Printable Version of Topic

Click here to view this topic in its original format

Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun Missions _ Languages in Denver

Posted by: blakkie Mar 21 2006, 03:15 PM

I checked out the 7 page spread in Commanda Quarterly, but didn't notice anything on local language besides a vague reference in the Chinatown description.

In 2071 what are the local languages spoken? First natives languges. Does Hopi fall under the Uto-Aztecan umbrella? Is Zuni considered to still be alive? What about Lakhota-Dakota in the Sioux sector?

What about Romance (Spanish)? Or Chinese? Are they intended to be handled by specific dialect/sub-language, and if so which dialects are the two Triads speaking?

Or is this all pretty much up to the specific GMs to dictate with no guidelines other than the official material doesn't really get into languages. (I haven't read any modules yet for fear of spoiling).

Posted by: warrior_allanon Mar 22 2006, 12:04 AM

i believe this is up to GM discression. but thats just how its been played in our games.

Posted by: the_dunner Mar 22 2006, 03:07 AM

There are a few scenes in adventures which specify situational modifiers for speaking specific languages. However, revealing which ones are used in a given situation would be a bit of a spoiler. Beyond that, English and Spanish are commonly used in Denver. Chinese in Chinatown, Japanese amongst the Yakuza, and Sioux, Hopi, and Zuni all have their applications.

Of course, if an author wants to create a NPC who only speaks Swahili, and has a good story based reason for it, I'm not going to object too strongly.

Posted by: blakkie Mar 23 2006, 04:24 PM

I think that pretty much covers my questions. So Aztec is separate from Hopi. That is a bit odd since my understanding is that Sioux is at about the same level of breath a language family as Ute-Aztec, ( http://www.native-languages.org/ , you'll find Zuni under Other NA Languages ), but from a game perspective I guess I get it.

Thanks a lot.