Languages
Your character knows at least three languages: Common plus two languages you roll or choose from the Standard Languages table. Knowledge of a language means your character can communicate in it, read it, and write it. Your class and other features might also give you languages.
The Standard Languages table lists languages that are widespread in the setting. Every player character knows Common. The other standard languages originated with the first members of the most prominent species in the setting and have since spread widely.
Standard Languages
| 1d12 | Language |
|---|---|
| - | Common |
| 1 | Common Sign Language |
| 2 | Draconic |
| 3-4 | Dwarvish |
| 5-6 | Elvish |
| 7 | Giant |
| 8 | Gnomish |
| 9 | Goblin |
| 10-11 | Halfling |
| 12 | Orc |
The Rare Languages table lists languages that are either secret or derived from other planes of existence and thus less widespread in the worlds of the Material Plane. Some features let a character learn a rare language.
Rare Languages
| Language | |
|---|---|
| Abyssal | |
| Celestial | |
| Deep Speech | |
| Druidic | |
| Infernal | |
| Primordial* | |
| Sylvan | |
| Thieves' Cant | |
| Undercommon |
*Primordial includes the Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran dialects. Creatures that know one of these dialects can communicate with those that know a different one.
For Bible5e campaigns, ask your GM which of the regional languages below are available for your language choices.
Bible5e Language Guide
This setting uses the SRD language framework while adding historical and regional language detail. Use these entries when choosing or interpreting languages in Bible5e campaigns.
Crosswalk (SRD to Setting): Common -> Common (Greek-derived trade speech), Infernal -> Infernal, Celestial -> Celestial. Additional regional options include Latin, Aramaic, Akkadian, Hebrew, Sabaic, Coptic, Chinese, Sanskrit, and Old Egyptian.
Common
Common became the shared language of the middle kingdoms after the Greek conquests and expanding trade routes. While many communities preserve native speech, most urban citizens are fluent in Common, and it remains the default trade and civic language across much of the map.
Latin
Latin is the official language of the Roman Empire and one of the most widely spoken tongues in the world. In Roman territory, education and political life strongly favor Latin, and many officials and nobles in Egypt and Canaan learn it for upward mobility.
Aramaic
Aramaic is the ancestral language of the Semitic peoples of Judea and remains widely used in daily life. Due to migration and trade, Aramaic is spoken across many kingdoms and is especially common among nomads and merchants on southern desert routes.
Akkadian
Akkadian is an ancient and sacred language tied to old Babylonian power. Although no longer dominant in ordinary life, it is still used among religious groups and nobility in Parthian lands and appears in ceremonial and scholarly contexts.
Hebrew
Hebrew is the liturgical and scholarly language of the Jewish people. By this era it is less common as a day-to-day spoken tongue than Aramaic, but it remains central in synagogue reading, religious study, and educated Jewish communities.
Sabaic
Sabaic is the language of Sheba and nearby regions in Africa and Arabia. It is strongly associated with spice and incense trade networks and is frequently encountered among caravan merchants moving along southern routes.
Coptic
By the first century, Coptic has replaced Old Egyptian as the common language of Egypt. It is spoken across most Egyptian settlements, though its practical use declines farther from Nile cities.
Chinese
Chinese is spoken by eastern merchants and by locals in Chinese territories. As Silk Road exchange grows and demand for silk rises, it becomes increasingly valuable for Roman and Parthian traders involved in long-distance commerce.
Sign Language
A practical system of gestures exists in many major cities, primarily among deaf communities and market professionals. Although not universal, regional sign dialects can bridge communication gaps where spoken language is limited.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit is the predominant language of India and is often the only language spoken by many inland traders. Caravan leaders and maritime merchants who deal with Indian routes commonly learn Sanskrit to conduct business effectively.
Old Egyptian
Old Egyptian is no longer a living spoken language, having been replaced by Coptic. It persists in inscriptions, tomb writings, and temple records, and only a small number of specialists can still translate it.
Celestial
Celestial is the language of angels and the heavenly host. Few mortals ever learn it, and those who do usually encounter it through mystical visions, prophecy, or rare direct contact with celestial beings.
Infernal
Infernal is a dark counterpart to Celestial, associated with demonic and abyssal forces. It is spoken by demons and occasionally by possessed individuals or practitioners of dark arts, and its sound is often unsettling to hear.