Languages
The following is an attempt to simultaneously limit the languages a character can be proficient with while increasing the importance of the languages they know.
The Language Limit
You have a Language Limit equal to 1 plus your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 0). When you create your character, you can speak common, one language associated with your race or background, and a number of additional languages that your racial traits or background features give you access to up to your Language Limit. You cannot read or write a language until you become proficient with it. When you create your character, you can become proficient with a number of languages you know how to speak up to your Language Limit.
Known Languages
| Language Limit | Max Spoken Languages | Max Language Proficiencies |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | 7 | 5 |
| 6 | 8 | 6 |
Codes and Cyphers
Some features allow your character to communicate using secret codes and cyphers; such as Thieves' Cant. These are not classed as languages and do not count towards your Language Limit.
Racial Trait: Extra Language
This language does not count against your Language Limit and you are proficient with it. You can instead choose to become proficient with any other language you can already speak. If you do so, you can learn to speak another language of your choice.
Feat: Linguist
You are proficient with the 3 languages granted to you by this feat and they do not count against your Language Limit.
Regional Languages
When creating a character from a different region where Common might not be the prevalent language, you can replace Common with the regional language. For example, a character from the Underdark might start with the ability to speak Undercommon instead of Common.
Learning New Languages
You can spend your downtime learning additional languages as allowed by your Language Limit. As a secondary activity during a long rest, you can study a language in an attempt to speak it or become proficient with it. You do not first need to be able to speak a language in order to become proficient with it.
Generally, it requires 8 weeks to learn to speak a language and 16 weeks in order to become proficient, however the training time can be modulated by several factors:
- Already spoken. If you can already speak a language, the time it takes to become proficient is reduced by 8 weeks.
- Language Rarity. If you're studying an Exotic Language, the time it takes to learn to speak or become proficient is increased by 8 weeks.
- Resource Availability. If you study in a place that has ample access to learning materials; instructors, books, or groups of people to interact with; each week of downtime you spend studying counts as two weeks when working towards the total number of weeks you need to study in order to learn to speak a language or to become proficient with it.
Examples of Learning New Languages
Tarkus is a wizard with a Language Limit of 5. He's proficient with Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, and Draconic. In preparation for a new course of investigation, he decides he needs to become proficient in Deep Speech. Deep Speech is an Exotic Language and he only has access to esoteric tomes and grimoires that he can use for reference. It will take Tarkus a total of 24 weeks to become proficient with Deep Speech
Sam is a fighter who recently increased her Language limit from 0 to 1. She is able to speak Common and Halfling. She established a small smithy and needs to be able to write ledgers so she decided to become proficient with Common. She can already speak Common and she has access to the library in the largest city of her home country. It will take Sam 4 weeks to become proficient with Common.
Finn is a traveling bard with a language limit of 1. He can speak Common and is proficient with Dwarvish. He is determined his next work must be as the voice of the gods so he needs to be able to speak Celestial. Celestial is an Exotic Language and he will only be able to spend the next 4 weeks near the metropolitan cathedral before he must travel on. It will take Finn 12 weeks to learn to speak Celestial.
Credit to /u/giffyglyph for the foundation of this in their masterwork, Giffyglyph's Darker Dungeons.