Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 09:46:58 GMT Server: NCSA/1.5.2 Last-modified: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 12:41:42 GMT Content-type: text/html Content-length: 18913
A word innocently uttered in a tavern conversation triggers a major
brawl...
a merchant suddenly becomes insulted and cancels a profitable trading
deal...
a squad of soldiers fails to open fire at a critical moment and a battle is
lost.
These and other disasters can result from misunderstandings caused by dialect and language differences as adventurers journey from world to world and interact with the local populations.
Galanglic, a dialect of Anglic, is the official language of the Imperium. This tongue, which corresponds in many ways to today's general American dialect, is usually widely spoken as a first language only by the general population of major worlds on communications and trade routes.
On other worlds, Galanglic will be spoken to a lesser degree by the local population as a second language. Their first language will either be a different anglic dialect or a totally foreign language. In any case, the more isolated a given world is from trade and communications routes, the more difficult it will be for a visiting adventurer to understand the planet's dominant language. Likewise, the locals will have greater difficulty understanding the adventurers - compounded by the provincial suspicion some isolated societies have for outsiders.
Balkanized worlds may have more than one language spoken among their countries, depending on the world's cultural history. These can be generated by dice throws (see "exceptions" section on balkanized worlds, below), or imposed by the referee.
Note here that we are referring to the general population of a world; the people who live in the hinterland away from the starport. Government officials, starport workers, and merchants in the major population center around the starport will have a working knowledge of Galanglic, and a party of adventurers should have little language trouble.
If, however, your characters trek across country to purchase a shipment of rare herbs from a village merchant on a backwater agricultural planet, a lack of knowledge of the local language could definitely be a problem.
The effects of language in Traveller will show up in modifications to the NPC encounter reaction throw as discussed in Traveller Book 3.
Characters will receive a "fluency bonus" of a +1 die roll modification to the NPC encounter reaction throw if this encounter occurs on their homeworld, in their home nation.
This bonus is lost when characters leave home, and can only be regained for another world or nation if they take language lessons and become fluent in another world's tongue. (See below.) On other worlds, characters can suffer a language ignorance penalty of from O to -3 on the encounter die roll. This penalty is greatly influenced by the tech level of the world, whether it is located on an x-boat route, and the class of the world's starport.
The tech level is an important factor because it reflects the communications and transportation technology available to the local population. The more sophisticated communications systems available on the world, the more easily a widely understood dialect spoken by the interstellar community can be disseminated among and understood by the general population.
A high level of trade and communication between worlds will help prevent the deterioration of the general interstellar dialect spoken on these worlds into more localized and difficult to understand dialects or separate languages.
Starport class designations reflect the frequency of ship traffic carrying cargo, passengers, and information. The more traffic, the greater the need for the world to speak the common interstellar language, and the less trouble adventurers will have communicating with the local population. Worlds located on x boat routes will have more frequent communications with the interstellar community, which will enhance the use and maintenance of Galanglic on these worlds.
Therefore, when your characters venture to new worlds, check the language matrix included with this article. Cross reference the world's tech level with its starport classification. The result will be either a zero or the language penalty die roll modifier for any encounter throws on that world. If the world is on an x-boat route, add a +1 modifier. However, unless the characters are fluent in the worlds languages or on their home world, the modifier cannot be greater than zero.
Modifiers range from -1 to -3. The first would represent a difference in dialect roughly analogous to the difference between American English and British English. A DM -2 represents a more radical dialect difference. Imagine a Texan speaking with a Liverpudlian, or a Georgia hillbilly speaking with a native of India and you'll get the idea. The -3 represents virtually a different language, akin to the difference between Spanish and Italian.
Even a DM -1 can cause misunderstandings. If an Australian were to call a Texan a "dinkum cobber", for instance, the reaction might be violent.
Aliens represent a special case. Within the Imperium, most aliens working and living in a metropolitan center would have a working knowledge of Galanglic. However, on alien dominated worlds, such as one of the Imperium's Aslan dominated worlds, the language DM would be an automatic -3. This automatic -3 DM applies to all aliens outside the Imperium, including Zhodani.
Mercenary or naval oriented adventurers will also find language differences affecting them.
Mercenary characters cannot apply their leadership skill level bonus to morale saving throws if commanding troops or advising a troop commander (possibly through an interpreter) that speaks a different dialect or language. Characters with tactics skill will also lose their bonus on rolls for surprise as described in Book 1 if commanding or advising a unit speaking a different language.
Orders may be misunderstood or not carried out in a Striker miniatures scenario. If a character is commanding or advising a unit that is not from his homeworld, he will be able to lead nor- mally (as explained in the Striker rules). However, when he gives orders, he must roll 7+ on two dice for them to be understood and executed. The language DM that applies to the troops native world should be subtracted from this throw. If the commander fails the understanding throw, the troops must make a morale check as in the Striker rules. If they pass the morale check, they will hold their position and behave as low initiative troops regardless of their previous initiative rating until another attempt is made to either issue orders or lead them.
When playing naval campaigns using Book 5, High Guard characters who are naval commanders or ship captains lose their fleet or ship tactic skill levels if they are commanding a fleet or ship with a foreign-speaking crew. The language DM for the crew's native world should be subtracted from the "to hit" rolls made on gunnery tables to reflect the disruption in the chain of command caused by language problems.
On the plus side, merchant characters who have acquired skill in a world's foreign language earn a +1 DM when rolling for resale on the speculation table in Book 2.
There are several exceptions to the general language penalty DM requirement:
Starports: Because people working at starports have so much contact with off-worlders, most of them are fluent in Galanglic. Therefore, characters should disregard the language penalty DM for that world during an encounter inside a starport perimeter.
Merchant Characters: Characters who have served in the Merchant service for more than three terms gain a special +1 DM because of the familiarity they have gained with the languages and cultures of worlds where they frequently trade. This special merchant bonus is lost if the merchant character travels to a world outside his or her home subsector.
Balkanized Worlds: Because several different cultures may have evolved on balkanized worlds, or because different areas of balkanized worlds may have been settled by peoples of different ethnic backgrounds, several languages may be spoken on a balkanized world. The effects of this can be resolved either directly by the referee through his or her knowledge of the planet's history or political situation, or by rolling 1D-3 for each nation entered on a balkanized world, other than the nation where the starport is located. The "starport nation" will have the DM indicated on the language matrix.
Certain skills give characters an advantage when dealing with people who speak a foreign language. These include:
Liaison, which reflects prior language training.
Streetwise, a skill that includes the ability to quickly pick up a rudimentary knowledge of the local language and imitate the local accent so as to more easily get along and blend in with the native population.
Broker, (as described in the trade and commerce section of Book 2) applied to rolls on the purchase and resale price table. This skill is also available as part of the enhanced character generation system described in the Merchant Prince special supplement published in issue 12 of the Journal.
Trader, also as described in Merchant Prince.
In addition to any other previously described effect credited to the above skills, characters may subtract their Liaison, Streetwise, Broker, or Trader skill levels from the language penalty DM. (A -3 DM would become -1 if the character had Streetwise-2.)
Since learning a new language is a time consuming and expensive process, characters would probably undertake this for the few worlds they would need to visit frequently that have a -3 language DM and rely on interpreters or translators for other -3 worlds.
Languages must be acquired through study with a living or electronic tutor. This learning can be speeded up if the character totally immerses him or herself in the foreign culture and speaks only the new language.
Characters studying a language with a tutor for one hour a day plus reviewing and practicing alone for an additional hour each day will gain a rudimentary knowledge of a given language in six weeks and a working knowledge of a given language in six months. A rudimentary knowledge allows them to add a +1 DM to encounter rolls made on the specific planet where the language is spoken, while a working knowledge allows them to add a +2 DM.
Characters who study a language as outlined above for a year will become fluent on a roll of 6+ on 2D. Those who live in the society as well as study the language become automatically fluent within a year and acquire a working knowledge within three months because of their need to constantly use the language. Note, however, this cultural immersion is not enough to learn a new language; a teacher is also necessary.
Characters with an intelligence rating of 9+ can reduce the above language acquisition times by 25%.
Fluency eliminates all language barrier penalties and restores the "fluency bonus" on reaction throws.
Teachers: Language teachers are generally available for hire in or near major cities on worlds with a population factor of 5 or higher. Private tutoring is typically available for Cr20 an hour. Long term contracts or a class fee for a group of adventurers can be negotiated.
Language teaching computer programs for ship's computers using one point of CPU capacity are available at class A and B starports for worlds in the same subsector, and cost Cr100,000 These programs enable characters to use their ship's computer in place of a live teacher for their daily lessons. Single language programs are available on worlds with a tech level from 8 through 11. Multiple language programs capable of teaching up to six languages (priced at Cr75,000 per language) are available on worlds of TL12+.
Computers must be equipped with speech synthesis and voice recognition modules (TL9+ ) costing Cr50,000 before they can run language lesson programs.
Translators: Characters who do not have time to learn languages for visits to distant worlds may decide to employ translators instead. Humans or aliens capable of translating the local planet's language and vice-versa fast enough so characters can hold a conversation with local inhabitants can be hired for Cr150 an hour. Translators who handle only written material can be hired for one third as much.
Language translation computer programs capable of handling written documents are available beginning with TL10. These cost Cr100,000 and take up one point of CPU capacity.
More complex translation programs capable of simultaneous translations between the character's language and one other are available at TL12. These take up two points of CPU capacity and cost Cr300,000. Computers running these programs must operate speech synthesis and voice recognition modules as described above, as well as have a communicator radio link if the translation is to take place at a remote location.
Multiple language programs are available at TL14, use one point of CPU capacity plus one for each language translated, and cost Cr500,000 plus Cr100,000 for each language.
Complete self-contained language translators are available at TL15 and cost Cr200,000. They weigh 1 kg and are worn as a belt or chest pack. Language memory chips are available separately for Cr1,000.
Self-contained translators are battery- powered and can run up to twelve continuous hours on one charge. The user wears a lightweight combination microphone/earphone headset, while a speaker and microphone in the translator pack transmits or receives in the native's language.
Characters expecting to deal with Hivers will have to acquire a special self-contained translator capable of converting human language to the Hiver's gesture "speech" and displaying these symbols on a self-contained screen.
Unless the Hiver has its own voder unit, the symbol translator will only enable the user to have a one-way conversation. Hiver symbol translators are available only on TL15 worlds, and cost Cr50,000.
As mentioned earlier, Galanglic is the official language of the Third Imperium. It is a dialect of Anglic, a language that is descended from and pronounced quite a bit like Terran English, which had been the language of the Terran Confederation. Although English is the basis for Anglic, this language has absorbed words from French, German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, and Vilani. The various dialects of Anglic were spread through Imperial space during the Rule of Man, and Galanglic was developed as an easily pronounced, easily understood general dialect.
Members of the Imperial armed forces are required to speak Galanglic in addition to their native dialect or language.
Galanglic is also the official language of the Solomani Confederation, and variants can be found spoken on worlds of the Darrian Confederation and among the Sword Worlds.
Other Terran descended languages are prominent on many Solomani settled worlds, particularly in the Solomani Rim sector and in the Solomani Confederation. These include Hispanic, Germanic, Slavic, Hindi, Hamitic, and Sino-tibetan languages, in addition to various other tongues carried to the stars by the great waves of emigration from Earth during the Rule of Man. During these emigrations, many peoples left Earth in order to preserve their native cultures, and transplanted their culture and language intact to a new world where it has been preserved to this day. These are referred to as "pure ethnic" worlds, and have an automatic DM-3.
The dominant language on a given world can often be told from the world's name. As examples, Jarslav in the Albadawi subsector of the Solomani Rim is a slavic speaking world, while Kukulkan's inhabitants speak a variant of a Hispanic language. Examples of pure ethnic worlds include Vyborg, where Finnish is spoken; Oudh, inhabited by Arabic speakers; Thorwald, inhabited by German speakers; Basse Terre, inhabited by French speakers; and Zhongguo, which was originally settled by Mandarin Chinese speakers.
There is another major language spoken in Imperial space that has roots older than the various forms of Anglic. This language is Vilani (the official language of the First Imperium), spoken as a first language on Vilani settled worlds.
A general dialect known as High Vilani is spoken in addition to Galanglic by merchants and business people on most planets which were a part of the Vilani Imperium. Local Vilani-based dialects have developed on some of these worlds since they were settled during the first Imperium, and are used by the inhabitants as their everyday tongue. They bear roughly the same relationship to High Vilani as Spanish or French do to latin.
There are many ways language differences can be used to spice up an adventure. These differences can be a fine vehicle to inject uncertainty and confusion when a campaign has been running too smoothly. Conversely, characters who take the time and meet the expense of learning foreign dialects and languages can be richly rewarded through successful trade deals or by accomplishing diplomatic, political, or military missions where other less skilled individuals have failed.
Starport type
Tech Level: A B C D E X
F O O -1 - - -
E 0 -1 -1 -1 -2 -
D -1 -1 -1 -2 -2 -
C -1 -1 -2 -2 -2 -
B -1 -2 -2 -2 -3 -
A -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3
9 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3 -3
8 -2 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3
7 -2 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3
6 - -3 -3 -3 -3 -3
5 - -3 -3 -3 -3 -3
4 - - -3 -3 -3 -3
3 - - -3 -3 -3 -3
2 - - - -3 -3 -3
1 - - - -3 -3 -3
0 - - - - -3 -3
Note: If world on an x-boat route, DM +1.
Terry Mclnnes