2nd edition seems to have hundreds of languages but also seems to gloss over some creatures in that regards.
Do elementals have their own official tongue? If not - what language do they speak. It makes no sense that they would speak Common.
Also - do you all use the countless languages or do you simplify it down a bit. For example - dragons have a language for good, evil and neutral dragons and then a specific language (eg: red dragon, brown dragon, faerie dragon et cetera). I'm tempted just to have a single dragon tongue and have each colour have a racial dialect/patois that speakers of the general tongue might understand parts of.
Personally, I hated the concept of alignment languages and NEVER used them. Thieves' and Druid cant, OK. That makes sense to me, but a language of Chaotic Evil, or Lawful Good...nonsense! I agree that elementals should NOT speak Common. Where would they learn if, first of all? On their native planes of existence. Balderdash! Now I am starting to rant...sorry.
I allow species specific languages, as these make sense. Red dragons could have their own unique tongue, perhaps with some 'draconic' commonalities with brass dragons, but I'd say that's about it. Unless you really want to simplify it and say that ALL dragons speak the same tongue. Your game, your call.
I've actually shifted to Draconic as a language, but ONLY for dragons. Kobolds and such don't use it! Basically, I wanted to streamline some of the languages, making them make more sense. I've never actually written down all the languages; I just handle it as I go.
Elementals have their own languages in 3e/Pathfinder that are shared by some none-elemental creatures that are native to those environments. You may choose to adopt this system for your own 2e game, if it seems good to you.
Fire: Ignan
Water: Aquan
Air: Auran
Earth: Terran
Draconic is spoken by all dragons, kobolds, lizardfolk, etc. However, I like the idea of giving each species (even draconic subspecies) their own dialect.
Infernal and Abyssal are spoken by devils (Baatezu) and demons (Tanari), respectively while all heavenly celestials speak Celestial in common.
This system does simplify things a bit and makes good sense.
Thanks for the feedback everyone and good call on the Dragon articles BlueWitch - I completely forgot to check that source. I love some of the old 1st edition articles in that magazine.
I came across an interesting reference in the 2nd ed Monstrous Manual under the description of the Dao in the Genie section. They are said to speak the "tongue of earth elementals". Shame the elemental section doesn't elaborate but I think it makes sense to adopt the 3rd edition stance of four elemental languages. In fact, in a way it makes sense for each plane to have its own version of Common.
I've finally found a possible use for the maligned alignment languages (which I've never used). Maybe they make sense as a type of Common-tongue for the plane they correspond to? The NG alignment language could be known as Elysian and speakers would have a very good chance of understanding alignment languages of the planes ethically located either side? Clerics of NG deities might write their scrolls in Elysian or speak phrases of the language in their spellcasting.
With regards to the individual dragon tongues it would imply that dragons of the same colour spent enough time in each other's company as a culture to develop their own language between them. I've always thought of them as quite solitary although maybe the language could stem from a period in the past where each dragon type had its own nation or something. I could see seperate dialects cropping up with faerie dragons and dragon turtles who seem distant from other dragons though.
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