Do characters know how to read/write languages or just speak them?





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I noticed that the rules for language selection state




Your race indicates the languages your character can speak by default, and your background might give you access to one or more additional languages of your choice.




But a Druid's Druidic class feature says




You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages.




And Speech of the woods:




At 2nd level, you learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan.




It seems there's no evidence that a character is literate in the languages they know (except for class granted ones that explicitly state this is so). Am I missing something? Being too pedantic?






dnd-5e languages







share|improve this question









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    8












    $begingroup$


    I noticed that the rules for language selection state




    Your race indicates the languages your character can speak by default, and your background might give you access to one or more additional languages of your choice.




    But a Druid's Druidic class feature says




    You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages.




    And Speech of the woods:




    At 2nd level, you learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan.




    It seems there's no evidence that a character is literate in the languages they know (except for class granted ones that explicitly state this is so). Am I missing something? Being too pedantic?






    dnd-5e languages







    share|improve this question









    $endgroup$















      8












      8








      8





      $begingroup$


      I noticed that the rules for language selection state




      Your race indicates the languages your character can speak by default, and your background might give you access to one or more additional languages of your choice.




      But a Druid's Druidic class feature says




      You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages.




      And Speech of the woods:




      At 2nd level, you learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan.




      It seems there's no evidence that a character is literate in the languages they know (except for class granted ones that explicitly state this is so). Am I missing something? Being too pedantic?






      dnd-5e languages







      share|improve this question









      $endgroup$




      I noticed that the rules for language selection state




      Your race indicates the languages your character can speak by default, and your background might give you access to one or more additional languages of your choice.




      But a Druid's Druidic class feature says




      You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages.




      And Speech of the woods:




      At 2nd level, you learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan.




      It seems there's no evidence that a character is literate in the languages they know (except for class granted ones that explicitly state this is so). Am I missing something? Being too pedantic?






      dnd-5e languages




      dnd-5e languages






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked yesterday









      RykaraRykara

      5,5081544




      5,5081544






















          1 Answer
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          14












          $begingroup$

          Yes, you can write the languages you can speak



          On page 17 of the PHB, the "Languages" section states (emphasis mine):




          Languages



          By virtue of your race, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages. Chapter 4 lists the most common languages of the D&D multiverse.




          So by RAW you can read and write any language you know.






          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            This is what happens when someone texts me a rule from somewhere in the internet and I don't double check the physical book >.>
            $endgroup$
            – Rykara
            23 hours ago






          • 5




            $begingroup$
            @Rykara The text you quote is from page 123 of PHB, the person who texted you isn't wrong. It just appears in multiple places.
            $endgroup$
            – linksassin
            23 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            Deep Speech doesn't have a script and cannot be written.
            $endgroup$
            – goodguy5
            9 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            In addition to Deep Speech (which, according to the FR wiki, had no native script but was occasionally transcribed by the drow in Espruar (Elvish)), the GGTR Languages table (p. 9) lists the Sphinx language with no written script.
            $endgroup$
            – V2Blast
            8 hours ago












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          14












          $begingroup$

          Yes, you can write the languages you can speak



          On page 17 of the PHB, the "Languages" section states (emphasis mine):




          Languages



          By virtue of your race, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages. Chapter 4 lists the most common languages of the D&D multiverse.




          So by RAW you can read and write any language you know.






          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            This is what happens when someone texts me a rule from somewhere in the internet and I don't double check the physical book >.>
            $endgroup$
            – Rykara
            23 hours ago






          • 5




            $begingroup$
            @Rykara The text you quote is from page 123 of PHB, the person who texted you isn't wrong. It just appears in multiple places.
            $endgroup$
            – linksassin
            23 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            Deep Speech doesn't have a script and cannot be written.
            $endgroup$
            – goodguy5
            9 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            In addition to Deep Speech (which, according to the FR wiki, had no native script but was occasionally transcribed by the drow in Espruar (Elvish)), the GGTR Languages table (p. 9) lists the Sphinx language with no written script.
            $endgroup$
            – V2Blast
            8 hours ago
















          14












          $begingroup$

          Yes, you can write the languages you can speak



          On page 17 of the PHB, the "Languages" section states (emphasis mine):




          Languages



          By virtue of your race, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages. Chapter 4 lists the most common languages of the D&D multiverse.




          So by RAW you can read and write any language you know.






          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            This is what happens when someone texts me a rule from somewhere in the internet and I don't double check the physical book >.>
            $endgroup$
            – Rykara
            23 hours ago






          • 5




            $begingroup$
            @Rykara The text you quote is from page 123 of PHB, the person who texted you isn't wrong. It just appears in multiple places.
            $endgroup$
            – linksassin
            23 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            Deep Speech doesn't have a script and cannot be written.
            $endgroup$
            – goodguy5
            9 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            In addition to Deep Speech (which, according to the FR wiki, had no native script but was occasionally transcribed by the drow in Espruar (Elvish)), the GGTR Languages table (p. 9) lists the Sphinx language with no written script.
            $endgroup$
            – V2Blast
            8 hours ago














          14












          14








          14





          $begingroup$

          Yes, you can write the languages you can speak



          On page 17 of the PHB, the "Languages" section states (emphasis mine):




          Languages



          By virtue of your race, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages. Chapter 4 lists the most common languages of the D&D multiverse.




          So by RAW you can read and write any language you know.






          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$



          Yes, you can write the languages you can speak



          On page 17 of the PHB, the "Languages" section states (emphasis mine):




          Languages



          By virtue of your race, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages. Chapter 4 lists the most common languages of the D&D multiverse.




          So by RAW you can read and write any language you know.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 23 hours ago









          V2Blast

          26.3k591161




          26.3k591161










          answered 23 hours ago









          linksassinlinksassin

          10.2k13475




          10.2k13475












          • $begingroup$
            This is what happens when someone texts me a rule from somewhere in the internet and I don't double check the physical book >.>
            $endgroup$
            – Rykara
            23 hours ago






          • 5




            $begingroup$
            @Rykara The text you quote is from page 123 of PHB, the person who texted you isn't wrong. It just appears in multiple places.
            $endgroup$
            – linksassin
            23 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            Deep Speech doesn't have a script and cannot be written.
            $endgroup$
            – goodguy5
            9 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            In addition to Deep Speech (which, according to the FR wiki, had no native script but was occasionally transcribed by the drow in Espruar (Elvish)), the GGTR Languages table (p. 9) lists the Sphinx language with no written script.
            $endgroup$
            – V2Blast
            8 hours ago


















          • $begingroup$
            This is what happens when someone texts me a rule from somewhere in the internet and I don't double check the physical book >.>
            $endgroup$
            – Rykara
            23 hours ago






          • 5




            $begingroup$
            @Rykara The text you quote is from page 123 of PHB, the person who texted you isn't wrong. It just appears in multiple places.
            $endgroup$
            – linksassin
            23 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            Deep Speech doesn't have a script and cannot be written.
            $endgroup$
            – goodguy5
            9 hours ago










          • $begingroup$
            In addition to Deep Speech (which, according to the FR wiki, had no native script but was occasionally transcribed by the drow in Espruar (Elvish)), the GGTR Languages table (p. 9) lists the Sphinx language with no written script.
            $endgroup$
            – V2Blast
            8 hours ago
















          $begingroup$
          This is what happens when someone texts me a rule from somewhere in the internet and I don't double check the physical book >.>
          $endgroup$
          – Rykara
          23 hours ago




          $begingroup$
          This is what happens when someone texts me a rule from somewhere in the internet and I don't double check the physical book >.>
          $endgroup$
          – Rykara
          23 hours ago




          5




          5




          $begingroup$
          @Rykara The text you quote is from page 123 of PHB, the person who texted you isn't wrong. It just appears in multiple places.
          $endgroup$
          – linksassin
          23 hours ago




          $begingroup$
          @Rykara The text you quote is from page 123 of PHB, the person who texted you isn't wrong. It just appears in multiple places.
          $endgroup$
          – linksassin
          23 hours ago












          $begingroup$
          Deep Speech doesn't have a script and cannot be written.
          $endgroup$
          – goodguy5
          9 hours ago




          $begingroup$
          Deep Speech doesn't have a script and cannot be written.
          $endgroup$
          – goodguy5
          9 hours ago












          $begingroup$
          In addition to Deep Speech (which, according to the FR wiki, had no native script but was occasionally transcribed by the drow in Espruar (Elvish)), the GGTR Languages table (p. 9) lists the Sphinx language with no written script.
          $endgroup$
          – V2Blast
          8 hours ago




          $begingroup$
          In addition to Deep Speech (which, according to the FR wiki, had no native script but was occasionally transcribed by the drow in Espruar (Elvish)), the GGTR Languages table (p. 9) lists the Sphinx language with no written script.
          $endgroup$
          – V2Blast
          8 hours ago


















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