D&D 5E Ranger Enemy Languages

[Zinnger]

Rangers "learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies". There are two ways this can be interpreted if you select two races of humanoids - say orc and goblin. You learn ONE LANGUAGE (singular) from these two favored ENEMIES (plural) which means you can learn to speak orc or goblin. ** OR ** you learn to speak ONE LANGUAGE among the many dialects that orcs speak (AND) ONE LANGUAGE from the many versions of goblins thus gaining ONE LANGUAGE (singular) from your ENEMIES (plural). If you select human and goblin as your two humanoid enemies you pick one human language and one goblin language. Which is considered correct? One language per selection of the enemies OR one language for each enemy race selected?

 

[steeldragons]

No. No there aren't two ways to look at it.

Your first "interpretation" is the correct one.

You get a single language out of the "enemies" chosen.

If, per your example, you choose goblins and orcs, you can speak with goblins or you can speak with orcs.

So, if you are in a setting where all dragons speak draconic, then bully, you can choose draconic and speak with any/all dragons and other creatures that know/understand draconic. If, however, you are in a world where all dragons speak their own language, then you have to choose "Blue Dragon" or "Red Dragon" or "Gold Dragon" or, maybe, another setting/DM would say that Chromatics and Metallics all speak their own same languages, and so be allowed to take a section [chromatic draconic or metallic draconic] of the category as a single language. Maybe, if you're lucky, you have a DM/setting that says "goblins, hobgoblins & bugbears all speak goblinoid" or something similar and thus gain more than one creature...but still only one language.

That is, ultimately, up to the setting and DM to decide or dictate. But it is most certainly not ambiguous or open to your creative reading.

 

[GreenTengu]

No, Zinnger is right, there are two possible interpretations.

If I said "I have 31 flavors of ice cream. Choose 2 flavors. You get one scoop of ice cream from those flavors."

Do you get 1 scoop of ice cream or 2?

Now, if I said "I have 31 flavors of ice cream. Choose 2 flavors. You get a single scoop of ice cream from any of those flavors." then it is very clear-- you get 1 scoop. Why I am having you choose 2 flavors before awarding you this, who knows.

If I said "I have 31 flavors of ice cream. Choose 2 flavors. You get a single scoop of ice cream from each of those flavors." then you know that you get 2.

But without the words "any of" or "each", the interpretation is unclear.

Granted, the good rule of thumb is that whenever the wording is unclear, you receive the lesser amount. Plus the favored enemy bonus grants additional benefits unlike my example with ice cream.

 

[CapnZapp]

Whoa whoa...

Reality check: what breaks if you get both Orc and Goblin?

That's right - nothing.

 

[the Jester]

Rangers "learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies".

Emphasis mine. One. I find it amusingly contorted to try to interpret that as "two".

Also, why should rangers who take Humanoids as favored enemies gain more languages than someone who chooses anything else?

 

[Minigiant]

I don't have my books on me now but I believe it says "one language" and doesn't say "for each" nor "from both". So it looks like you get only one.

The real question is what happens when you choose a monster type that has no language or weird langauges like beasts, plants, or monstrosities. Must you take official ones like Giant Owl, take a nonofficial species language like Ape, or weasel out any language because awakened being learn one language of their master.