Tongues {Wizard}

This spell enables the wizard to speak and understand additional languages, whether they are racial tongues or regional dialects. This does not enable the caster to speak with animals. The spell enables the caster to be understood by all creatures of that type within hearing distance, usually 60 feet. This spell does not predispose the subject toward the caster in any way.

The wizard can speak one additional tongue for every three levels of experience.

Reverse: Gibberish

The reverse of the spell cancels the effect of the tongues spell or confuses verbal communication of any sort within the area of effect.

Commentary

This spell can be quite useful to the wizard for discreetly communicating with other characters, but only if he understands exactly how it works. Tongues acts as a selective translator, not as a universal translator-- that is, not everyone in the spell's area of effect understands the translated language.

For instance, imagine that a wizard can speak only common. All other members of his party also speak only common. The party encounters a group of two dwarves and one gnome; the dwarves speak only dwarvish, the gnome speaks only gnomish. The wizard casts tongues and speaks to the gnome; the gnome automatically understands what the wizard says, but the dwarves and the other party members do not--as far as they can tell, the wizard is speaking gnomish. Assuming the wizard is of sufficiently high level (he can speak one additional tongue for every three levels of experience) and the spell's duration has not yet expired, he can also address the dwarves. Both dwarves will understand the wizard, but the gnome and the rest of the party will not.

If a dwarf and a gnome begin chattering at the wizard at the same time, and the wizard is of sufficiently high level and the spell's duration hasn't expired, the wizard can understand them both. The other party members, however, will hear nothing but babble.

[Player's Handbook]
[Complete Wizard's Handbook]

Reversible

School: Alteration
Level: 3
Rarity: Common

Range: 0
Components: V, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 30-foot radius
Saving Throw: None

Material Components: a small clay model of a ziggurat (consumed)