| Language Rules | language.htm |
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 fluency.
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. |
| Language Groups of Pandaria |
| COMMON: Central/Common Tongue (1), Westron/Beaulangue (1), Northron/Kurlish (1), Old Kurlish (2), Algandarve (1), Bacchile (1). |
| EASTERN: Eastron/Emphidian (1), Ancient Emphidian (2), Unno (1), Raukil (1), Klav (2). |
| SOUTHERN: Southron/Orbaalese (1), Modern Sheban (2), Ancient Sheban (3). |
| GOBLIN: Gazga Dialects (1): Goblin, Orcish, Hobgoblin, The Black Speech (1). |
| ELVISH: Elvish/Sindarin (1), High Elvish/Quenya (1), [Entish (10) - elvish speakers can understand some Entish but not vice-versa]. |
| KYMERIAN: Vasic (1), Latter Mercanian (1), Old Mercanian (2). |
| WOE: High Cabbandari (5), Low Cabbandari (3). |
| DRACONIC: Kobold (2), Lizardine (2), Draconic/Auld Wyrmish (10). |
| OGREISH: High Ogreish (3), Ogreish (2). |
| Others (unrelated): Magic(10), Thieves Cant (1), Temple Tongues (1), Etya'be'yely(3), Kaikuhuran(3), Tsutsuneng(3), Centaur, Gnollish, Dwarvish (2), Old Pandarian (2), Lughwyd (3). |
| [Bold:Major Language; Normal:Minor Language; Italic: Ancient Language; (+Difficulty)] |
| D.F. | Difficulty | Increase % |
| 1 | Normal | +5% |
| 2 | Complex | +3% |
| 3 | Demanding | +2% |
| 4 | Abstruse | +1% |
| 5 | Formidable | +1% |
| 10 | Impossible! | +1% |