Speak Language (D&D skill)
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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 pigeon or an archaic or isolated dialect | 20 |
| Dialect is of your native language | -5 |
| Identify a language you do not know, but have heard a lot | 15 |
| Identify a language you do not know, but have heard a few times | 20 |
| Identify an alien language | 25 |
| Convey basic topics without a common language | 20 |
| Distracted (does not spend a full-round action communicating) | +5 |
Failure by less than 5 means you have a general idea of what type of language it is; you might mistake one human language for another, but never for draconic. Failure by more than five means you have no idea.
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. So does other feats that grant skill bonuses, such as Skill Focus (Speak Languages).
Languages as defined by this skill is notoriously vague; some are more or less dialects, while others are very distinct and different.
Action: Speaking a few words is a free action; generally a number of words equal to your skill bonus. Trying to convey complex meaning or to understand or identify spoken speech is a full-round action, but can be performed as a free action at a penalty. Complex conversations might take much longer.
Notes: Mimicking speech, dialects, or or going through the motions of speaking a language you do not actually know are covered by the Bluff skill.