A Land Far Away

Help me understand the difference between Decipher Script verses magical means of understanding a language you do not speak. It seems like decipher script would work OK for short messages. Read magic for something like a long message or a book? Thanks!

Decipher script: You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic or very old writing.

Read magic: By means of read magic, you can decipher magical inscriptions on objects—books, scrolls, weapons, and the like—that would otherwise be unintelligible. This deciphering does not normally invoke the magic contained in the writing, although it may do so in the case of a cursed scroll. Furthermore, once the spell is cast and you have read the magical inscription, you are thereafter able to read that particular writing without recourse to the use of read magic. You can read at the rate of one page (250 words) per minute. The spell allows you to identify a glyph of warding with a DC 13 Spellcraft check, a greater glyph of warding with a DC 16 Spellcraft check, or any symbol spell with a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell level).

https://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/s ... ript.shtml

"Use this skill to piece together the meaning of ancient runes carved into the wall of an abandoned temple, to get the gist of an intercepted letter written in the Infernal language, to follow the directions on a treasure map written in a forgotten alphabet, or to interpret the mysterious [non magical] glyph painted on a cave wall."

Like many 3.5e skills there's some wiggle room for variance of application/interpretation but generally... Decipher script as I understand it is non magical, essentially a pure exercise of one's trained wit, experience, and intelligence applied to figuring out what the heck is written... as long as that writing isn't essentially magical (until epic levels at least; Epic Decipher Script allows you to read magical scrolls).

Also SRD recommends 1 page of text per successful check, so I'd interpret that as additional pages/additional checks, as far as length.

Read Magic is totally about the magic, using (relatively minor) magical power to magically figure out/identify/decipher magical writing that contains magical energy/power- magic/spell scrolls, IDing glyph of Wardings, symbol spells... have I (magically) said magic enough times in one sentence? (magic!)

Comprehend Languages uses magic to allow you to read 1 page per minute, more reliable than rolling skillchecks perhaps, but still nearly useless when it comes to magical script.

Simple way of looking at it I think is 'is this writing magical?' If no, probably Decipher Script; if yes, probably Read Magic.