Re: [BNW] Languages (was Weak Powers)

["D. Stacy" <dstacy@3wave.com>]

    Having played 7th Sea, and being an avid player of the aforementioned game,
I find the challenge of non-communication to be a pleasant and interesting
experience in RP. Pardon me if you aren't familiar with the game, but when that
Vesten's hand start to crackle with lightning and he's speaking some sort of
crazy dog man language you hop to figuring out how to explain to him that you're
on his side. By doing what you do you eliminate that tension. You're players
would just say, 'Yo, dude, slow your roll we're with you'. Now, if that works
for you and that's what your players and you want, that's great. I prefer to
include that small bit of tension in my campaign. I think its far more
interesting. Besides, not many people are really smart enough or, more
importantly, dedicated enough to learn how to speak the 7 or 8 languages used
throughout the European Theater alone (French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
being the most prominent). True, some folk speak all those languages... however,
I don't know nor have I ever known a single one. Leave alone also speaking
Japanese (there are three varieties I'm aware of, though one is predominant),
Chinese (Lord, there are -hundreds- of Chinese variants and dialects), Thai,
whatever language India uses (Hindu?), Vietnamese, Korean...
    You see my point. I find it unrealistic for everyone to have whatever
language training to get by. I like that tension in my games and I shan't be
swayed otherwise. If, however, you don't, then that's fine too.