Gothic Earth Background: CANNOT SPEAK COMMON.

[Song of Danta]

I did indeed post this in the wrong section...

When selecting the Gothic Earth (Masque of the Red Death) background, would it be possible to add something along these lines to the confirmation/information dialogue:

'IMPORTANT: CHARACTERS FROM GOTHIC EARTH CANNOT SPEAK THE COMMON LANGUAGE.'

Then, possibly...

'If your character arrived in a domain other than the default (Barovia), they may have learned it (or the local language) there.'

Often, people don't seem aware of this matter, and end up disappointed (not to mention, embarrassed) and quit the character once they find out (usually from a DM). It's awkward to find an excuse if your character has said the mists took them just the other week, and they have been speaking common since then. I've had to very apologetically mention this to around 5-6 players so far, and have also goofed up myself when I first made a GE character. With the NCE coming up in a few days, I think this is a good idea.

[herkles]

I would be happy if this rule got removed, its kind of stupid. If it is going to exist, I suggest getting rid of common for everyone.  just my thoughts.

[Arawn]

This rule is not going to be removed, and that is a good idea, Danta. It will be implemented.

[R.A.M.]

I agree that this is a great idea. When I first played a GE character on here I took on the struggle to learn Common in-game actively and it was an enormous struggle, but quite fun. This helps folk who want to do that as well know that their roleplay is supported but that they have other options if they prefer to skip that step.

[Dumas]

It's a hurdle, but not an impossible one. You will find people willing to RP the language barrier, and you will find those willing to teach the Common tongue eventually. Use that high INT and be studious! Gothic Earth... (and our real Earth, haha) has a wonderful history, and it can make for very detailed and interesting characters! Don't let the language barrier discourage you... use it as an RP element!

[Arawn]

It's a hurdle, but not an impossible one. You will find people willing to RP the language barrier, and you will find those willing to teach the Common tongue eventually. Use that high INT and be studious! Gothic Earth... (and our real Earth, haha) has a wonderful history, and it came make for very detailed and interesting characters! Don't let the language barrier discourage you... use it as an RP element!

Indeed! It is challenging, no doubt, but quite fun for those who enjoy it. If you don't enjoy it, don't do it.

[Song of Danta]

This helps folk who want to do that as well know that their roleplay is supported but that they have other options if they prefer to skip that step.

Having played several characters with language barriers (and speech impediments), I can't really be stuffed any more, so I usually use the spat-out-in-another-domain story. Another option would be that they have been around for some time already, though as a commoner rather than an adventurer.

[Telkar]

Guess that's one language the new language system doesn't cover. Common would take an extra language slot. Must be hard to police this except for very low levels.

Maybe revise it so that everyone gets the [Co] language for free except Gothic Earth characters?

[R.A.M.]

It's a hurdle, but not an impossible one. You will find people willing to RP the language barrier, and you will find those willing to teach the Common tongue eventually. Use that high INT and be studious! Gothic Earth... (and our real Earth, haha) has a wonderful history, and it came make for very detailed and interesting characters! Don't let the language barrier discourage you... use it as an RP element!

Indeed! It is challenging, no doubt, but quite fun for those who enjoy it. If you don't enjoy it, don't do it.

Just out of curiosity (mostly), does the option to not pursue learning Common from scratch allow someone to possibly use the Biographies section to jot down journal entries for a character's life prior to their actual in-game creation? Perhaps as something to explain how they reached their first two character levels and to give a background for their learning of languages, etc? It would also add some flavour to any other players interested in seeing the character in-game?

If this isn't against any forum/server rules I may do this for my NCE character.

[Nemesis 24]

...Ah hell.

I recommended Gothic Earth to a completely new player.  They've never player DnD before and are a complete and total absolute newbie to all things Ravenloft - and every other setting too.  They do however have a Nordic background and were looking to play a druid as it was something they were comfortable playing.  Except now they don't know common.  As someone starting from a position of absolute zero and with no knowledge of any settings to use, I thought GE was the best selection, but this is probably going to make it too hard for them to play the concept now.  I wasn't aware of this as I've encountered GE characters before who did speak common.

Great.  Now that doesn't work at all. 

[ladylena]

You could suggest that they have been around the core for a while enough to have a decent grasp on common?

[Arawn]

You could suggest that they have been around the core for a while enough to have a decent grasp on common?

But then they would also possess the knowledge of the Core which the selection of Gothic Earth as a background was intended to avoid.

[ladylena]

You could suggest that they have been around the core for a while enough to have a decent grasp on common?

But then they would also possess the knowledge of the Core which the selection of Gothic Earth as a background was intended to avoid.

Good point. Perhaps they could just know about one place? Give the players a chance to have common and less to read up on?

[Arawn]

You could suggest that they have been around the core for a while enough to have a decent grasp on common?

But then they would also possess the knowledge of the Core which the selection of Gothic Earth as a background was intended to avoid.

Good point. Perhaps they could just know about one place? Give the players a chance to have common and less to read up on?

But now that's basically the same as playing a native of a domain other than Barovia.

[Cursed Ink]

My thoughts on it are this simply, Common, or Trade tongue seems to be incredibly easy to learn, like ridiculously easy since almost everyone get it. Maybe thats something to mull over, make it easier for a GE character to pick up?

[Olywynn]

My two pence is, if you're so concerned over the difficulty of playing a Gothic Earth character, why are you playing one to begin with?  Not trying to sound mean, saying that now before I'm lynched, but the whole point of playing an outlander is to be completely new to the Mists.  Just as caliban is hard mode for natives, half orcs, subraces, and Gothic Earth is hard mode for outlanders.

[Cursed Ink]

My two pence is, if you're so concerned over the difficulty of playing a Gothic Earth character, why are you playing one to begin with?  Not trying to sound mean, saying that now before I'm lynched, but the whole point of playing an outlander is to be completely new to the Mists.  Just as caliban is hard mode for natives, half orcs, subraces, and Gothic Earth is hard mode for outlanders.

Gothic Earth is also actually an easy setting for people new to DnD in general to pick, Id rather more people pick Earth, the place they know, then misrepresent other settings because they dont know them, simply because its too hard.

[Nemesis 24]

I honestly wasn't aware of the 'no common' rule.  And like I said, this person has no experience with any of the established settings whatsoever - but wanted to try nordic druid.  Like I said, total newbie, giving it their first try.  I thought I was helping >_<

[hugolino]

I posted just now on another thread the following, but I should have posted it in this one instead. See below:

So basically, no gothic earth character can start with common?

Practically speaking, yes, they can't. But technically the answer could be maybe. Though very few do, demihumans exist in Gothic Earth after having been sucked into it via the Shadow Plane, similar to how the mists grab people for the Demiplane of Dread. These demihumans can come from any D&D world, such as Faerun. From the PoTM forum's Gothic Earth resource thread:

These beings, now trapped on the Gothic Earth, are known as the Shadowkind. ... A character who begins play as a newly arrived Shadowkind knows one or more languages, most of which are not spoken on Earth. Such languages include Celestial, Draconic, Elven, and Goblin. However, they all share a common language (called Common) that has striking parallels to the predominant language spoken in the area where they arrived. Shadowkind characters born and raised in our world gain languages as human characters do. In addition to one or more local languages, they may know one or more languages of Shadow (taught to them by their parents and elders)."

So demihumans and those with partial demihuman ancestry in Gothic Earth can know languages spoken in other planes, including D&D Common. Furthermore, it is also possible for full humans of Gothic Earth to have learned these languages too.

Natives of the Gothic Earth — human and Shadowkind alike — can learn new Shadow languages only after they are exposed to them; they can’t master them spontaneously. To learn Draconic, for example, a character must spend time with creatures that speak Draconic or find someone with access to the written language (Draconic “books on tape” or ancient texts written using the Draconic alphabet, for example). Certain Shadowkind know languages commonly spoken among members of their species, and all characters may study and learn new Shadow languages...

I would guess, however, that it is far more likely for a Gothic Earth human to arrive through the Mist knowing Elven or some other racial language rather than Common, which is not really part of any demihuman's heritage. It is unlikely that passing on Common to descendants and allies on Gothic Earth would have been a high priority among Shadowkind, whereas a racial language would be a matter of pride.

EDIT: It is also arguable that the knowledge of D&D Common that demihumans possessed has been warped by coming to Gothic Earth, as it says that the language resembles the tongue of any nations they find themselves in. So, honestly, already knowing Common seems to not be an option for Gothic Earth characters, but knowing racial tongues such Elven, Dwarven, etc. would be possible.

http://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=21168.0

[gainreduction]

...Ah hell.

I recommended Gothic Earth to a completely new player.  They've never player DnD before and are a complete and total absolute newbie to all things Ravenloft - and every other setting too.  They do however have a Nordic background and were looking to play a druid as it was something they were comfortable playing.  Except now they don't know common.  As someone starting from a position of absolute zero and with no knowledge of any settings to use, I thought GE was the best selection, but this is probably going to make it too hard for them to play the concept now.  I wasn't aware of this as I've encountered GE characters before who did speak common.

Great.  Now that doesn't work at all. 

Maybe make them use old english?

[Song of Danta]

Any update on whether this was implemented?

[gainreduction]

I think OE is old English. MoE is Modern English.

[Arawn]

Any update on whether this was implemented?

Whether what was implemented?

[Song of Danta]

I did indeed post this in the wrong section...

When selecting the Gothic Earth (Masque of the Red Death) background, would it be possible to add something along these lines to the confirmation/information dialogue:

'IMPORTANT: CHARACTERS FROM GOTHIC EARTH CANNOT SPEAK THE COMMON LANGUAGE.'

Then, possibly...

'If your character arrived in a domain other than the default (Barovia), they may have learned it (or the local language) there.'

Often, people don't seem aware of this matter, and end up disappointed (not to mention, embarrassed) and quit the character once they find out (usually from a DM). It's awkward to find an excuse if your character has said the mists took them just the other week, and they have been speaking common since then. I've had to very apologetically mention this to around 5-6 players so far, and have also goofed up myself when I first made a GE character. With the NCE coming up in a few days, I think this is a good idea.

This rule is not going to be removed, and that is a good idea, Danta. It will be implemented.

[Arawn]

No, I haven't got to this yet, but a reminder is good.