Speak Languages

Step

 * Rank+PER

Action

 * Standard

Strain

 * 1 (see text)

Skill Use

 * No (see text)

Description

 * The adept magically learns to communicate with others in different languages. Using this talent he can learn a number of languages equal to his Speak Language rank. If he has not reached this maximum, the adept can attempt to learn a new language by listening to a fluent speaker for at least one minute, then making a Speak Language test against the language’s Learning Difficulty. If successful, he learns the language and notes it on his Character Record Sheet. If the test fails, the adept cannot attempt to learn that specific language again until he improves his Speak Language rank.
 * The Learning Difficulty for the different racial languages is shown in the Language Table. The numbers reflect the difficulty of learning the base “racial” versions of these languages. Dialects are considered different languages for the purposes of this talent (see below).
 * When speaking a language learned through this talent, the adept makes a Speak Language test against the Learning Difficulty of the language. The success level determines how well they communicate.
 * Simple sentences or ideas, such as “Which way to the sheriff?” may only require a single success; normal conversation that includes idioms or jargon require two; technical conversations or other discussions filled with specialized jargon require three successes; conversations about philosophy, or other abstract ideas, may require four or more. Partial successes may convey more or less detail at the gamemaster’s discretion.
 * The effect of each test lasts for a number of hours equal to the adept’s Speak Language rank, allowing communication at the level achieved by the test result.
 * If the adept requires more complex conversation, he must make another Speak Language test. The Strain cost reflects the concentration required to establish and maintain communication.
 * Dialects
 * Languages are often complex and most possess many different variations, called dialects. These dialects are sometimes regional, others by city, or even by kaer. The Learning Difficulty of a dialect is based on the original language, usually the base DN +2, but higher difficulties are possible. The adept must know how to speak the base language before he can attempt to learn a dialect of that language. If the adept knows the base language of a dialect, he can communicate, but his ability to do so may be limited at the gamemaster’s discretion.
 * There is a non-magical version of this talent, but it is different enough that it is covered in more depth in the Skills chapter, p. 182.