGE: * Chevan * (Lustria; declined)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Chuanoic * (Chuano, Lustria)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Classical (Secret Language) *
Dialects: Guilder, Hellenic (Ancient), Tilean (Ancient)
Alphabet: Ancient Hellenic uses the Hellenic alphabet,
Guilder and Ancient Tilean the Tilean alphabet (sic!)

LANGUAGE: * Dark Tongue * (Chaos)
Dialects: Beastman, Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh, Tzeentch, other...
Alphabet: Dark Signs, other...
 
LANGUAGE: * Demonic Tongue * (Demons and Demonologists)
Dialects: Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh, Tzeentch, other...
Alphabet: Dark Signs

LANGUAGE: * Dragon«s Tongue * (Dragons, Wyrms and their like)
Dialects: Eastern Dragon«s, Lustrian Dragon«s, Norse Dragon«s,
Western Dragon«s (New World), Old World Dragon«s, Southern
Dragon«s Tongue
Alphabet: The dragon«s way of storing knowledge is a form of
permanent mental projection in enchanted items or locations.
To human scholars so far unknown.

LANGUAGE: * Druidic (Ancient) * (Druids)
Alphabet: Druidic Runes

LANGUAGE: * Eltharin * (Elves)
Dialects: Arcane Elf, Dark Elvish, Fan-Eltharin (Wood Elves),
Tar-Eltharin (High and Sea Elves)
Alphabet: Eltharin Runes

LANGUAGE: * Eraquatian * (New World)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Grumbarth * (Ogres)
Alphabet: No way...

LANGUAGE: * Goblin Tongue * (Goblinoids)
Dialects: Ghazhakh (Goblins), Harghazhakh (Hobgoblins),
Orrakh (Orcs), Snotgob (Snotlings)
Alphabet: Orcish Symbols; crude versions of foreign alphabets

LANGUAGE: * Hettite (Ancient) * (Het)
Alphabet: Cuneiform

LANGUAGE: * Holamkian * (Holamkis, New World; vanished)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Ikadian (Ancient) * (Ikadians, before Naggaroth)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Indian * (Main language of Ind)
Dialects: many, e.g. Vedic (Ancient)
Alphabet: Devanagari

LANGUAGE: * Keltic (Ancient) * (Keltoi, Druids)
Alphabet: none

LANGUAGE: * Khazalid * (Dwarfs and Gnomes)
Dialects: Arcane Dwarf, Chaos Dwarvish, Ghassaly (Gnomes),
High Khazalid ("normal" Dwarfs), Norse Khazalid
Alphabet: Dwarven Runes

LANGUAGE: * Magick * ("modern" Wizards)
Dialects: Battle M, Elemental Tongue, Illusionist M, Necromancy
Note: Demonologists use the Demonic Tongue.
Alphabet: Magickal Runes

LANGUAGE: * Midean (Ancient) * (Midea, Border Princes)
Alphabet: Linear Script

LANGUAGE: * Malla-room-ba-larin * (Treemen)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Misipian * (New World)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Miyan (Ancient) * (New World; declined)
Alphabet: Miyan Runes

LANGUAGE: * Molgolanian * (Molgolan, New World)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Nazcian * (Nazcas, Lustria)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Nipponese * (Nippon)
Alphabet: Cathan

LANGUAGE: * Nippurian (Ancient) * (ancient Nippur)
Alphabet: Cuneiform

LANGUAGE: * Nordic * (Norse)
Alphabet: Futhark Runes

LANGUAGE: * Old Slannish (Ancient) * 
Alphabet: Slannish Runes

LANGUAGE: * Old Worlder *
Dialects:
Albion, Breton, Dwarven OW, Estalian, Gnomish OW, Guilder
(various), Halfling OW, Hellenic, Slavic, Tilean, Reikspiel,
Wood Elvish OW
Alphabet: Tilean, but Hellenic uses the Hellenic,
Slavic the Kyrillic alphabet

Note:
Some confusion could arise about the Old Worlder dialect of
an Bretonian Dwarf. I would restrict the use of ... OW languages
to closed and isolated communities, or we get something like:
Tilean Dwarvish Old Worlder Dialect. That«s fine, but far from
being playable! (Or is it?)

LANGUAGE: * Orgvar * (Trolls)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Pharonic (Ancient) * (Pharaonia = Kemet)
Alphabet: Pharonic Hieroglyphs
 
LANGUAGE: * Queekish * (Skaven)
Dialects: Lustrian, Old World
Alphabet: Skaven Runes

LANGUAGE: * Rangers Tongue (Secret Language) *
Alphabet: Tilean (and special signs)

LANGUAGE: * Semitic *
Dialects: Arabic (Arabs), Hebraic (Hebrews)
Alphabet: Semitic

LANGUAGE: * Ssissyl«k * (Lizardmen and Troglodytes) 
Dialects: Ssissyl«k (Lizardmen), Ss«kyzz«l«k (Troglodytes)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Thieves Tongue (Secret Language) *
Dialects: many (e.g. Middenheim)
Alphabet: Tilean (and special signs)

LANGUAGE: * Tialanese * (Far East)
Alphabet: Cathan (?)

LANGUAGE: * Tulanic * (Tulan, New World; vanished)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Tumaic (Ancient) * (Tumas, ancient Tilea)
Alphabet: not known

LANGUAGE: * Ungolian * (Ungol-tribes)
Alphabet: Cathan, Kyrillic (adopted) or Ungol Runes


Thanks to all who contributed so far,
esp. Morten and Keith!

Their options are:

(1) Morten: The EP cost could for example be augmented by 50 points each
time, i.e. 100 for level 1, 150 for level 2, 200 for level 3, etc... due
to the ever increasing complexity.

(2) Keith: I have noticed..., that language students find that learning
additional languages gets easier. I knew a mexican engineer who worked in
Lybia and spent each vacation in a different European country.  He said it
took him years to learn english (his second), only about a year to learn
italian, and even shorter amounts for the other 4 or 5 he knew.
If this anecdotal evidence has any validity, how about translating it
into game terms by doing something like this:  Every language after the second
the time is lowered quicker.  Lower the intelligence needed by 1 pt.
For example, Rothnag is trying to learn his 3rd language.  It would take him
12 months minus 1 month for every 9 pts (instead of 10) of intelligence.
When he tried to learn his fourth he would subtract 1 month for every 8 pts
of intelligence.

[Note: Perhaps - if it doesnt increase the book-keeping too much - we should
use different rules for learning a language (i) in its native country,
(ii) from a native speaker in another land, or (iii) just from books
or the like. For (i) I would recommend a variant of Keiths« (2), for (ii)
the rules given above and for (iii) Mortens way (1). But it«s - as always -
up to you!]

OK, please send comments and suggestions! Add more Languages!

Ben Fabian (fabian@inf.fu-berlin.de)