Hello kind people of the Pathfinder forum,
I have a question regarding the comprehend languages spell. In my group I have a Sorcerer with the first level spell. She started using the spell recently. Here is the description of the spell from the Paizo page:
You can understand the spoken words of creatures or read otherwise incomprehensible written messages. The ability to read does not necessarily impart insight into the material, merely its literal meaning. The spell enables you to understand or read an unknown language, not speak or write it.
Written material can be read at the rate of one page (250 words) per minute. Magical writing cannot be read, though the spell reveals that it is magical. This spell can be foiled by certain warding magic (such as the secret page and illusory script spells). It does not decipher codes or reveal messages concealed in otherwise normal text.
My question is, can she use this spell to read dead languages?
In my world there are a number of races that died thousands of years ago. Drow are one of them (although few survived and have been in hiding, so no one knows about them). The group found notes in an old wizard's notebook, the whole point of it is that they wont understand it (there is one drow in their group, the information was intended to go to her, she read it and knows what it says but obviously didn't say anything, they think she is a tiefling. Is it wrong to restrict the spell to only languages that are still alive and in use? Or should the sorcerer have been able to understand it?
And what about languages that literally not a single person in the whole world can understand today, would she be able to understand those?
Thank you in advance :)
as long as the thing was written in a language that the writer understood (at the time of writing.even if he invented it himself) then it should be understood with this spell. remember that you do not need to explain what is written there. and that any name or code stay so "he went to Figuzaroshi to do the Godoni ritual" would still mean little unless you know what that place is and what that ritual does.
also the fact a sorcerer spent one of his precious spell known on this rarely used spell mean that ether the player (not character) had prior knowledge about the text and is metagaming and i would make it as hard as i can to gain information by using codes and obscure names. or that he is well invested into your game and his character in which case i say he earned his right to not get his precious known spell slot go to waste. you should know which it is yourself.
one other thing.
if you want to have things only read by specific race. you can add a 'secret trick' to them. commonly known only to that race.
say in the drow case the fact that important documents are scribed using magic so that they can only be read while one is in a darkness illuminated by fairy fire spell. (to prevent races who can't use these spell like abilities from reading them).
this would be a national secret only commonly known to drow and people who study them (dc 20\25 knowledge check to know how to read etc)
remember the Hobbit? the fact that some dwarven map can only be read in a specific day with specific moonlight etc?
most intelligent races probably know that there is a level 1 spell that can let anyone read their stuff. they would do well to take precautions in case of impotent documents.
as long as the thing was written in a language that the writer understood (at the time of writing.even if he invented it himself) then it should be understood with this spell. remember that you do not need to explain what is written there. and that any name or code stay so "he went to Figuzaroshi to do the Godoni ritual" would still mean little unless you know what that place is and what that ritual does.
also the fact a sorcerer spent one of his precious spell known on this rarely used spell mean that ether the player (not character) had prior knowledge about the text and is metagaming and i would make it as hard as i can to gain information by using codes and obscure names. or that he is well invested into your game and his character in which case i say he earned his right to not get his precious known spell slot go to waste. you should know which it is yourself.
Thank you for the answer. Yeah this sorcerer has a bit of a problem with metagaming, I've been trying to get them to stop it. I've even started to penalize them for metagaming in different ways, such as consequences, higher DCs and stuff like that. I'm glad to hear that i did the right thing making it extremely hard at least.
Thanks again :D
one other thing.
if you want to have things only read by specific race. you can add a 'secret trick' to them. commonly known only to that race.
say in the drow case the fact that important documents are scribed using magic so that they can only be read while one is in a darkness illuminated by fairy fire spell. (to prevent races who can't use these spell like abilities from reading them).
this would be a national secret only commonly known to drow and people who study them (dc 20\25 knowledge check to know how to read etc)remember the Hobbit? the fact that some dwarven map can only be read in a specific day with specific moonlight etc?
most intelligent races probably know that there is a level 1 spell that can let anyone read their stuff. they would do well to take precautions in case of impotent documents.
Oh that's a neat trick, I'm gonna have to write that down. Thank you for all the help. This is gonna come in handy. It's true what you say, the probably have their own spell-casters that can use the same spell, and would thus take measures to prevent others from using it. The Fairy fire trick would come in real handy for such documents.
Thank you for all tips and trick, i really appreciate it!
i had a super paranoid wizard (he was sure some1 was out to get his 'research') hide the information in his dairy by making every 2nd line a lie (think of opposite day). took the players a while to get on to that... ;)
basically let the one who write the information assume it might get into the wrongs hands of some1 who can read it and try and circumvent that.
i had a super paranoid wizard (he was sure some1 was out to get his 'research') hide the information in his dairy by making every 2nd line a lie (think of opposite day). took the players a while to get on to that... ;)
Haha, that's pretty funny actually. Players always use some weird tricks and things I would never think of in a million years. That is what makes games like Pathfinder, D&D and other games like them so unique, no matter how much you prepare or how many scenarios you can think of, the players will always think of something else you didn't prepare for, and ways to hide information or get stuff they really want. There really isn't anything that can replace the feeling of role-playing and the creativity of a group.
yea. the best part?
the really really important information was written on the national opposite day so the lines switched. he left the date right but they failed to notice that at first...;)
Wow, this wizard really had some layers to his concealment XD
I'm getting kinda curious to what was so important he had to hide it like that XD
oh the true names of some powerful evil outsiders.. you know, noting important or life threatening ;)
turned out he WAS right ..the outsiders were out to get his research .also the players ...
Wow it's a good thing he hid it so well then XD