Suggestions for Language learning house rules

[magnusdeus123]

What do you guys think about this:

Learning Languages:

-Learning additional languages is not automatic. Character must spend time immersed in target language to acquire fluency.

-Common is not a language by itself, but a pidgin. You have to have a mother tongue.

-Max. languages = INT modifier;

Levels of fluency:

Rank 0: Common; -3 to Diplomacy & Bluff;
-Requirements: None

Rank 1: Elementary; -1 to Diplomacy & Bluff;
-Requirements: 5 hours of study

Rank 2: Intermediate; +1 to Intimidate, Diplomacy & Bluff;
-Requirements: 2 days of study (20 hours total)

Rank 3: Fluent; +3 to Intimidate, Diplomacy & Bluff;
-Requirements: 5 days of study (50 hours total)

Rank 4: Master; +5 to Intimidate, Diplomacy & Bluff;
-Requirements: 20 days of study (200 hours total)

[Detect Magic]

I'd suggest an Int check required after a sufficient period of exposure (1 week might do the trick; if a character fails, they can attempt again after another week). Perhaps the DC could be determined by the complexity of the language (10 for simple languages; 15 for more intricate languages; 20 for very intricate languages). You could provide circumstantial bonuses on the check if the character speaks a similar language (one that shares an etymological root).

[Detect Magic]

I like this idea, though. I've never liked the fact that languages are tied to skill ranks.

[magnusdeus123]

Detect Magic wrote:

I'd suggest an Int check required after a sufficient period of exposure (1 week might do the trick; if a character fails, they can attempt again after another week). Perhaps the DC could be determined by the complexity of the language (10 for simple languages; 15 for more intricate languages; 20 for very intricate languages). You could provide circumstantial bonuses on the check if the character speaks a similar language (one that shares an etymological root).

I was actually including all sort of features and aspects such as the one you suggested and then I realized that making it too complicated won't help at all. The players will just get used to playing with a penalized and defeated sense of using Diplomacy and Bluff.

Arguably, I'd like to make it simpler.

[rainzax]

simpler: three tiers for -2, +0, +2

also i second the idea that it takes an INT check to 'qualify' the hours spent - you could just stick with DC 15 (with maybe one or two DC 20 languages...)

finally, i would differentiate Study and Interaction with Reading/Writing and Speaking

[Detect Magic]

Agreed. The -2/+2 should be categorized as circumstantial.

[Da'ath]

I'd recommend checking out the Midnight d20 language system. It is similar in some respects to what you present, but definitely my favorite language system to date - so much so that it has permanently replaced the way languages are handled in my homebrew setting.