Linguist 5e

Published on July 18, 2022, Last modified on July 18th, 2023

Unlock the power of language with the Linguist feat in D&D 5e. Boost your Intelligence, learn new languages, and create secret ciphers.

Sara Winters - Wizards of the Coast - Tolarian Scholar

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What Is Linguist 5e?

If your character is a lover of languages, a spy, or a scholar, the Linguist feat can help you expand your horizons. This feat not only allows you to learn three languages of your choice, but it also increases your Intelligence score by 1, up to a maximum of 20. Additionally, you gain the ability to create written ciphers. If you’re ready to become a polyglot, it’s time to dive into the world of languages!

How Does Linguist Work?

This feat provides three benefits:

Your Intelligence score increases by 1, up to a maximum of 20.
You learn to read, write, and speak three languages of your choice.
You can create written ciphers that others can’t decipher unless you teach them, they use magic to decipher it, or they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal to your Intelligence score + your proficiency bonus).
Let’s break these benefits down.

The first ability is a straightforward boost to your Intelligence score, which can be beneficial for any character, but especially for those whose primary ability is Intelligence, such as wizards.

The second ability allows you to learn three languages of your choice. This can be incredibly useful in campaigns where communication with a variety of creatures is important. It can also add depth to your character’s backstory and roleplaying opportunities.

The third benefit allows you to create written ciphers. This can be useful for sending secret messages, keeping your notes safe from prying eyes, or creating puzzles for others to solve.

Is Linguist Good?

We gave Linguist a D Tier rating In our 5e Feats Tier List, making it an underwhelming feat in most cases.

The value of the Linguist feat can vary greatly depending on the campaign. In a campaign where communication and intelligence gathering are key, Linguist can be an alright. However, in a more combat-focused campaign, other feats may provide more tangible benefits.

Which 5e Classes Make the Most of Linguist?

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good the Linguist 5e feat is for a specific class/subclass.

Red isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
Orange Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
Green is a good option
Blue is a great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
Sky Blue is an amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Artificer: Artificers can benefit from the Intelligence boost and the ability to create ciphers can fit well with their theme of magical invention.

Barbarian: Skip this feat

Bard: Bards might find the ability to learn additional languages useful for their role as social butterflies, but they might not get as much use out of the Intelligence boost.

Cleric: Clerics will not get much use out of this feat, unless their domain is Knowledge.

Druid: Druids won't get much out of the languages or Intelligence boost.

Fighter: Fighters typically won't get much use out of this feat, unless they're playing a more intellectual or tactical character.

Monk: Druids won't get much out of the languages or Intelligence boost.

Paladin: Paladins might not get much use out of this feat, unless they're playing a more scholarly or diplomatic character.

Ranger: Rangers won't get much out of the languages or Intelligence boost.

Rogue: Depending on the campaign, rogues can benefit from this feat, especially if they're playing a spy, infiltrator, or Arcane Trickster that needs an Intelligence boost. Most of the times, this will be underwhelming.

Sorcerer: Sorcerers won't get much out of the languages or Intelligence boost.

Warlock: Warlocks won't get much out of the languages or Intelligence boost.

Wizard: This is a somewhat flavorful feat for scholarly wizards who also want a boost to Intelligence.

Mike Bernier

Mike Bernier is the lead content writer and founder of Arcane Eye. He is a Mithral best-selling author of Strixhaven: A Syllabus of Sorcery on DMs Guild and is a contributing author at D&D Beyond. Follow Mike on Twitter.