Speak Language (D&D skill)

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Unofficial rules compendium

Speak Language is an Intelligence-based skill that has some special uses.

Skill rolls are made for this skill when trying to understand or imitate a different dialect and to know things about languages - such as identifying where a particular dialect comes from or to recognize a language you do not speak.

Task	DC
Recognize where a dialect comes from	10
Understand a different dialect	15
Understand a very broken, archaic or isolated dialect	20
Dialect is of your native language	-5
Identify a language you do not know, but which is commonly spoken around you	15
Identify a language you do not know, but have heard	20
Identify an alien language	25

Your skill bonus in Speak Language also determines the number of languages you know in addition to free languages (generally common, plus a racial language for non-humans). A character lacking the Speak Language skill knows a number of languages equal to his Intelligence bonus; each added skill rank adds one additional language.

Languages as defined by this skill is notoriously vague; some are more or less dialects, while others are very distinct and different.