Fortuna
2010-03-19, 09:51 PM
Speak Language (Int)
This skill permits a character to learn languages, as well as certain more esoteric uses described below. Every skill point invested in this skill allows the character to achieve a rudimentary grasp of a language, to improve one language that they have a rudimentary grasp of to fluency, or to improve one language known fluently to total mastery of the language. A character with a rudimentary grasp of a language must make a Speak Language check against DC 25 whenever they wish to use a Language-Dependant spell or make a skill check requiring speaking that language (such as Diplomacy or Bluff). A character fluent in a language can speak the language without making such a check. A character who has achieved mastery of a language has a rudimentary grasp of the language's immediate parent and sibling tongues (for instance, a character with mastery of Spanish would have a rudimentary grasp of Latin and of modern Romance languages). Spells such as comprehend languages and tongues grant only a rudimentary grasp of a language, since they are unable to translate idioms effectively and likewise fall down when confronted with complex sentence structure.
Extraplanar Dialects
Beyond the languages spoken by beings from the material planes, there are tongues which cause those with weak minds to go mad, speeches that can reshape reality at the fundamental level and dialects that touch the very souls of those that hear them. Only through deep study of the science and art of linguistics can these idioms be grasped in their full, reality-twisting power.
For every five skill points invested in Speak Language, one extraplanar dialect may be mastered in this way. This permits the character to use certain supernatural abilities if they succeed on a Speak Language check. Unless otherwise noted, all caster levels are equal to half the user's skill ranks in Speak Language. In order to use an ability from one of these dialects, the character must have mastered the ability and must make the skill check. Using such an ability is a standard action unless otherwise noted. Some sample dialects of this sort are given below.
Ignan (Roaring Flame dialect)
{table=head]DC|Ability
15|Ignite
25|Burning Hands
35|Scorching Ray[/table]
Ignite (Su): The character causes a spark, as if from striking a flint, to jump from their hand (or other appendage) and travel up to one foot in any direction.
Burning Hands (Su): The character duplicates the effects of a Burning Hands spell, except as a Supernatural effect.
Scorching Ray (Su): The character suplicates the effects of a Scorching Ray spell, except as a Supernatural effect.
Celestial (Blessed Touch dialect)
{table=head]DC|Ability
15|Soothing Voice
25|Cure Minor Wounds
35|Cure Light Wounds[/table]
Soothing Voice (Su): The character may use the result of this check-10 instead of a Heal check. The character must still be able to make a Heal check otherwise.
Cure Minor Wounds (Su): The character duplicates the effects of a Cure Light Wounds spell, except as a Supernatural effect and a swift action.
Cure Light Wounds (Su): The character duplicates the effects of a Cure Light Wounds spell, except as a Supernatural effect and a swift action.
Thoughts? The idea came from Truespeaking, but I figured it wouldn't hurt too much to give it out to anyone who wanted to invest (it's cross-class for most people, and even those that it isn't cross-class for get a maximum of four dialects pre-epic, none of which get higher than second level spells generally).
This skill permits a character to learn languages, as well as certain more esoteric uses described below. Every skill point invested in this skill allows the character to achieve a rudimentary grasp of a language, to improve one language that they have a rudimentary grasp of to fluency, or to improve one language known fluently to total mastery of the language. A character with a rudimentary grasp of a language must make a Speak Language check against DC 25 whenever they wish to use a Language-Dependant spell or make a skill check requiring speaking that language (such as Diplomacy or Bluff). A character fluent in a language can speak the language without making such a check. A character who has achieved mastery of a language has a rudimentary grasp of the language's immediate parent and sibling tongues (for instance, a character with mastery of Spanish would have a rudimentary grasp of Latin and of modern Romance languages). Spells such as comprehend languages and tongues grant only a rudimentary grasp of a language, since they are unable to translate idioms effectively and likewise fall down when confronted with complex sentence structure.
Extraplanar Dialects
Beyond the languages spoken by beings from the material planes, there are tongues which cause those with weak minds to go mad, speeches that can reshape reality at the fundamental level and dialects that touch the very souls of those that hear them. Only through deep study of the science and art of linguistics can these idioms be grasped in their full, reality-twisting power.
For every five skill points invested in Speak Language, one extraplanar dialect may be mastered in this way. This permits the character to use certain supernatural abilities if they succeed on a Speak Language check. Unless otherwise noted, all caster levels are equal to half the user's skill ranks in Speak Language. In order to use an ability from one of these dialects, the character must have mastered the ability and must make the skill check. Using such an ability is a standard action unless otherwise noted. Some sample dialects of this sort are given below.
Ignan (Roaring Flame dialect)
{table=head]DC|Ability
15|Ignite
25|Burning Hands
35|Scorching Ray[/table]
Ignite (Su): The character causes a spark, as if from striking a flint, to jump from their hand (or other appendage) and travel up to one foot in any direction.
Burning Hands (Su): The character duplicates the effects of a Burning Hands spell, except as a Supernatural effect.
Scorching Ray (Su): The character suplicates the effects of a Scorching Ray spell, except as a Supernatural effect.
Celestial (Blessed Touch dialect)
{table=head]DC|Ability
15|Soothing Voice
25|Cure Minor Wounds
35|Cure Light Wounds[/table]
Soothing Voice (Su): The character may use the result of this check-10 instead of a Heal check. The character must still be able to make a Heal check otherwise.
Cure Minor Wounds (Su): The character duplicates the effects of a Cure Light Wounds spell, except as a Supernatural effect and a swift action.
Cure Light Wounds (Su): The character duplicates the effects of a Cure Light Wounds spell, except as a Supernatural effect and a swift action.
Thoughts? The idea came from Truespeaking, but I figured it wouldn't hurt too much to give it out to anyone who wanted to invest (it's cross-class for most people, and even those that it isn't cross-class for get a maximum of four dialects pre-epic, none of which get higher than second level spells generally).