Topic: The lost art of conversation

[Peter R]

Man, who doesn't want a +10 churgle? I mean, come on.

I now feel compelled to add a weapon called a churgle to my campaign. It may just be a dagger, but it's going to be called a churgle.

Either that or a siege engine hauled by 36 oxen.

[Jengada]

Moving a bit back on topic, and going back to an earlier post from someone about using linguistics skill to influence the party, there's a great opportunity example here. The party has someone who uses a churgle, picked up from a foreigner or something. They hear of a powerful magical churgle the player then covets, and they head off to find it. Alas, "churgle" means both the weapon and something very mundane, like a serving platter or dress, or part of a building. They just don't have enough linguistics to realize that.

Maybe they figure it out before they find it Legendary Churgle, because they gain language skill. Maybe they actually find the Legendary Churgle. It's not what they thought, but there's some big win anyway. And they learn to be careful what they wish for.

[jdale]

Reminds me of the book Riddley Walker, which featured a well-past-apocalyptic corruption of language. For example there is the pry mincer and the wes mincer, derived from Prime Minister and Westminster which of course aren't the same sort of thing at all.

[kwickham]

If they don't invest into language, culture, and lore then I make things more difficult if they are in a foreign land. I take some of the experiences that I had when I've traveled to a foreign land or different part of the country/region and somewhat mimic it for non essential story or plot stuff.

If they are in an entirely different language land,
I first describe things in simple descriptive terms. I might say, "you don't understand the strange melodic voices" or "they are pointing to an object and saying the word 'churgle' several times."

Or maybe pantomime stuff, how NPCs might do so.

If they learn the language, I'll tell them in English. And maybe use a words then explain what that is in English. "You see a churgle hidden in the corner. A churgle is ..." Learning culture and language helps add more explanations if they make skill rolls or logically would know whatever..

[Jengada]

If they don't invest into language, culture, and lore then I make things more difficult if they are in a foreign land. I take some of the experiences that I had when I've traveled to a foreign land or different part of the country/region and somewhat mimic it for non essential story or plot stuff.

If they are in an entirely different language land,
I first describe things in simple descriptive terms. I might say, "you don't understand the strange melodic voices" or "they are pointing to an object and saying the word 'churgle' several times."

Or maybe pantomime stuff, how NPCs might do so.

If they learn the language, I'll tell them in English. And maybe use a words then explain what that is in English. "You see a churgle hidden in the corner. A churgle is ..." Learning culture and language helps add more explanations if they make skill rolls or logically would know whatever..

I think the first time they're someplace where they don't know any of the language, the NPCs will first talk to them. Then, when it's clear they don't understand, the NPCs will shout. Isn't that the standad response, say it much louder?

[Spectre771]

I think the first time they're someplace where they don't know any of the language, the NPCs will first talk to them. Then, when it's clear they don't understand, the NPCs will shout. Isn't that the standad response, say it much louder?

Obviously.  Foreign people are clearly just hard of hearing.   

I've used some of the misdirection that you mentioned.  The players (one player from the group) thought the item he was searching for was all powerful and of great importance because he interpreted the Dwarfen word to mean "crown" and assumed it was the Low King's crown he needed to find as they were on a mission for the Low King.  The reality was just a pot helm for mining.  Common steel, nothing important at all, but it was a fun time.  It didn't interfere with gaming or the campaign too much but the player did a really good job of not meta-gaming and having his PC try to influence the party to go off track to find this important item.

[kwickham]

I think the first time they're someplace where they don't know any of the language, the NPCs will first talk to them. Then, when it's clear they don't understand, the NPCs will shout. Isn't that the standad response, say it much louder?

Yes, louder. And slower.

That's what they did to me when I didn't understand in the Philippines. In Japan however, they didn't shout that I recall. they just said it slower. I think it's one of the cultural mores to not shout and be impolite.