Roleplayer #26, October 1991
The Gift of Tongues
Optional Language Rules for GURPS
by Steffan O'Sullivan
Have you ever had a run-in with an IQ 15 character who has half a point
in four different languages? He speaks German, Arabic, Russian and Chinese
fluently, can mimic regional accents effortlessly, and can fool any KGB
or CIA man he meets -- all for 2 points total! While GURPS
is an excellent system in general, the language rules leave a little
to be desired.
(Editor 's note: Agreed! The language rules are playable, but fail the reality
check when high-IQ characters are involved. However, there's no agreement
yet on the best fix, even as an optional rule. So we're presenting Steffan's
article first. . . and following it with comments and suggestions made by
other GURPS players who have hacked at the language
rules. Game rules don't come out of thin air; sometimes we go back and forth
for years before settling on something, especially when it involved a change
to an existing system. Here's a look at the process. Your own comments will
be welcomed!)
Accent vs. Knowledge
Basically, this proposal divorces accent from general knowledge of a foreign
language. When implementing these rules, leave knowledge of vocabulary,
grammar, syntax, etc., as it is in the Basic
Set. But mastering an accent takes time -- or a native
ability represented more by the Language Talent advantage than by IQ. Therefore,
this proposal does not tie learning an accent to IQ.
To use these rules, simply follow the table Levels of Language Skill
on p. B55. However, ignore all references to accent in that table,
and use the following simple rule instead:
- Any foreign language known at IQ-2 or worse is spoken with a thick accent.
- Any foreign language known at IQ-1 is spoken with a distinct accent.
- Any foreign language known at IQ is spoken with a slight accent.
- Any foreign language known at IQ +1 or higher is spoken with no accent
(except for certain M/VH languages that can never be pronounced properly).
This rule will insure that if a spy wants to fool Saddam Hussein into believing
he's an Arab, he will have spent more than 1/2 point in Arabic!
Note that Language Talent, Eidetic Memory and Linguistics all contribute
to learning an accent.
For those who use the Mimicry: Human Speech skill found in GURPS
Ice Age, add 1/5 of the Mimicry skill (rounded down) to
accent ability -- but not to knowledge of any language.
Mimicking an Accent
This optional rule can be used either with the rules above or with the existing
rules in the Basic
Set. An accent in this case refers to regional accents
as well as generic, undefined foreign accents. These rules might be very
useful in a spy campaign, but not come into much use otherwise.
According to the Basic Set, mimicking a regional
accent is automatic once you have skill level 13, and impossible before
that. This article proposes that a skill roll should usually be required,
at least the first time the character attempts to mimic an accent. There
will be a penalty to the speaker's language skill, as defined below.
If the accent being mimicked is fairly close, regionally, there is a -1
penalty. This might be the case where a Virginian were trying to sound like
a Georgian, for example. Where the accent is further apart -- a New Englander
and a Texan, for example -- there is a -2 or -3 penalty. For foreign accents
of the same language, such as an American trying to sound Australian, there
would be a -3 or -4 penalty. The GM is the final arbiter of the penalty
assessed.
If someone is trying to mimic a regional accent in a language that is not
his native language, use the above rules for those whose skill in the language
is 13 or higher. If the speaker's skill is not that high, there
is an additional penalty: -1 per level below 13. Thus, a character
with a German skill of 10 trying to sound as if he were from Berlin would
roll at -4 -- only on a 6 or less would he deceive any native speaker!
When someone learns a language, he may decide which accent his teacher taught
him. Thus, the character above would only need to roll a 10 to sound like
a Berliner if his teacher were from Berlin -- there is no penalty because
he isn't trying to mimic an accent: he's merely speaking German as he learned
it. In that case, though, he would need to roll a 6 or less to sound Bavarian
(-3 for being 3 levels below 13, and -1 for regional difference). He would
need a critical success to sound like a Swiss national.
If the character is only speaking very simple and short words and
phrases, the GM may allow a bonus to the roll. For example, I once knew
a man from Mexico who only knew one sentence in English ("Take it easy,
boy!") -- but he said it in a perfect West-Texas accent! Had he said
only that one sentence over a phone or through a door, he could have passed
as the head of an oil company with no problems -- even though his skill
in English was probably a 3 in GURPS terms!
This proviso may save a PC's life in a Cliffhangers
or Special
Ops scenario -- or even a fantasy or space campaign on
occasion! The GM should be lenient if the player has a plausible reason
for his character to know a few phrases fluently.
Other Approaches
That ends Steffan's system. Some other optional language rules that
have been suggested:
Everyone learns accents at the same rate.
Compute a character's accent as though he had an IQ of 10, regardless of
his actual IQ. So if Olaf the Slow and Willem the Wise each puts 1 point
into studying, say, Arabic, Willem will learn much more of the language.
. . but Olaf's accent, on those few words he knows, will be just as good.
The Language Talent and Mimicry bonuses would still apply, raising the effective
accent IQ from 10. So if Olaf has Language Talent, he could end up with
a poorer vocabulary, but much better accent, for the same amount of study.
(This is based on several comments on Usenet and the BBS, from campaigns
using more or less the same system.)
Base languages on half of IQ. (Suggested by Erol K. Bayburt
Jr.)
Languages are mental skills based on IQ/2 rather than IQ. (Linguistics,
Language Talent and so on add to this base normally; 1 level of Language
Talent would give a base ((IQ/2)+1.)
The absolute level of someone's skill determines the size of his vocabulary.
The skill level relative to the character's IQ determines accent.
Grammar and syntax depend on both the absolute and relative levels of skill.
At skill 3 or less, one only knows a few basic words.
At skill 4-5, one knows more words and a few simple phrases.
At skill 6-7, one can speak and understand simple sentences, spoken slowly.
At skill 8+, one has a command of the language equivalent to a native speaker
with an IQ equal the character's skill. However, his accent (and to a lesser
extent his grammar and syntax) will still be different from a native
speaker's unless the skill equals or exceeds the character's IQ.
If a character's language skill is less than his IQ, he has an
accent. The strength of the accent depends on how far the skill is below
IQ. 1 point less than IQ would give a slight accent; more would give a stronger
accent.
If a character's skill equals his IQ, he can speak without an accent
(unless he takes the quirk "Speaks with a foreign accent"). He
can also think in the language and pass as a native speaker.
A character with language skill at least equal to IQ (either as a foreign
or a native speaker) may also attempt to use an accent or dialect, rolling
against default accent/dialect skill (parent language -1 to -3)
for each sentence.
If the default skill is at least equal to the character's IQ (due
to the parent language skill being greater than IQ), then the character
can use the accent/dialect without making any skill rolls.
A problem with this rule, pointed out by playtesters on the BBS: high-IQ
characters have a thicker accent and must invest more points in their Language
skill to get rid of it! Example: Arthur has IQ 10, while Bob has
IQ 18; they both have 1 point in Vogelpuk (M/E).
Arthur's skill is 10/2 = 5, giving him a "5" accent.
Bob's skill is 18/2 = 9, making him a better conversationalist, but he has
a "9" accent! So nobody understands him . . .
Make Language Talent more costly or less effective. (Suggested
by Tim Keating)
Most levels with language skills cost 2 points -- the same as a level of
Language Talent. Why pay for +1 to one skill when you can have +1 to all
of them? Make Language Talent a one-time advantage, giving +3 to all language
abilities for 10 points.
Specifically define the Unusual Background required for extra "native"
languages. (Suggested by Tim Keating)
Some individuals are raised to speak more than one language, and have each
of these languages as a "native" language. This is a special case
of Unusual Background. To be Bilingual is an advantage worth 5 points. Each
additional native language costs 3 points. Those who might possess this
advantage include second-generation immigrants, itinerants (such as gypsies)
and people who grew up in a multicultural area.
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