Getting into character

[AntiTrust]

I've looked back on some of the backgrounds for characters I'm currently running and I feel like some of them aren't acting as they should. I fall out of character and start just acting like me rather than how the character should act given his life. Someone suggested to me to pick an animal that best fits with your character's personality and just think of that animal when trying to act in character.

For example, one of my characters is a LN monk with the devil bloodline so I picked wolf as the animal I think represents part of personality. I'm going to try it next game session, but I thought I'd ask if anyone else had any tricks for staying in character or to better color your characters personality?

[Theroc]

I've looked back on some of the backgrounds for characters I'm currently running and I feel like some of them aren't acting as they should. I fall out of character and start just acting like me rather than how the character should act given his life. Someone suggested to me to pick an animal that best fits with your character's personality and just think of that animal when trying to act in character.

For example, one of my characters is a LN monk with the devil bloodline so I picked wolf as the animal I think represents part of personality. I'm going to try it next game session, but I thought I'd ask if anyone else had any tricks for staying in character or to better color your characters personality?

Generally, I take part of my personality and magnify it for my characters. It usually manifests as my characters either A. Seeking acceptance and recognition from peers(the party), B. Seeking as much power as they can get their hands on so their enemies cannot challenge them, or C. All of the above.

With that in mind, it's harder for me to go out of character since the characters are at their core, manifestations of desires I myself have. I want to be unassailable, and I want to feel like people want me in their lives. Since that's the case, I can more easily understand their motivations.

Now, this is probably useless if you needed help with existing characters, unless you can think of common grounds between you and your character and build upon that.

Hope this helped somewhat.

[robertbevan]

i think i'm sort of in line with theroc.

i tend to make my characters pretty close to myself in terms of personality. that's part of the fantasy element for me. i don't get to do a whole lot of asskicking in my line of work. so it's nice to pretend i'm out there kicking some ass on game nights.

[limejuicepowder]

Have you been playing for long? Falling out of character in the way you describe sounds like a completely normal mistake for a beginner RP'er to make - so don't sweat it.

I would recommend "pregaming." Before you start a game, imagine a series of scenarios and interactions, but as your character. Use normal, every day situations like getting in to a discussion about a passionate subject, haggling over prices at a pawn shop, somebody being a jerk, or coming to the defense of a friend. I find this really helps to flesh out the character to include actual attitudes and thoughts, rather then just abstract concepts like "lawful" (which covers a lot of ground). Doing this should help you figure out what to say when these situations actually happen in-game.