Languages
8 standard and 8+ exotic languages. Gained from ancestry, background, and feats. Training takes 250 days. Spells provide temporary comprehension.
Characters in the game can speak, read, and write various languages. Language proficiency is gained from ancestry, background, class features, and feats.
Standard Languages
Exotic Languages
| Language | Typical Speakers | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Abyssal | Demons | Infernal |
| Celestial | Celestials | Celestial |
| Draconic | Dragons, dragonborn, kobolds | Draconic |
| Deep Speech | Aberrations | — |
| Infernal | Devils | Infernal |
| Primordial | Elementals | Dwarvish |
| Sylvan | Fey creatures | Elvish |
| Undercommon | Underdark traders | Elvish |
Primordial dialects: Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran are dialects of Primordial. A creature that knows Primordial can communicate with speakers of any dialect.
Druidic and Thieves' Cant
- Druidic: A secret language known only by druids. Cannot be learned through normal means.
- Thieves' Cant: A coded language of signs, symbols, and slang used by criminals. Known by Rogues.
Learning Languages
The Training downtime activity allows learning a new language in 250 days at a cost of 1 gp per day. The Linguist feat grants 3 additional languages. Some backgrounds grant extra languages (Sage, Acolyte, Noble).
Comprehension Spells
Comprehend languages (ritual) lets you understand any spoken or written language for 1 hour. Tongues lets you speak and understand any language for 1 hour. These spells don't teach the language permanently.