Druidic Language

[Trollfiend]

This discussion reached a dead end on the Guardians forum so I decided to bring it here.

What's the take on the Druidic language?

I know that this server decided a long time ago to change the "animal" language widget to the Drudic secret language and I was very glad when they did. But then, anyone who used the druid language was quickly pounced upon by players and DM's alike. I was hoping this was a phase, but it still pops up occasionally as an issue. Druids aren't allowed to use this language unless they first isolate themselves away from the entire server's population. The reason for it never made any sense. The assumption is that a mage could cast Legend Lore and learn the entire language if a druid spoke it in front of him and druids won't risk it being known by non-druids... That's.... not possible... If it were, my wizard would have become fluent in every single language used on FRC, but strangely enough, no DM has or ever will allow any wizard to learn any language in this manner and source material doesn't even come close to providing a means for the learning of languages through spell casting.

By the way, I'm not making this up This was actually the reason passed down to us by many a DM over the years. And to be fair, I'm only bringing it up now so that my reasoning for this thread can be understood. I am not accusing or berating anyone- this is only here for informational purposes. That's all.

There's almost no mention of the druidic language in 3.x and this is highly disheartening. Wizards of the Coast really did their best to strip out a lot of lore they themselves considered to be useless information and made the game more about numbers. There is one thing of note here, however, and that's the mention of the druidic language having its own alphabet... This is strange because up until 3rd edition, it was clearly stated that the Secret Language of the Druids had no written form.

In second edition, however, there is a lot of information about it. It states that the language is so secret that it is used both to pass along secret information from one druid to another while in the company of non-druids and to positively identify who is and who is not a fellow druid (because if you're lying about being a druid, you won't know the language). As stated above, the language was said to be spoken only- no written form. This information can be found in the 2nd Edition Complete Druid's Handbook and it even contains a guide to the language's vocabulary! It's an interesting read.

Anyway, one thing that they agree on is that if any druid ever teaches this language to a non-druid, they completely lose all of their druidic powers and become ex-druids. No exceptions.

So...

To the heart of my purpose for creating this thread... Can druids in FRC use the druidic language to speak to each other while in the company of non-druids and to positively identify who is and who is not a true druid?

Or will the language forever be a taboo subject? I mean, we already have red wizards doing the very same thing with their language that us druids want to do with ours. Granted, their language is by far less secret than Druidic, but the principle remains unchanged.

what does everyone else think?

[Lady Frost]

My OPINION is that with such a strict rule on no teaching, and the nature of it being secret, it wouldn't be used for a 20 minute conversation in the open. I imagine it used for a sentence or two at normal volumes and maybe a short conversation at whisper volumes. Maybe yelling a warning or securing directions secretly from a distance, or discussing something a bit more in depth near each other.

I think there needs to be a balance though. If you require druids to only speak it in secret then what's the point of having it? It's a game and allowing it some use would make sense, but I still think the druids should keep it moderated to help portray the secrecy surrounding it.

[Afterimage]

I could listen to people speak in a foreign language all day, every day and I doubt I'd pick it up just by listening with no reference. I see no issue with druids speaking it to one another around others. As Lady Frost pointed out, what's the point of having it if you can't use it?

[mandene]

Dec 28, 2013 21:23:04 GMT -5 Afterimage said:

I could listen to people speak in a foreign language all day, every day and I doubt I'd pick it up just by listening with no reference. I see no issue with druids speaking it to one another around others. As Lady Frost pointed out, what's the point of having it if you can't use it?

A friend's wife is from abroad. She never tought her husbend her language, but he's started to pick up and understand what her family and friends are talking about. He can't speak back to them and doesn't understand 100%, but he understands from at least the topic of what's being spoken of, to at least some details of what people are saying.

[mandene]

Dec 29, 2013 4:22:10 GMT -5 mandene said:

Dec 28, 2013 21:23:04 GMT -5 Afterimage said:

I could listen to people speak in a foreign language all day, every day and I doubt I'd pick it up just by listening with no reference. I see no issue with druids speaking it to one another around others. As Lady Frost pointed out, what's the point of having it if you can't use it?

A friend's wife is from abroad. She never tought her husbend her language, but he's started to pick up and understand what her family and friends are talking about. He can't speak back to them and doesn't understand 100%, but he understands from at least the topic of what's being spoken of, to at least some details of what people are saying.

By the way, I'm in agreement that the language should be allowed to be used, otherwise the language token is rendered useless. In game, none of us will learn or understand the language anyway....

Most of the elfies often switch to not using the elven token when outside of possible earshot of those who don't speak elven - just because it's easier that way. We pretend we still speak elven and not Common.

[Fenix]

Dec 29, 2013 4:38:29 GMT -5 mandene said:

Dec 29, 2013 4:22:10 GMT -5 mandene said:

A friend's wife is from abroad. She never tought her husbend her language, but he's started to pick up and understand what her family and friends are talking about. He can't speak back to them and doesn't understand 100%, but he understands from at least the topic of what's being spoken of, to at least some details of what people are saying.

By the way, I'm in agreement that the language should be allowed to be used, otherwise the language token is rendered useless. In game, none of us will learn or understand the language anyway....

Most of the elfies often switch to not using the elven token when outside of possible earshot of those who don't speak elven - just because it's easier that way. We pretend we still speak elven and not Common.

I think the only time I ever used Druidic was to talk to Cassily, in private none the less, and to talk to a treant during an event. Outside of these cases, I never have had the opportunity. Speaking it in town, even a couple words, gets you a ton of flak from players instantly. Why have the language if its not meant to be spoken around people? Yes, a language can be learned from being around it, but that is being around a CONSTANT speech, for YEARS. When I was working at a restuaraunt, a few of the mexican guys in the kitchen would speak spanish, and it took me the better part of two years before I actually started picking up even the slightest hint of what they were saying, and that was with them teaching me a few words here and there and trying to help me. Even then, I couldnt tell you what they're talking about and what to respond with.

Druidic is a secrative language of druids. That means its meant to speak secrets or quiet conversation to other druids, not that its so secret nobody should ever know about, hear about, hear it itself, or speak it whatsoever. If we have to go into private, then theres no point using druidic. it would literally make more sense and be less difficult to just say what you must in common. Besides, for a secret language of druids, it seems damn near everyone knows about it anyway.

[Dobian]

I have only used druidic when talking in private with a few other druids for the most part, like Cassily and Simi. I may have spoken it in public a few times, but mainly it's in private. I've been fine with that.