What language are verbal spell components in?

[Yqatuba]

I always thought Draconic but does it actually say anywhere?

[Xenocrat]

Yqatuba wrote:

I always thought Draconic but does it actually say anywhere?

It's either no language or variable.

[LordKailas]

I'm fairly sure you can cast in any language you can speak (so no sign language).

Since in spellcasting it says

verbal wrote:

A verbal component is a spoken incantation. To provide a verbal component, you must be able to speak in a strong voice. A silence spell or a gag spoils the incantation (and thus the spell). a spellcaster who has been deafened has a 20% chance of spoiling any spell with a verbal component that he tries to cast.

Additionally, it never specifies that you need to speak x language to cast a spell.

Also, the oracle curse tongues states

Tongues wrote:

Whenever you are in combat, you can only speak and understand the selected language. This does not interfere with spellcasting, but it does apply to spells that are language dependent. You gain the selected language as a bonus language.

So, its certainly posdible to cast spells speaking languages other than draconic.

[The Shifty Mongoose]

I always thought Verbal Components were either their own sort of language, or (if that's the way you want to do it), the name of the spell in your first language.

[blahpers]

Unspecified.

[Yqatuba]

Well keep in mind memorizing some words from a language is a far cry from actually speaking the language. So if it was draconic you could still memorize the spell words without knowing the language.

[Theconiel]

Any "The Wizard of Id" fans out there?

"Frammin' on the jim-jam! Frippin' on the fratz!"

[Klorox]

technically, I'd say that the Words of Power that constitute a spell's vocal component are their own system, and not specifically a language, since you need a Spellcraft check rather than a Linguistics one to know what a spell being cast is.

plus, soujrces of power are many, a lot of spellcasters might favor Draconic, but Celestial, Abyssal, Infernal, or the Elemental tongues are fully as valid for power tongue.

[Saffron Marvelous]

Freestyle rap.

[Akharus]

I might be known to utilize the syllables mentioned in the Ultima games from time to time, heh.

[Asmodeus' Advocate]

Saffron Marvelous wrote:

Freestyle rap.

For sorcerers, maybe. Wizards have to write it all out beforehand.

[Wultram]

Unspecified as many have mentioned. However this reminded me of a thing I used in my old homebrew setting, that was nicked from a different RPG that I do not remember anymore.(this was probably 20ish years ago)

Now the examples are totally made up words. So the verbal components of a spell are universal, however different traditions do it differently.

Let's say 2 different mages are casting fireball.

The actual verbal component is KA-GI-SA, with a spesific timing between them.

1) KAmenu deGIno misSA
2)yemKA riusGI jasSA

Which could translate to say "Become ash" or "Burn motherf..." :P

So the idea is that they are saying some sort of incarnation that includes the actual verbal component. Reasons are mainly tradition, ease of learning and obfuscation. However because the verbal component is always the same, that is what allows one to use spellcraft(among other things). Also gives somewhat nifty explanation for quickened spells that still have verbal components.

[Volkard Abendroth]

The language of magic.

Unless you speak Ancient Draconic, then you use that.

[Xenocrat]

Klorox wrote:

technically, I'd say that the Words of Power that constitute a spell's vocal component are their own system, and not specifically a language, since you need a Spellcraft check rather than a Linguistics one to know what a spell being cast is.

Spellcraft does not identify verbal, somatic, or material components (you have to "see" the spell being cast), it identifies the hazily defined "manifestations" (probably something like the glowing runes in spellcasting art). So as far as Spellcraft is concerned, every spellcaster can have custom verbalizations and gestures (or none at all via Still/Silent Spell metamagic) without impacting recognizability of the spellcasting.

[ErichAD]

I assume it's a spoken variant on the personal dialect wizards use to write spells down.
"To record an arcane spell in written form, a character uses complex notation that describes the magical forces involved in the spell. The writer uses the same system no matter what her native language or culture. However, each character uses the system in his own way. Another person’s magical writing remains incomprehensible to even the most powerful wizard until he takes time to study and decipher it."

So, some purpose built language that can't be used for anything other than describing magic, and which has been adjusted to suit the needs of the caster.

[VoodistMonk]

Wultram wrote:

Unspecified as many have mentioned. However this reminded me of a thing I used in my old homebrew setting, that was nicked from a different RPG that I do not remember anymore.(this was probably 20ish years ago)

Now the examples are totally made up words. So the verbal components of a spell are universal, however different traditions do it differently.

Let's say 2 different mages are casting fireball.

The actual verbal component is KA-GI-SA, with a spesific timing between them.

1) KAmenu deGIno misSA
2)yemKA riusGI jasSA

Which could translate to say "Become ash" or "Burn motherf..." :P

So the idea is that they are saying some sort of incarnation that includes the actual verbal component. Reasons are mainly tradition, ease of learning and obfuscation. However because the verbal component is always the same, that is what allows one to use spellcraft(among other things). Also gives somewhat nifty explanation for quickened spells that still have verbal components.

This is exactly how I always understood it to work, personally.

There are universal or standard verbal components, probably words or strong syllables of an ancient Dragon dialect...

Same with the somantic gestures. The timing and placement need to be in order, but what happens between is trivial.

Hands movements are rock, paper, scissors...
1) thumbs up, rock, hang loose, paper, high five, scissors.
2) clap, rock, hand shadow butterfly, paper, flip off, scissors.

Same result.

[LordKailas]

VoodistMonk wrote:

Same with the somantic gestures. The timing and placement need to be in order, but what happens between is trivial.

Hands movements are rock, paper, scissors...
1) thumbs up, rock, hang loose, paper, high five, scissors.
2) clap, rock, hand shadow butterfly, paper, flip off, scissors.

Same result.

This makes sense. It could also explain how spells are able to be quickened and still have full V,S,M components. You've figured out how to cut out a bunch of the frivolous stuff. But since those extra things are normally present to help you stay focused you have to amp up the amount of magical energy you use to compensate (hence the increased spell slot that's required).

[Theconiel]

Asmodeus' Advocate wrote:

Saffron Marvelous wrote:

Freestyle rap.

For sorcerers, maybe. Wizards have to write it all out beforehand.

And then spend an hour or so memorizing it.

[Asmodeus' Advocate]

Theconiel wrote:

Asmodeus' Advocate wrote:

Saffron Marvelous wrote:

Freestyle rap.

For sorcerers, maybe. Wizards have to write it all out beforehand.

And then spend an hour or so memorizing it.

Sorcerers are like crappy artists who pretty much only sing variations of the one song. It's good for freestyle, I guess, but freestyle's seldom good. If I'm going to listen to a song, I'll listen to the wizard who put an hour's preparation into their craft.

[MidsouthGuy]

I think one of the authors of the original Dragonlance novels used Indonesian as his language of magic (someone please correct me if I have that wrong). I'm a fan of using Old Welsh if I decide to speak aloud or write down the words to a spell. It has a mystical sound and exotic feel, and is different enough from the modern language that it would take a Welsh speaker at least a minute or two to puzzle out.

Other than that, if you're talking about what language is used for magic in game, I would imagine Ignan would be used for fire based spells, Aquan for ice, and so on in that way.

[Meirril]

It use to be that Arcane casters did all sorts of strange, undecipherable stuff to cast spells that only made sense if you were trained in the same Arcane heritage (and even differed between casters), but Divine casters just said in very plain language what they wanted to happen when invoking spells. That was because Divine magic was defined as effects granted by a divine agent, and the divine agent needed to understand what the cleric wanted. But that was in old versions of D&D.

More modernly each kind of caster has certain rituals that vary substantially from each other but produce nearly identical effects. How you manage to tap into that inner power and manifest a spell is not something the mechanics of the game goes into great detail about other than how long it takes and if it includes V/S/M components.

[Backpack]

I am lame and like to imagine my wizard just screaming FIREBALL in common at the enemies. There is the cartoony, naming your attack and yelling them as you do them stereotype that I enjoy.

[Saffron Marvelous]

I mean to be fair, that's probably what it would be, just in some fancy sounding dead language, so if anyone asks your guy why he's just shouting fireball instead of something arcane sounding, you just go "yeah I never got around to learning Latin."