Language Skills
Skills which have to do with the languages that creatures speak. Unless you are using the Languages Optional Rule (found at the bottom of this page), all Humanoids, Dragonoids, Primordials, as well as any other "people" races are all considered to speak the same language, either due to a lingua franca, or something magical such as a symbiote which lives in your ear which translates speech, or because language is a curse which has been lifted by or on the "people" races.
The rest of the skills below are spoken by animals, or are magical languages with their own purposes.
The rest of the skills below are spoken by animals, or are magical languages with their own purposes.
Name | Skill Tags | Skill Point Cost | Mana Cost |
Prerequisites | Action Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zend | Language, Spoken, Written | 1 | N/A | Your games is using the Languages Optional Rule |
Passive | You know how to speak Zend, and understand it when it is spoken. The language Humans brought from their land. Humans have spent so long in so many places that almost anywhere you go with walls and buildings you'll be able to find somebody who speaks Zend, and most people understand a little even if they don't speak it. |
Literacy | Written | 1 | N/A | A Written Language Skill, Your games is using the Languages Optional Rule | Passive | You know how to write all Written Language skills that you have, and understand it them when they are written. Any additional Effects the language would usually have when heard or received are instead conveyed when read. |
Sign Language | Language | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to form Sign Language with your hands, and understand it when you see it. You may also draw pictures of the signs of this language, and others who understand sign language can understand the drawn symbols. A silent language formed by creation different shapes and motions with your fingers and hands, developed to help the deaf communicate with others. With most cases of deafness magically treated at birth, this language would have little use in the modern era if militaries, and various other combative groups such as mercenaries hadn't adopted it as a silent form of communication. This language can only be conveyed with at least two empty hands. |
Fae | Language, Spoken, Written | 1 | N/A | Your games is using the Languages Optional Rule | Passive | You know how to speak Fae, and understand it when it is spoken. The language of the natives of Vilterheim; Elves, Satyrs, Fairies, Pooka, and other Fae creatures and intelligent plants. |
Deti Korok | Language, Spoken, Written | 1 | N/A | Your games is using the Languages Optional Rule | Passive | You know how to speak Deti Korok, and understand it when it is spoken. The language of the native surface land dwellers of Yunor; Dragons, Orcs, Dwarves, and Goblins. A hard language of rough edges and consonants. |
Aquatic | Language, Spoken, Written | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to speak Aquatic, and understand it when it is spoken. The language spoken natively by the denizens of the sea; fish, sharks, sea urchins, mermaids, and any other creature with gills. A language spoken nativley through the gills which sounds not unlike humanoid languages. |
Canine | Animal, Language, Spoken | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to speak Canine, and understand it when it is spoken. The language spoken natively by canines; wolves, foxes, coyotes, and any other animal or monster one might consider a dog. A simple language barked, howled, and grumbled, with some reliance on tone and body language. |
Feline | Animal, Language, Spoken | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to enact Feline, and understand it when it is enacted. The language spoken natively by felines; tigers, sphinxes, lynxes and any other animal or monster one might consider a cat. A language meowed and conveyed through body language. |
Avian | Animal, Language, Spoken, Musical | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to perform Avian, and understand it when it is performed. The language spoken natively by avians; crows, pelicans, chickens, rocs, and any other animal or Monster one might consider a bird. A tonal language sung and whistled, melodious when pleasant, harsh and sharp when wrathful. |
Serpentine | Animal, Language, Spoken | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to hiss Serpentne, and understand it when it is hissed. The language spoken natively by serpents; vipers, hydras, boas, and any other Animal or Monster one might consider a snake. A breathy language hissed in raspy tones. |
Insectoid | Animal, Language, Spoken | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to buzz Insectoid, and understand it when it is buzzed. The language spoken natively by all insects; ants, bees, moths, dire mantises, and any other creature you may consider an insect. A language buzzed, chirped, and conveyed by antenna movements (sometimes simulated by humanoids by using their hands). |
Arachnid | Animal, Language, Spoken | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to click Arachnid, and understand it when it is clicked. The language spoken natively by Arachnids; spiders, scorpions, ticks, driders, and any other similar Animals or Monsters you might consider an arachnid. A language surprisingly similar to serpentine, hissed, though with the addition of clicks. |
Verminous | Animal, Language, Spoken | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to speak Verminous, and understand it when it is spoken. The language spoken natively by 'vermin', or more accurately, small land mammals. All rodents (rats, squirrels, porcupines, beavers, capybaras), rabbits, weasles, badgers, otters, wolverines, raccoons, bats and other mamals of their approximate size. It is fairly safe to assume that a creature speaks Verminous if they 1. Have fur. 2. Are Small or Tiny Size. 3. Are not specified to speak one of the above languages natively, instead. |
Predatory | Animal, Language, Spoken | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to speak Predatory, and understand it when it is spoken. The language spoken natively by 'predators', or more accurately, large land mammals. Bears, boar, horses, deer, cows, giant ground sloths, elephants, rhinos, chimpanzees, gorillas, hippos, and other mammals of their approximate size. It is fairly safe to assume that a creature speaks Predatory if they 1. Have fur. 2. Are Medium or Stocky Size or larger. 3. Are not specified to speak one of the above languages natively, instead. |
Primordial | Magical, Primordial, Language | 3 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You know how to influence using Primordial, and recognize as if seeing its influence it when it is nearby. The language of giving ideas to others, natively spoken by beings who existed before the world gained form; elementals, souls, gods, and all things truly ancient. A language not or written, or consistent, only babbled and comprehended by those involved in its exchange. You can communicate ideas, independent of language, to any creatures which could comprehend those ideas. For example, you may communicate to an animal that you don't intend to hurt them, and they would understand that, however imaginary things such as the concept of commerce is above an animal's understanding. |
Bestow Knowledge | Magical, Primordial, Language | 1 | 2 | Primordial | Primary | Grant a single target you can see +2 Ranks in a single Knowledge Interest you have until the end of your next turn (when the target loses these Ranks, they do not lose their memories of having had the knowledge, or any realizations they gained from this knowledge). This Skill may only increase their Ranks in any Interest to a number of Ranks equal to your number of Ranks in that Interest +1. You cannot target yourself with this Skill. |
Powerful Knowledge | Magical, Primordial, Language | 1 | 5 | Primordial | 1 Attack |
You burden a target creature within 6 Spaces with knowledge which is mentally above them, dealing 1d20 Psychic Damage. If this Skill deals 5 or fewer damage, gain +5 Mana. |
Primordial Whisper | Magical, Primordial, Language | 1 | 4 | Primordial | Any | Make a contested Arcana roll against a single creature within 6 Spaces. If you succeed, the creature believes that the next thing that you convey to them via Primordial is their own thought. If they succeed, they become suddenly aware of your location. |
Monstrous | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 2 | 0 | N/A | Free (Concentration) | The language of primal emotion, natively conveyed by monsters. For a non-native 'speaker', the language is incredibly difficult to master. A single target you can see is Compelled to do the following: Feel a mild emotion that you choose (such as melancholy, sadness, boredom, pleasant happiness, irritation, minor stress, or minor fear), chosen when you activate this Skill. Passive: You know how to outwardly empathize using Monstrous, and recognize emotions others are feeling and conveying, always being able to tell when someone is putting forwards false emotion, such as pretending to be outraged. |
Monstrous Odium | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 2 | 6 | Monstrous | Primary | A single target you can see is Compelled and feels a pure and directionless hatred until the start of your next turn, treating even their closest friends as obstacles to be destroyed. The target takes sudden and violent action against the nearest creature they can see or, failing that, the nearest target/object they would be capable of destroying on their turn. While Compelled, the target bleeds from their eye sockets, taking 2 Bleed Damage at the start and end of each of their turns. Once this Skill's effect ends, you cannot Compel the target without their consent until 1 day has passed. |
Vigorous Hatred | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | N/A | Monstrous Odium | Passive | The target of Monstrous Odium gains the ability to spend their Reaction to make a single Attack. |
Monstrous Woe | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | 3 | Monstrous | Any (Concentration ) |
A single target you can see is Compelled and experiences a great and seeping sadness which spreads through them, robbing them of their passion, and drive. Their actions lose meaning, imposing disadvantage on all attack rolls, minimizing all damage rolls, and stopping the target from expending Exertion Die for the duration. Anyone may attempt to aid in freeing the target from this state by spending an Extra Action to encourage the target, granting the target the ability to expend Exertion Die. If the target is under the effects of the skill Monstrous Elation, Monstrous Elation ends instead of the target becoming Compelled. Once this Skill's effect ends, you cannot Compel the target without their consent until 1 day has passed. |
Monstrous Terror | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | 3 | Monstrous | Primary (Concentration), Defensive (Concentration) |
A single target you can see is Compelled and pursues the singular thought of survival, the target becoming Afraid. At the start of your next turn, the target instead becomes Panicked. If your last Concentration caused the target to become Panicked or Terrified, you cannot maintain concentration any further. Once this Skill's effect ends, you cannot Compel the target without their consent until 1 day has passed. Afraid: You cannot move towards the source of your fear. If you would become Afraid, but you are already Afraid, you instead become Panicked. Panicked: You must move as far and as fast away from the source of your panic as possible with your Move Action. If escape is not possible, you may fight or choose to become Terrified. You cannot Concentrate. |
Fear Itself | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | 6 | Monstrous Terror | Multi-Action (D+M) | Any creature which would be Panicked by your Monstrous Skill is instead Terrified. Terrified: You are petrified with fear, too scared even to speak, and so may not take actions which would require you to move your body. Attacks automatically hit you. You cannot Concentrate. If you would become Terrified, but you are already Terrified, you instead become Unconscious. |
Terrifying Presence | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous | 4 | N/A | N/A | Bonus | While you are above 0 HP, any creatures adjacent to you are Unnerved (-2) by you. Reduce your current and Maximum Mana and Mana by 6 when you activate this Skill. When you activate this Skill, it lasts until you deactivate it (at which time you regain your spent Maximum Mana). Halve this Skill's Skill Point Cost if you have the Monstrous Creature Type. Unnerved (-2): Gain -2 to all d20 rolls. Multiple instances of Unnerved stack up to a maximum of (5) and a minimum of (-10). If this (number) becomes lower than (-2) you also become Afraid of the target which Unnerved you. |
Terrifying Power | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | N/A | Monstrous Terror | 1 Attack, Bonus | When you deal damage to a target with an attack, the target becomes Afraid. Passive: When you critically hit a target, they become Afraid. This Afraid cannot be mitigated (though it can be stopped from progressing to Panic.) Afraid: You cannot move towards the source of your fear. If you would become Afraid, but you are already Afraid, you instead become Panicked. |
Monstrous Elation | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | 4 | Monstrous | Any (Concentration) | A single target you can see is Compelled and feels an ecstatic jittering energy, gaining +4 Total Might, or +4 Total Skill, or +4 Total Magic, and becoming incapable of maintaining Concentration for the duration. The target becomes Immune to any effect which would make them saddened or depressed. If you target yourself with this Skill, you may maintain this Concentration, and gain +10 to Concentration rolls. If the target didn't consent then, once this Skill's effect ends, you cannot Compel the target without their consent until 1 day has passed. |
Elation of Nirvana | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language, Devotion | 2 | 5 | Monstrous Elation | Any (Concentration) | A single target you can see is Compelled and moves beyond limitations such pain, desire, and the self and attains clarity, seeing an ultimate Truth, gaining +4 Total Might or +4 Total Skill, -30 Total Magic, Resistance to damage from magical skills and sources, Arcane Damage Immunity, and becoming Immune to any Emotion skills, and all types of fear. If you are the target of this Skill, you may hold your Concentration indefinitely, and nothing can break your Concentration, including things such as sleep, or dropping beneath 0 HP, except for your own will. You do not have to spend this Skill's Mana Cost while maintaining its Concentration, only upon its initial activation. Reduce your Maximum Mana by 10 While this Skill is active. You may maintain Monstrous Elation's Concentration by maintaining this Skill's Concentration instead of paying the usual Mana and Action Costs. |
Monstrous Admiration | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | 2 | Monstrous | Any (Concentration) | A single target you can see is Compelled and feels pride for those around them, inspiring them to aid. They roll all d20s that would be used specifically to aid others at advantage, gain +5 Guard whenever they would Block for someone else, and any target they are next to counts as flanked for the duration. The target becomes Immune to any effect which would cause them to wish or to enact harm upon their allies. This Skill cannot cause attack rolls to be rolled at advantage. |
Monstrous Conviction | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 2 | 2 | Monstrous | Any (Concentration) |
A single target you can see is Compelled and feels an absolute sureness of what must be done, and gives their all to completing their goals. All of the target's Attack Rolls at are made at advantage, Damage Rolls are maximized, the target gains +1 to all of their Move Speeds, and is immune to Terrified and Panicked. |
Monstrous Exertion | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 2 | 6 | Monstrous Conviction | Free | Monstrous Conviction also maximizes the target's Exertion Die until the start of your next turn. |
Monster's Tongue | Magical , Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 1 | N/A | Monstrous is your Native Language, or you have the Monstrous Creature Type |
Passive | You may choose for Emotion Monster Language Skills to not be Magical Skills. |
Monstrous Orator | Magical, Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 2 | 2 | Monstrous | Passive | You may maintain +1 Concentration. This Concentration can only be spent on Monstrous Emotion Skills. If you have the skill Monster's Tongue, halve this Skill's Skill Point Cost. |
Monstrous Persistence |
Magical, Emotion, Monstrous, Language | 2 |
4 | Monstrous | Bonus | Spend a single Exertion Die to activate this Skill. A single target within 6 Spaces of you which you cannot Compel without their consent can be Compelled if you Compel them with a different skill than before, and also do so before the end of your next turn. |
Infernal | Magical, Demonic, Language | 2 | N/A | N/A | Passive | A language spoken natively by demons, and adopted by lawyers and politicians. One who is speaking Infernal is incapable of lying (though is not incapable of speaking indirectly, lying in another language, or simply not answering at all), and one who writes in Infernal is magically obligated to fulfill the letter of their word over the intention of their words. A contract written in Infernal can only be signed with the consent of all signing parties and individuals. If any party or individual breaches their contract by acting opposite the contract's word, all parties and individuals involved in the signing of the contract become aware firstly that a party or individual has broken the contract, secondly who that party or individual is by name and appearance at the time of signing, and thirdly where they (the party or individual) are relative to all alerted parties and individuals (in a measurement they understand). |
Incentive for Obligation | Magical, Demonic, Language | 1 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You may write clauses into your Infernal contracts which would grant negative effects upon those who enact a breach of contract so long as that negative effect only directly effects a specified signing party or individual (such as any who enact a breach of contract, or Dave) regardless of who it indirectly effects (if Dave loses all of his toes due to a breach of contract then only he is directly effected, even if his cordwainer is indirectly effected). These clauses may be set only by the writer of the contract, and may even have effects that none of the involved parties have the ability to enact, such as cursing a party or individual with a curse which no party or individual involved in the signing of the Infernal contract is capable of performing. The effect is carried out instantly upon the breach of contract. |
Celestial | Divine, Language | 2 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You can speak Celestial, and understand it when it is spoken. A language spoken commonly in the age of Yovah, a language which rhymes even when translated into other languages. Spoken natively by som Primordials, and by seraphim, loong, and other sacred beings. |
Herald of the High Speech | Divine, Language | 2 | N/A | N/A | Passive | You may use a single chosen Divine Language Skill which limits the number of times it may be used on a particular target one additional time (chosen when you take this Skill). If Celestial is your Native Language, halve this Skill's Skill Point Cost. |
Power Word: Heal |
Divine, Language | 1 | N/A | Celestial | Any, Any, Extra |
A target you can see has its HP increased by 10+Magic. This is not healing. A single target can only be effected by this Skill once per day. |
Power Word: Harm |
Divine, Language |
1 | N/A | Celestial | Any, Any, Extra |
A single target you see has its HP reduced by 6+Magic. This is not damage. A single target can only be effected by this Skill once per day. |
Power Word: Great |
Divine, Language | 1 | 8 | Celestial | Any | Replace the text "10" or "6" in Power Word: Heal or Power Word: Harm with "Total Magic". This Skill's Mana Cost cannot be increased without your consent. |
Power Word: HaShem |
Divine, Language | 2 | N/A | Celestial | Primary | A single target which can hear you becomes blind, deaf, and Staggered. A single target can only be effected by this Skill once per day. Staggered: You cannot use two chosen actions, which you choose and would otherwise be able to use. If you would become Staggered, but you are already Staggered, you instead become Stunned. |
Power Word: Peace |
Divine, Language | 2 | N/A | Celestial | Defensive (Concentration) | A single target which can hear you becomes sedated, and neither you nor the target can take violent actions or intentionally harm others through action or inaction while you maintain Concentration. A single target can only be effected by this Skill once per day. |
Power Word: Truth |
Divine, Language | 2 | N/A | Celestial | Any | All damage you deal is minimized until the start of your next turn. The damage you deal is True Damage. Nothing can cause this damage to not be minimized. You may only activate this Skill once. You regain the ability to activate this Skill at dawn. |
I'm having a lot of difficulty thinking of a reason to actually use this rule, so instead I'm going to state matter-of-fact its effects.
1. Characters will not be able to read unless they invest Skill Points into being able to read. This will usually lead to the Host wanting the Players to read something for a puzzle, or a shop name, then being incapable of doing so. Use signs with symbols.
2. Characters will have difficulty speaking to people from places besides where they are from which will encourage players to not venture/adventure far from their homes if they have a choice, or it will serve to make them weaker as they put more skill points in languages instead of cooler and more interesting skills.
Fantasy tabletop games (including this one) often have languages for some reason, often out of a misguided sense of "realism" when such a rule is a: unrealistic and b: they meant verisimilitude. Developing these skills first out of tradition when this was a much more standard game, and making this rule later has taught me to plan out a project better, and to ignore convention if convention is boring and antiquated.
1. Characters will not be able to read unless they invest Skill Points into being able to read. This will usually lead to the Host wanting the Players to read something for a puzzle, or a shop name, then being incapable of doing so. Use signs with symbols.
2. Characters will have difficulty speaking to people from places besides where they are from which will encourage players to not venture/adventure far from their homes if they have a choice, or it will serve to make them weaker as they put more skill points in languages instead of cooler and more interesting skills.
Fantasy tabletop games (including this one) often have languages for some reason, often out of a misguided sense of "realism" when such a rule is a: unrealistic and b: they meant verisimilitude. Developing these skills first out of tradition when this was a much more standard game, and making this rule later has taught me to plan out a project better, and to ignore convention if convention is boring and antiquated.