When do you roll on the language skill?

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cbrekkas
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When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by cbrekkas »

When do you roll on the language skill?
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Orin J.
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Re: When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by Orin J. »

explaining a complex concept, conveying your message when there's some kind of interferance (noise you can't just shout over) trying to impress someone with your grasp of the language, that sorta thing.
cbrekkas
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Re: When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by cbrekkas »

Orin J. wrote:explaining a complex concept, conveying your message when there's some kind of interferance (noise you can't just shout over) trying to impress someone with your grasp of the language, that sorta thing.


So do you roll it if you're trying to have a conversation if let's say you have it at like 60%? I'm assuming when it gets to 98% you generally wouldn't have to roll for a normal conversation.
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Orin J.
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Re: When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by Orin J. »

cbrekkas wrote:
Orin J. wrote:explaining a complex concept, conveying your message when there's some kind of interferance (noise you can't just shout over) trying to impress someone with your grasp of the language, that sorta thing.


So do you roll it if you're trying to have a conversation if let's say you have it at like 60%? I'm assuming when it gets to 98% you generally wouldn't have to roll for a normal conversation.


if the GM decides you're in a tricky conversation, then you roll. even fluent seakers can find their words failing them in the face of extremely difficult concepts (or extremely simple listeners ;) )
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Re: When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by The Dark Elf »

Every conversation at the start. I then use the difference between any fail and the skill to denote the jist of what they can pick up (if anything).
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Re: When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by Killer Cyborg »

cbrekkas wrote:When do you roll on the language skill?


Language skills are like any other skills: you only have to make a check when something unusual, tricky, and/or crucial is going on.
You don't make an Auto Pilot skill to start your car, for example, UNLESS you're in a panicked state because that fanged howling thing you glimpsed in the dark of night is probably right on your heels...

Normally if you don't start your car properly, it makes zero difference.
You just turn the key again, and move on with your day. A matter of seconds or even minutes makes no impact on the story of your life.
Skill rolls are for the OTHER times, when the details of how you get the job done or whether you get it done right on the first try, truly matter.

So with language, mostly you don't need to roll.
If somebody has a 50% language skill, most of the time that doesn't make a darned bit of difference other than the character detail of having a thick accent and whatnot.
But when details matter, THEN you roll.
If you're a foreign exchange student trying to talk about a movie you saw, no roll needed. Unimportant conversation that doesn't have an impact.
If you're subbing for a foreign ambassador to a potentially hostile region during difficult trade negotiations?
Get those dice ready, and hope they're on your side!
:ok:
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ShadowLogan
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Re: When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

Killer Cyborg wrote:
cbrekkas wrote:When do you roll on the language skill?


Language skills are like any other skills: you only have to make a check when something unusual, tricky, and/or crucial is going on.
You don't make an Auto Pilot skill to start your car, for example, UNLESS you're in a panicked state because that fanged howling thing you glimpsed in the dark of night is probably right on your heels...

Normally if you don't start your car properly, it makes zero difference.
You just turn the key again, and move on with your day. A matter of seconds or even minutes makes no impact on the story of your life.
Skill rolls are for the OTHER times, when the details of how you get the job done or whether you get it done right on the first try, truly matter.

So with language, mostly you don't need to roll.
If somebody has a 50% language skill, most of the time that doesn't make a darned bit of difference other than the character detail of having a thick accent and whatnot.
But when details matter, THEN you roll.
If you're a foreign exchange student trying to talk about a movie you saw, no roll needed. Unimportant conversation that doesn't have an impact.
If you're subbing for a foreign ambassador to a potentially hostile region during difficult trade negotiations?
Get those dice ready, and hope they're on your side!
:ok:

I agree here, and while it isn't in Rifts (RMB or RUE) or PF2E or HU2E or RT2E or Macross 2 RPG lines (the only main books I could check), when the skill was introduced in RT1E (Bk7 pg14) they do explain WHEN to roll on the skill (the only other difference in terms of tid-bits here is the skill is actually a combination of Lanaguage & Literacy Skills used in the other lines I mentioned).

Robotech (1E) Book 7 New World Order on pg14 "Characters with the language skill can understand, speak, and write in ONE language other than their own native tongue. The character need not make a roll in normal conversation, but may have to roll in special circumstances: e.g., when trying to 'pass' as a native language speaker, when listening to others who are whispering or have strong accents or different dialects, quickly scanning a text, understanding technical instructions, and similar."
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Re: When do you roll on the language skill?

Unread post by Aermas »

Honestly, almost never. Only time I might call gor a roll is if something like the opening of "The Thing" is happening & it's imperative that they need to hear it
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