Tongues

[Veknironth]

Well, I’m back with more bizarre and specific spell questions. Tongues “enables the character to perfectly understand and speak all spoken languages at 98%...”. That seems simple, but how does the caster know which language to use when speaking with a stranger? That makes the spell much less useful. The caster has to already know what language the listener knows before trying to communicate. That’s fine if the listener is obviously an elf or Westerner, or something like that. But what if you run into someone and you aren’t sure? Do you just try any language you can think of?

What if the listener speaks a language that the caster has never heard of, or the caster doesn’t even know the listener has a spoken language? Does the caster think “that looks like a Bug Bear, let me try the Bug Bear language” and the spell picks up on that internal thought process and lets the caster speak in that tongue? Does it imbue the speaker with a knowledge of the language? Like would an English speaker cast the spell and suddenly be aware of the importance of the subjunctive in Spanish, or differences between formal and informal address?

The other option is that the caster just says whatever he or she wants and the spell translates. That raises questions as well. In that instance, would the caster looked dubbed? The caster is speaking in a language he or she knows and isn’t really certain what words the listener is hearing. And does that work for all listeners? If the caster is speaking to a group, do they all hear it in their native tongues?

-Vek
“I’m assuming it’s the former.”

[Tywyll]

Kind of sounds like you are overthinking it.

Yes, if he meets a mute stranger, he won't know what language to speak at first. But if hears the guy speak ogre, he knows ogre thanks to the spell so he can immediately continue the conversation. A multilingual person doesn't hear a language they know but forget which one to use when replying. Now, whether they maintain that knowledge after the fact I suppose is up for discussion...I.e. Do you remember it was X that you were speaking? I would say yes, the spell gives no indication you wouldn't.

You wouldn't appear dubbed as while under the spellbound actually know the language.

[malaclypse]

Well, I’m back with more bizarre and specific spell questions. Tongues “enables the character to perfectly understand and speak all spoken languages at 98%...”. That seems simple, but how does the caster know which language to use when speaking with a stranger? That makes the spell much less useful. The caster has to already know what language the listener knows before trying to communicate. That’s fine if the listener is obviously an elf or Westerner, or something like that. But what if you run into someone and you aren’t sure? Do you just try any language you can think of?

What if the listener speaks a language that the caster has never heard of, or the caster doesn’t even know the listener has a spoken language? Does the caster think “that looks like a Bug Bear, let me try the Bug Bear language” and the spell picks up on that internal thought process and lets the caster speak in that tongue? Does it imbue the speaker with a knowledge of the language? Like would an English speaker cast the spell and suddenly be aware of the importance of the subjunctive in Spanish, or differences between formal and informal address?

The other option is that the caster just says whatever he or she wants and the spell translates. That raises questions as well. In that instance, would the caster looked dubbed? The caster is speaking in a language he or she knows and isn’t really certain what words the listener is hearing. And does that work for all listeners? If the caster is speaking to a group, do they all hear it in their native tongues?

-Vek
“I’m assuming it’s the former.”

I play it as: when you speak, your words are magically translated into the language the listener is most familiar with, and vice versa... and I would have it work for all listeners simultaneously. I suppose the caster might look dubbed, if the language they spoke were not the most familiar language of the listener.

[Lukterran]

The person does not know the language he is speaking. He is just speaking in his own language. The listener hears the speakers words in the listeners native language. The magic does the translation.

That means if the speaker (for example: lets say is speaking in Human Western. Could be heard in Dwarven by a Dwarf, Elven by an Elf, Wolfen etc....all at the same time in their own language.

For more information on what "Tongues" is read the book of Act Chapter 2. That is what the spell is based upon anyways.

[malaclypse]

For more information on what "Tongues" is read the book of Act Chapter 2. That is what the spell is based upon anyways.

That's a bit of a stretch, as it's not like that was the first time in history people ever "spoke in tongues"

[Library Ogre]

Level 2 Fire Warlock spell, "Tongue of Flame", is a bit more applicable.