New Race Error with Languages

SWChance · November 29th, 2007, 02:43 PM

I added the Kobold Race from Races of the Dragon. In creating a character with 16 INT, I select the languages that are available and then close the tab. Here is the issue: It knows that I have left over selections from my INT, but the race has no more languages to learn. The program still shows an error that I haven't selected enough language. In the bottom corner it shows Language Error. When I go in to the language selections I see Other Language option. Can this be turned off?

Automatic Language: Draconic
Starting Languages: Common, Draconic, Undercommon.

If I have an high starting INT, I can have learn more languages than available.

rob · December 1st, 2007, 01:35 PM

At 03:43 PM 11/29/2007, you wrote:

Quote:

I added the Kobold Race from Races of the Dragon. In creating a character with 16 INT, I select the languages that are available and then close the tab. Here is the issue: It knows that I have left over selections from my INT, but the race has no more languages to learn. The program still shows an error that I haven't selected enough language. In the bottom corner it shows Language Error. When I go in to the language selections I see Other Language option. Can this be turned off?

Automatic Language: Draconic
Starting Languages: Common, Draconic, Undercommon.

If I have an high starting INT, I can have learn more languages than available.

How about just picking "Other Language" as a placeholder and entering the name "Unassigned"?

That way, the validation stops complaining and you never forget that you're entitled to the new language slot - as soon as you have an opportunity to actually learn a new one. :-)

Mathias · December 3rd, 2007, 05:26 PM

Actually, I think the question is more:

What are you supposed to do if your INT bonus entitles you to more languages than your race has bonus selections?

I can't find an answer in my PHB, and I think the fact that HL essentially produces a validation error in this case should be fixed in some way.

rashidali · December 4th, 2007, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgehl

What are you supposed to do if your INT bonus entitles you to more languages than your race has bonus selections?

Per the FAQs for D&D3.5, if a character has no bonus languages available for its race, the excess language slots are wasted, unless the class gives access to other languages. This is in the FAQs under warforged, but I can see how it can be generalized to other races. I couldn't find something specific about a high Int and low available bonus languages in the SRD or PH. The lowest amount of bonus languages a base race (i.e. Halfling or Half-Orc) has is five and this wouldn't come up at all with the regular 3-18 range of attributes normally. The info about picking languages for 1st level characters is in the SRD under the "Races" information and titled "Races and Language" and under the Speak Language skill, but I think that the sentence causing the biggest issue in all of these instances

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRD

You start at 1st level knowing one or two languages (based on your race), plus an additional number of languages equal to your starting Intelligence bonus.

is missing a key word, "bonus," in between "additional number of" and "languages."

SWChance · December 5th, 2007, 10:28 AM

I am not asking for a clarification of the rules. I am asking what to do to get HL to function correctly. If anything it may just be a bug. As to picking other and filling in unassigned, I really dont want to have generic placeholders. For the moment I have moved passed this by using the stats for kobold from the slayer's guide. It gives them several bonus languages so this problem does not apply.

Rob, Colen, if you see this check into what I described. HL should not have language: other as an option for starting languages. Or it should see when you have selected all options available to you. Could be as simple as a checkbox that says "No further languages to start."

Colen · December 5th, 2007, 11:51 AM

SWChance wrote:
>
>
> I am not asking for a clarification of the rules. I am asking what to do
> to get HL to function correctly. If anything it may just be a bug. As to
> picking other and filling in unassigned, I really dont want to have
> generic placeholders. For the moment I have moved passed this by using
> the stats for kobold from the slayer's guide. It gives them several
> bonus languages so this problem does not apply.
>
> Rob, Colen, if you see this check into what I described. HL should not
> have language: other as an option for starting languages. Or it should
> see when you have selected all options available to you. Could be as
> simple as a checkbox that says "No further languages to start."

That's exactly what we decided on.

We need the "Other" language as a
way to let people enter their own custom language, but we'll be adding a
"No more, don't bug me" option that'll stop the validation error from
appearing.

--
Colen McAlister, colen@wolflair.com
Chief Engineer, Lone Wolf Development

Mathias Senior Member Lone Wolf Staff Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 13,213 December 3rd, 2007, 05:26 PM	Actually, I think the question is more: What are you supposed to do if your INT bonus entitles you to more languages than your race has bonus selections? I can't find an answer in my PHB, and I think the fact that HL essentially produces a validation error in this case should be fixed in some way.
#3