Actually, no. Unless a half-elf explicitly requests (and is approved for) the elven ear, they don't speak it, well or otherwise. The statement in the rules about being able to understand it is due to a hook in the language processing code that translates Elvish for half-elves.
Mechanically, yes. RP-wise, you should ignore it.EDIT: Though following the D&D conventions for a moment, elven mothers are known to "commune" with and speak to their children in utero, which has the result of elven children being well able to understand the language even shortly after birth. This isn't necessarily how we do things, but it's conceivable to have a half-elf character, born of an elven mother, who has some understanding of the language due to something similar.In any case, the matter for half-elves is largely a matter of RP until they actually attain the elven ear. I know at least one half-elven character who ignores elvish spoken in her midst.
Rebuttal: Human mother, elvish father.
Thus the example of someone ignoring Elvish spoken around her.
I'm not arguing policy, it's the mechanics that I find interesting. Why did you add a special coding hook for this one race? I would think that the easier way to do a "understand language only" type PC, from a strictly mechanical point of view, would be to hand out "Ears" with a GM admonition to not speak through it, kind of the way that you can (but are admonished not to) speak words through familiars.That way, you could have, well, theoretically anyone with this kind of thing. I can even imagine as a PC tries to learn a new language, having a listen-only ear would be rather natural.
Certain races and classes receive default language ears on creation. Elves receive an elf ear. Dwarves receive the dwarven ear. Dark elves receive both the elf and dark elf ear. Sea Elves get the elf and underwater ear. Druids and rangers start with the animal ear, while rogues start with the ability to use thieves' cant. Certain clerics may also begin with the animal ear depending on domain. Also, as a special case, the game engine grants half-elves the ability to understand things spoken through the elf ear, even if they don't have one.Depending on your approved biography, these ears may not be appropriate for your character. In this case, you are expected to ask a GM on the GM channel to remove the ear from your inventory. At a certain degree of proficiency, when learning a new language, you may also be given an ear, but told not to speak through it (except, perhaps very simple words and phrases). And rarely, with an extensive approved biography that justifies it, your PC will receive a non-default ear after character creation, but these will never be extremely rare languages such as Draconic, Abyssal, or Infernal. The normal default ears are not considered a bonus language, but still follow the same rules as common. For example, an INT 8 elf understands common and elvish, but speaks both very poorly.
If you don't have the ear, you don't know the language. Period. If however we start allowing those who are mechanically able to understand the language but don't have the biographical justification, long years of study and access to the language, then we cheapen the whole concept. Please do not RP knowing a language without the ear or training.
I know someone on this forum that would be able to comfirm what I am about to say, but it has been a discusion for many years with teachers and also specialist that at comparation of the same age, a child will have a easier time to learn the language of his mother, than the language of the parents that would have adopted him who would not speak the same language. So if this is already a debate in RL, I fail to see how it could not be applied into a fantasy world.
Ears given by mechanics cannot be removed by GMs - they will be reloaded into the character's inventory at subsequent logins.
Certain races and classes receive default language ears on creation. Elves receive an elf ear. Dwarves receive the dwarven ear. Dark elves receive both the elf and dark elf ear. Sea Elves get the elf and underwater ear. Druids and rangers start with the animal ear, while rogues start with the ability to use thieves' cant. Also, as a special case, the game engine grants half-elves the ability to understand things spoken through the elf ear, even if they don't have one.Depending on your approved biography, these default ears may not be appropriate for your character. In this case, you are expected not to use the ear, or read the automatic translation provided by the game engine of words said in the ear's language. You must do this because at present, there is no technical way for GMs to permanently remove a default ear or stop the automatic elvish translation for half-elves.Certain biographies, if approved, may call for non-default ears. For example, certain clerics may also begin with the animal ear, if they take the animal domain. In this case, you must write on the GM channel to get the ear. Note that no biography will ever be approved that allows a PC to start with a rare languages, such as Draconic, Abyssal, or Infernal. These can only be learned in game. Learning a language in game usually requires one to find another PC to teach it to you. Learning languages from NPCs nearly always requires a CDQ, or possibly even an WLDQ, and it is a slow process. Your PC will spend a number of game years without the ear. When you are finally granted one, you are expected to speak only very simple words and phrases, or not at all.Default ears are not considered a bonus language, but still follow the same rules as common. For example, an INT 8 elf understands common and elvish, but speaks both very poorly.
unless there is some new surprise I don't know...
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Topic: Is it allowable to create PCs that use feats not technically allowable by the skin? (Read 2428 times)
