Language Skill
When the Torg game first came out, it was suggested that the Language skill represented facility
with all non-native tongues. This seemed too simple. Then, later, WEG took the position that
each character needed the language skill for each separate language he/she/it knew. A better
rule, but by then we had worked out a comprimise that we use to this day.
The PER based skill 'Language' represents facility with learning languages, but each character
is rated on the Minimal/Average/Good/Superior/Spectacular sucess scale for each language
he/she/it knows, including the mother tongue. A character might have a high language skill but
not know much of anything about the practical use of other languages -- such a person might have
formal skills in linguistics dealing with how sounds are formed, how words are formed to convey
meaning and operant syntax, etc. On the other hand, a person might know several languages and
learn yet another through exposure and dint of hard work despite having no skill at Language.
In use, after a character is exposed to a new language for a period of time and is making an
attempt to pick it up, the GM should allow the character to make a Language total against a
difficulty number set by the GM to increase his/her/its proficiency by one level. A character
will generally have Superior or Spectacular in his/her/its native tongue, depending on education
and exposure to dialect.
Example:
A Core Earth character journeys to the Nile Empire and after a week of living in a dive,
fighting shocktroopers, and dickering at market plaza, attempts to make a Language total to
learn Terran Arabic at the minimal level.
The base difficulty of learning an out of cosm language is given at 18, but the character
already knows (Core Earth) Arabic at a Good level. The GM decides to cut the character some
slack and reduce the difficulty to 15. Given another month, the difficulty might go down to 13.
On the other hand, above mentioned character, five minutes off the airplane to Cairo, attempts
to puzzle out a captured memo written in Terran Arabic. GM assigns a difficulty number of 21 to
get the meaning, because the amount of material from which to work is small, and the character
has only his Core Earth Arabic to fall back upon.
Example:
A Cyberpapal character, versed in Magna Veritan French (Spectacular) and Latin (Good), travels
to Core Earth France. After a month, the character makes a Language total towards learning Core
Earth French. The GM sets the difficulty number at 12, given that both versions of French are
Romance languages, and that the character has a Spectacular in Magna Veritan French, which means
he/she/it is probably quite adept at puzzling out dialect. The character rolls well and
generates a language total of 20. The GM, feeling generous, assigns the character an Adequate
in Core Earth French.
