Here's something that just popped in my head.

Language Skill:
How do other Seneschal's handle this? Although it's easier to just assume that anyone who pays for a language can speak and understand it I find it's more realistic to use ot like any other skill. Roll MA against your Language SR for anytime you attempt to speak or understand a language other than your native one. The number of successes determines the level of interpretation.
Fumble: Gross misinterpretation - definate negative consequences
Failure: Incomprehension - no idea what is being said, etc...
1-2: you can barely understand what is being said or what you are trying to say
3-4: you have a slightly better understanding of what is going on, but only simple phrases can be understood or spoken.
5-6: normal conversation
7-8: you have spoken the language fluently and can understand all the sublties of it
9-10: textbooks and seminars should be taught on your interpretation of the language
I feel that this definetly favors the academic minded character and gives incentive to use your language skills. You could also tweak them to work for the lore and knowledge skills as well. Hopefully I explained what was in my head well enough.

In addition in the skills section of the book on page 31 it says you buy a language at SR+1 so if I wanted an 8 SR I'd need to use 9 points to buy it?

Let me know what you think.

That was kind of the idea I was going for. Part of the reason is I want to give my own players (who like speaking lots of languages) an incentive to raise non combat related attributes. However I can see your point. I wrote the post as the thought just came up. I think that I'll alter it to the standard Margin of Success rules.

As I read it, pg 31 is referring to character creation.  If you spend one of your "extra" skill points (equal to your MA) to open a new language, it opens at SR+1 (best SR as determined by the priorities you chose).

If you are concerned, however, with character progression, pg 69 addresses the improvement of skills once the character creation process has been completed.  They may be improved through use under duress (3 uses = MA Test), out-of-game training (2 SA = MA Test), or purchased as a new skill (2 SA = SR 9).

I have, as an optional rule, allowed characters to open a related (to their native) language at SR or SR-1, and an obscure or unrelated language at SR+2 or SR+3.



I agree.  In our games, my group likes to stress the importance of sounding like you belong...and the potential dangers of miscommunication.  This is how we handle it:

Characters open new languages SR 10, unless it is a related tongue, a circumstance that would grant them a -1 SR bonus.  Once a character has reached SR 7 (Proficient) with a language (or better), and is attempting to convey a complex message, or one using concepts unfamiliar to those listening (could be rarely used/seen/etc.), we require a standard skill roll.  The Degrees of Success table is used for this check.  If the character has yet to achieve this level of proficiency, then we require rolls more often.

Chris

Quibble all you want.  I just threw those numbers out.  If 5 is native, 6 could be native but poor (uneducated, lower class, etc) speakers.  Native 6 speakers would speak dialect but not really speak the "official language".  Foreign 6 speakes would be more or less fluent, but accented.

Or something like that...you could also require rolls to try to pass as the next level.  1 success...you appear at your actual level.  3 success...you appear one level better...or whatever...NT

If so, then I'd condense the chart some first. I mean a person with a 4MA having a heavy accent? Even if you interpret this as some local dialect, it seems to me that a 4 MA would get you a level 4 (fluent, no accent).

I'd also note that this sort of stuff only rarely comes up in play, IME. I mean its interesting in terms of fleshing out the character, but it's more a hassle to use in many cases than it's worth in actual play.

Mike

Some would say that "no accent" is an accent. But, given that the nobility decide what's "right", then we can say that "accent" is difference from their accent.

Works for me. Seems odd, but this could go in TFOB. Wars are fought on foreign soil, often, and battlefiled communications are of paramount importance in warring effectively.

Mike

True.  I was thinking more of "no regional accent for native speakers"  THe kind of homogenized TV dialect that doesn't really represent any particular place.  In my experince, it is a common 'accent' for traveled or educated people, and becomes more common with the TV age.

NT