I have been thinking about how to make a illiterate charactor trait. Here is my first draft (... or accurately my second but don't mind that)
Character Trait: Illiterate
The character comes from a illiterate background and isn’t able read or write.
An illiterate character cannot trigger spells, magic traps or cures that are triggered by reading. A illiterate character gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against magic that involves runes, symbols or signs.
What do you think? Comments or suggestions on how to improve the trait is welcome.
Is there any way to negate the penalty of this trait? Does taking ranks in Linguistics give you the ability to read/write or does this trait override that? Does this apply to all languages the character knows or just one?
If you can overcome the penalty (inability to trigger certain types of spells, etc.) does that negate the bonus? If it does, then I think it's fine as-is, but if getting rid of the penalty doesn't negate the bonus, then the bonus needs to be typed. I suggest "trait" bonus.
Agreed. There should be something in the Trait description that covers what happens if someone becomes literate.
I think the bonus is actually very weak for the trade off...how often do those rune/symbol spells come up?
However, I am not sure what else you could put there. Perhaps something like this:
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Character Trait: Illiterate
The character either comes from a illiterate background or was poorly educated, and isn’t able read or write.
An illiterate character cannot trigger spells, magic traps or cures that are triggered by reading. A illiterate character gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against magic that involves runes, symbols or signs. In addition, due to your inability to communicate by written methods, you have become a natural at spoken communication. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Diplomacy checks and Diplomacy is a class skill for you.
If a character with the Illiterate trait gains the Linguistics skill (learning to read/write), they lose the bonus to saves, but keep the bonus to Diplomacy.
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What do you think?
Thanks for the input. I have rewritten the trait.
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Character Trait: Illiterate
A character with the illiterate trair either comes from a illiterate background or was poorly educated, and isn’t able read or write.
She can't learn skill or take feats the require that she can read or write. She can't use spells involving runes, symbols or signs. She can't read scrolls or learn spells by reading.
She can't get any usefull information out of a read magic spell. Comprehend languages and tongues will not enable her to understand any written text.
A illiterate character can't trigger spells, magic traps or cures that are triggered by reading, and she gain a +2 trait bonus to saving throws against magic that involves runes, symbols or signs.
The character is trained in a oral tradition. she gain a +1 trait bonus to Local History and Local History is a class skill.
It's posible for the character to learn the read and write in the course of the game. If she do so the trait simply gives you +1 trait bonus to Local History and Local History is still a class skill for you (all other benefits and disadvantages are removed)
Awesblum trate...
Yeah like this trait alot as well... something like this has been lacking since Barbarians lost their illiterate flavour...
Presume it would be a Social Trait?
I'm not quite sure what "Local History" is. Is that supposed to be "Knowledge: Local and Knowledge: History" or just "Knowledge:History checks pertaining to the area where she (your character) is from"?
Incidentally, since this is irrevocable and even overrides magic, this doesn't seem to be illiteracy, but rather occipital lobe brain damage. *smirk* I'd allow comprehend languages and tongues and the like to function normally (magic overriding a deficit is sort of the point of magic) but I like read magic not working, unless used in conjunction with these higher level spells.
Yes, I think it should be a social trait.
I'm not quite sure what "Local History" is. Is that supposed to be "Knowledge: Local and Knowledge: History" or just "Knowledge:History checks pertaining to the area where she (your character) is from"?
Incidentally, since this is irrevocable and even overrides magic, this doesn't seem to be illiteracy, but rather occipital lobe brain damage. *smirk* I'd allow comprehend languages and tongues and the like to function normally (magic overriding a deficit is sort of the point of magic) but I like read magic not working, unless used in conjunction with these higher level spells.
It should just be Knowledge: Local (no history). Sorry for the confusion.
Idea being that in cultures that are primary illiterate, they tell a lot of local tales around the fireplace. The tales a not just fun stories. They tell you how to behave in that culture and they ophold the culture, since there is no written language (or that the written language takes a long time to write. That being the case with runes in the Vikings culture.)
Some of the stories may originate from true historic events, but the stories are told generation after generation and will change over time. The story about a boy who saved his sister from a snake, could become a story about a hero that saved the village from a dragon after a few generations.
I was not trying to overwrite magic. My idea was that the comprehend language change the written foreign language into your native language, but since you can't make sense of your something writen in your own language, you still can't read it. I could be wrong on how the spells work, so that would be a rules question.
Also it not meant to be irrevocable. The character can learn to read and write in the course of the game - Of course she would have to find a teacher. If the character learns to read she will loose all disadvantages from the feat, but also all other advantages than the +1 bonus to Knowledge: Local and Knowledge: Local as a class skill.
Okay I think that I was wrong about how the spell works, so here I go again:
New Social Trait: Illiterate (3rd try)
A character with the illiterate trait either comes from a illiterate background or was poorly educated and isn’t able read or write.
She can't learn skill or take feats the require that she can read or write. She can't read scrolls or learn spells by reading.
Any spell involving reading or writing runes, symbols or signs including read magic and comprehend languages are removed from her class spell list.
A illiterate character can't trigger spells, magic traps or cures that are triggered by reading, and she gain a +2 trait bonus to saving throws against magic that involves runes, symbols or signs.
The character is trained in a oral tradition. she gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge: Local and Knowledge: Local is a class skill.
It's posible for the character to learn how read and write in the course of the game - of course she would have to find a teacher. If the character learns to read she will loose all disadvantages from the feat, but her will also all other advantages than the +1 bonus to Knowledge: Local and Knowledge: Local as a class skill.
I really like the idea, but it doesn't look like it would be worthwhile when you consider the limitations it would impose for your character. You couldn't read signs, maps, plans, etc. While it would be fitting that a fighter might be illiterate, it still seems like a harsh trade for a paltry +2 to limited spells.
Also remember that many magical spells are spoken with somatic components as opposed to language/rune/sign based so what spells would this even affect?
Not being able to read a magical rune wouldn't really prevent you from being nuked, just like not being able to see color doesn't give you any benefit to not being burned by a fireball.
Would be nice to see a series of drawback based feats that could have roleplaying interaction. Illiterate, color blindness, and similarly disabling yet politically correct traits would be cool.
I was thinking of spells like Explosive Runes, Sepia Snake Sigil and all the Symbol spells. You can't trigger them and if someone else trigger them while you are nearby you get +2 to your save if relevant.
I agree that it isn't that powerfull. The idea was just to make it posible for a character to be illiterate and to give it some flavor at the same time. Suggestions to improving the trait are welcome.
P.S. I am also thinking about a one eyed trait.
The bonus to saving throws against magic that involves runes, symbols or signs could probally be changed to +4 without any it being too powerful since the bonus is given to so few spells.
Note: The reason for the saving throw bonus is that illiterate characters are more sceptical toward signs that literate characters and therefore more cautious.