House rule for languages

[muddymuppet]

I use Herolab and am very happy with it but when it comes to using the editor, I'm afraid I'm a tad useless.
I want to add a house rule that instead of bonus languages, gives extra skill points for high INT. So for example, an Intelligence of 18 will give an extra 8 skill points at 1st level but no extra languages.
I'm then going to base languages on a simple scale of 1-5 points.
1 Basic concepts
2 Tourist conversation
3 Fluency
4 Fluency with appropriate accent
5 Rare concepts and ancient dialects.
Each language known will be based off INT, so again, the example used will give Fluency and the appropriate accent for every language gained through Linguistics.
Read/Write will be a separate skill for each language too.
Any ideas how to write this into a house rule so that I can give a copy of the file to each of my players?
I know how to create extra languages, just not alter the basic structure of the game to allow the skill point change.
Helpful input much appreciated, flaming not so much. My cleric's sword does that nicely enough anyway ;-)

 

[Aaron]

I'd go with creating a Mechanic for this. Have it subtract an appropriate number of bonus languages from the tStartLang herofield, and add an appropriate number of points to the resSkill resource. Then have it foreach through all languages on the hero and alter their Livename field to append your "Fluency Level" description.

For read/write being seperate languages, I say just copy the existing languages and alter their name slightly for the R/W version.

 

[Dark Lord Galen]

I've done something very similar in my own campaign, though not to the level that Muddymuppet has (like the idea consider it cannibalized ), I added "conversational" languages for those that have a "tourist level" of understanding, but would generally not understand the nuances of reading or writing it.

@Aaron> will your suggestions for tstartLang & resSkill work with the D20 set?

@ Muddymuppet> I'm curious as to your approach on the game mechanic of this? I simply threw a DC15 against the PC Language Stat but am not happy with that approach.
So if I had a PC with a Language- Dwarf- basic concepts and another with Dwarf- fluency what would be the difference?

And, over time, would these be progressed and how would you mitigate that?

Note: I do understand your definitions (like the simple separation by the way) I myself would have the following:
4>English(or really more accurately described as American)-Texan-for well established accent (ya'll)
3>German no origin accent and certainly get inflections inaccurate
2>Spanish(or more accurately Tex-Mex)
2>Latin
1>French(Canadian)
1>Japanese

So with say an Intelligence of 16, what would be the next series of steps to carry on a conversation with someone in French or read an ancient tome written in german based on the stats above?

DLG

 

[Mathias]

BTW, "{text clrreset}" will reset the color of the text, if you want to have only the parenthetical colored, but not the description text show in green.

 

[Aaron]

@Aaron> will your suggestions for tstartLang & resSkill work with the D20 set?

I believe it will, with some modification. In 3.5 the herofield is "tLangsSta" and there is no resSkill pick, since each class tracks its own skill points. However, there is also a herofield that stores total skill points. Look at the adjustment to total skill points to see how that is added to.

And thanks for taking the extra time to get the spelling of my name correct. That's a minor pet peeve of mine.

 

[Dark Lord Galen]

BTW, "{text clrreset}" will reset the color of the text, if you want to have only the parenthetical colored, but not the description text show in green.

Ah good to know thanks Mathias. Because I do like maintaining the "green" in the list (lets players know they wont fine item xxx in a PHB etc)

 

[Dark Lord Galen]

I believe it will, with some modification. In 3.5 the herofield is "tLangsSta" and there is no resSkill pick, since each class tracks its own skill points. However, there is also a herofield that stores total skill points. Look at the adjustment to total skill points to see how that is added to.

And thanks for taking the extra time to get the spelling of my name correct. That's a minor pet peeve of mine.

Thanks for the rapid response and especially the 3.5 D20 tips (since this is a PF thread). I looked and didn't see the reskill, that would explain why... ... Would be nice if there was a nomenclature of all varied "shortword functions" somewhere, so much of the programing in the editor is through trial and error or standing in the shadow (pun intended ) or from those such as yourselves that have endured the gauntlet so to speak & have shared.

Hey, no problem on name, where I'm from that is just common courtesy and respect.

Apologies to all PF peoples.. we return you to your regularly scheduled PF goodness.