This spell grants the creature touched the ability to speak and understand the language of any intelligent creature, whether it is a racial tongue or a regional dialect. The subject can speak only one language at a time, although it may be able to understand several languages. Tongues does not enable the subject to speak with creatures who don't speak. The subject can make itself understood as far as its voice carries. This spell does not predispose any creature addressed toward the subject in any way.
So, when under the effect of this spell, does the speaker get to choose what language he speaks? Does he speak in one language and the listener hears him in another language that he understands? Does the listener just somehow understand what the speaker is saying without it actually being in a language she can speak?
If it is the second option, which language does the listener hear it in? Is it their "primary" language? Their "common" language? Their racial language? Is it determined randomly?
I ask all this because I've just dropped my players in a land where pretty much no one speaks the same languages as them, so they are rather relying on this spell to communicate. In this land, most of its residents understand a language colloquially called "Dark Tongue" but almost all refuse to speak it, since it is the language of their former evil overlords. If the party wizard uses Tongues to speak to one of the natives, is it possible that she could be speaking to them in Dark Tongue (which would be extremely offensive)?
At the table the other night, I ruled that it was simply understood without actually conversing in a known language, but said that I would look for further rules clarification. Anyone have any help here?
The way i understand it is that the caster or recipient can understand and speak any language, but only speak one language at a time (of their choosing).
Say , for examples sake you have a Goblin who only speaks goblin, and a Derro who speaks dwarven and no-one else can understand either of those languages.
So the Bard casts Tongues on him/herself and can understand both goblin and dwarven.
He can speak to the Goblin in his own tongue one round, then the next round, switch and speak dwarven to communicate with the Derro.
You actually speak the language known.