Today, I jumped through more hoops than Fufu the Amazing Wonderdog and got both Arena and Daggerfall up and running on my Macbook Pro. Daggerfall is pretty amazing. I made a Breton Emissary, giving him etiquette, mercantile, streetwise, and coincidently, there was one language skill for every remaining slot. It was meant to be. I gave him acute hearing since I figure he listens all the time, and a fear of animals because he has no language for them. +75 per, int and luck, +35 everything else. When all was said and done he had 99 personality anyway - took a long time rerolling to get the 85 +14. Fortunately I saved in the first room, because the rat obliterated me in the second room. This should be pretty interesting. Not many games allow the creation of such a dedicated diplomat class. I hope Daggerfall has the gameplay to backup the options.

Somehow I doubt it. Most quests involve combat or running like crazy to avoid combat. Those language skills occasionally prevent something from attacking you, but that doesn't work at all on many things in the dungeons. Etiquette and streetwise appear to affect your chances of success in talking to NPCs using different speech styles, but most of them give up information with normal speech anyway. Mercantile will help for sure, but Daggerfall has a lot of fighting and running around dungeons.

In short, you may have an immensely difficult time. I'll be curious to see how it goes.

There's a mysticism spell called "tongues" which could help you immensely. It has a chance at the same effect of a successful language-save. Sheathing your weapon and maybe going into talk-mode just for the speech skills is kind-of dangerous sometimes, so it can be a lifesaver.

Also with 99 personality and some good streetwise/speech skills, you could get away with crimes with the debate/lie options.

You'll be doing a lot of delivering letters/ingredients quests?

Oh, yes, I highly suggest a life of crime, and joining the Theive's Guild. Also, the Mages Guild offers many delivery quests. Of course, the more you avoid the dungeons and monsters, the less you will actually use your language skills. Illusion may also be a helpful school for you.

You didn't say, but are you new to the game? A linguist for a first character would be a very strange choice

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Actually, the worst thing about the language skills is that you just don't meet those monsters very often at all. Nymph, centaurian, dragonish, Giantish? Those are very rare enemies. Spriggans, sometimes you find a whole dungeon full of the bastards, and then never again for many characters. Harpy, well, at least there are quests that involve finding them, but the quest also requires you to kill them, so what's the point? Orcish and impish, that's a better choice, as you actually see those with some regularity.

And, of course, there are languages for only 9 of the 40+ unique enemies in the game.

I highly suggest walking through dungeons with your weapon holstered.

My orcish is around 20 and I get a lot of friendly checks, you should have pretty friendly dungeons if you work on languages alone.

My character meets loads of nymphs and fire daedra.

Wow, the Privateer's Hold was ridiculously hard. Every rat and bat required a reload or two. I was lucky that half the humans, and one imp let me be in peace. At first I was trying to use the staff because I opted for blunts in the creation questions, but halfway through I tried a sword and it helped a little. When I got towards the end, it was all humans and skeletons and lots of rats clogging the way, and I managed to just make a mad dash and found the exit. This is probably the hardest RPG I've ever played. I like it though. I probably screwed myself in that dungeon anyway, with animal phobia. Needless to say, I didn't leave with much loot. I almost rerolled. Should be all downhill from here, now that I can pick my battles.

Yeah, the archers and thieves are a hell of a fight. Just have to be lucky enough to kill them before they get a hit out. I never had problems with rats or bats, but I suppose your build really isn't suited for combat. Imps are tricky if your resistance isn't great.

I'd kill to be able to speak bat, rat and giant scorpion. :facepalm:

I've gotten a few friendly rats and bears. And a friendly tiger once. And several friendly spiders.