Comprehend Languages (spell)
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Comprehend languages is a spell that enables the recipient to understand spoken and written language, regardless of dialect or origin. However, the spell does not grant the ability to speak or write in the understood language, nor does it allow for two-way communication with a speaker. The effect is purely interpretive, affecting only the recipient.
| Range | 20 ft. |
| Duration | 1 hour per level |
| Area of Effect | 1 humanoid |
| Casting Time | 1 round |
| Saving Throw | none |
| Level | mage (1st) |
Since most intelligent creatures converse in "common," the universally understood tongue, this spell is primarily useful for deciphering long-dead languages, as well as those spoken on other worlds or planes of existence.
The spell also allows for the interpretation of damaged or incomplete written inscriptions, such as faded road signs, broken tablets or partially erased markings. However, its accuracy depends on how much of the text remains legible.
Additionally, comprehend languages can aid in deciphering codes and ciphers that the recipient encounters. However, while the spell reveals the words used, it does not inherently provide an understanding of the intended meaning, especially in cases where symbols, cultural references, or hidden meanings are integral to the message.
Confuse Language
The reverse of the spell can be used to obscure and distort written language, rendering it incomprehensible to anyone who does not have access to comprehend languages. The affected text does not disappear or change physically, but its meaning becomes impossible to discern, as though it were written in an unknown or unknowable script.
The caster may, if desired, dispel the effect at a later time, restoring the original meaning once the text has passed into the hands of the intended recipient. However, this introduces risks, as the act of dispelling the effect requires either dispel magic or comprehend languages. If the message is intercepted, or if the caster is unable to remove the enchantment before it is needed, the intended recipient will be left unable to read it.
See Tongues (spell)
