You have studied languages and codes, gaining the following benefits:
Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You learn three languages of your choice.
You can ably create written ciphers. Others can't decipher a code you create unless you teach them, they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal to your Intelligence score + your proficiency bonus), or they use magic to decipher it.
Linguist: Now You’re Speaking My Language
Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold
Languages are a weird element of role playing games. On the one hand, painting a picture of diverse peoples converging from all across time and space with magic and wonder is supplemented really well to varied languages and sounds you characters don’t understand. For world building, it can help players feel like fish out of water, like they’re venturing into the unfamiliar and add a sense of wonder or mystery. Monsters using it to converse in front of players knowing they don’t understand is a quick and easy way to elevate frustration or distrust in some. Want to make your elves feel like the most pretentious pricks possible? Make them only speak in elvish despite knowing and speaking common, just to add a level of grandeur and “better than you” feeling to them.
At the same time, languages are an understanding barrier, often tacked on needlessly. There isn’t really a puzzle to solve or a way to get around not having a language outside of finding a translator or casting Comprehend Languages. Linguist enters in here; you get three languages of your choice, which can open up some additional conversations, but that doesn’t really merit a feat. There are going to be a lot of tables where there just isn’t going to be anyone at all speaking in anything other than common simply because it's easier that way. Having everyone understanding what's going on with no hiccups or slowing down the pace is meaningful. Sometimes though you’ll be in that fish out of water scenario, and value opening roleplay doors with a variety of cultures you’re regularly dealing with. In that instance, Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate with Comprehend Languages is probably a safer bet, although not offering you tools to respond can be tricky.
To justify Linguist then I think you really need to have a plan for using the cipher text and get something out of the +1 Int. If you’re bumping an odd Int score to an even one for the extra modifier, at tables with diverse language usage, this can be enough and feel justifiable. At tables without diverse language usage, the cipher has to carry a lot of weight power wise, which, honestly, it doesn’t.
Like thieves’ cant, the cypher feels just flavorful with no other meaningful upside. Illusory Script falls into the same bucket; conceptually and flavorfully rich, yet mechanically near useless. There just aren’t a lot of scenarios in most games swinging around great swords and blasting off Fireballs where discretion and subterfuge take precedent. In a game built around intrigue, underhanded dealings, and espionage, it might be decent, especially given its DC is probably going to be 18-20 out the gate, but it isn’t necessary. A well hidden note in a false boot base can send information discreetly. A familiar carrying a tiny scroll can work just fine. Communicating and writing down information predominately is for passing it to a specific person. A cipher can do that, but so can a dozen other things.
If you’re out exploring the world on a sea-faring campaign and want to boost your Int and show you’ve picked up some languages along the way, Linguist can be perfectly fine. That is almost no games, though. Most games this will be a +1 Int mod with no other relevant text. And at those tables, that is certainly not worth it.
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