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Grytorm
2012-07-23, 01:01 AM
I have for my RPG career have been limited to forum games although this will change soon. Because of this role-playing has proven difficult in my opinion for me.

So, my question is how could I learn to role-play better?

Gnomish Wanderer
2012-07-23, 01:26 AM
Practice! Like pretty much everything, practice makes perfect! :smalltongue:

But as for specific tips, just get inside the head of your character. Figure out how they think, what they're like. Build personalities with strengths and weaknesses. Once you got the bases covered try writing out a few conversations, some happy, some tense. Get to know your character like they were a real person.

It'll always be rough learning all this but the more you work at it the better you'll be. Good luck!

Gamer Girl
2012-07-23, 01:47 AM
PRACTICE!

Simple enough, just practice. But how might you practice outside of a game, you ask?

Well, you don't need a game to just do the role-play part. You just need one other person. Any person. Then just go over to that person and role play out a role. Naturally, this works best if you don't already know the person.

A great place to practice is Subway(or any similar place where you can watch your food being made and have the freedom to talk to the worker for a good five minutes). Just walk in, order something, and play out a role. In general most workers will be nice and respond and talk back.


Other tips:

1.Make yourself a personal vocabulary of both words and sayings your character says. This goes a long way to keeping your mind in character. Your mind will associate the words and sayings with that character and keep you in character.

The easy place to start is exclamations('swear words'). If your character was surprised what would he say? Avoid 21st century ones and pick one that fits better. If your character was shocked or saw something amazing, what would they say? For example, once upon a time a TV character would say ''Great Ceaser's Ghost!'' you could just change that to ''Great Comoen's Ghost!''. "Zounds!'', ''Zoiks!'', "Thunderation!'' the list goes on and on. Also you can do the ''by my father's beard!''

You also want to pick say 20-30 words that your character uses a lot. And then use them a lot. For example, your character might call all females 'girls', that would be a subtle character trait. You might call all elves ''faires'' or call all taverns ''wooden spoons'' and so on.

It also works great to mix in your personality with your words. A fighter type would use mostly combat words(think of army like talk), while a wizard might use big words a lot.

A good trick here is to rename game things with descriptions. Your character does not say 'ranger' your character says ''wild walkers''.

2.Try to run your mind through some play testing as your character. Take a couple of simple 'what ifs' and then say what your character would do. Write them down. For example-"If you saw a wagon full of folks being attacked by goblins, what would you do?" or ''if you found a bag of gold on the street, what would you do?" Even just a dozen questions can get you thinking along the lines of the characters thinking.

And for the best role playing, try to avoid making the character ''you'' with things like ''I 'd grab the bag of gold and run to Wal mart and buy video games...er, cool magic items for my character!''. Try to make your character different from you. You might never give a homeless guy $100 bill, but your character might give a beggar 100 gold coins.

3.A back ground always helps. Do the standard paragraph of back ground, but don't stop there. Remember you have a good 20 years at least to fill up. So fill them in. You should have at least one memorable thing per year. They don't need to be Earth Shattering Epic things, just things that happened. For example, ''Every summer as a youth my character swam in the CoolWay river with his friends''. Just that sentence says that your character likes to be outdoors in the sunlight, like to swim in the water and are social.

WarKitty
2012-07-23, 01:59 AM
One thing I do is try to find one non-"useful" item that my character would carry. A board game for whiling away the time? A locket with a picture of a loved one? A book that he writes his adventures down in? It's a small thing, but it can help add a lot of depth.

jackattack
2012-07-23, 09:17 AM
I'm probably going to be crucified for this, but my best advice for a new roleplayer is to start out playing yourself.

I don't mean recreate yourself on paper, with approximations of your stats and skills and background. I mean react as you think you would react given your in-game stats and skills and background. (Or, as you like to think you would react.)

Get used to speaking to other players (and the DM, when he's in NPC mode) as your character. Use character names, in-game terminology, even an accent. Learn to differentiate between what you know and what your character knows.

When you are comfortable doing that, assign personality traits to a character and play those. Keep things simple, and be true to the trait, but don't annoy the rest of the party. (If your character is impulsive, be impulsive, but don't get everybody killed by giving a frost giant a wedgie.)

As you gain roleplaying experience and confidence, make your characters more complex and more nuanced.

And most of all, relax! Have fun!

Saintheart
2012-07-23, 09:18 AM
Don't be afraid to use odd voices, like whispering or odd accents. Most of the time nobody really minds.

Ranting Fool
2012-07-24, 11:25 AM
Don't be afraid to use odd voices, like whispering or odd accents. Most of the time nobody really minds.

I've been told all my NPC Imps sound the same :smallbiggrin::smalltongue:

valadil
2012-07-24, 12:12 PM
You don't have to do all your roleplaying at the table.

Before the game even starts I spend a ton of time writing out my character's backstory. I don't do this because the GM gave me homework. I do it because it helps me roleplay. I can put the character into scenarios and see how he'll react, but I have all the time in the world to think about those reactions. By the time I've done 4-5 pages of this, I know the character well enough to be spontaneous with him. (And let me just nip this in the bud. I'm not advocating giving your GMs a 4-5 page backstory. Most of them don't appreciate it and won't read it. I'm advocating spending time outside of game in a way that helps you feel out your character. For some that's acting in front of a mirror. For me it's writing.)

You should also think about your character between sessions. I'm always trying to predict scenarios we might find ourselves in and how my character will react. Sometimes I'll plan out plot points where I'm taking the lead and think about what I'll tell people. Again, these aren't things that have to come to fruition, just things to get you into your character.

Jay R
2012-07-26, 10:52 AM
There's a legal maxim that "Any lawyer knows the law. A good layer knows the exceptions. A great lawyer knows the judge."

Judges are people, and some arguments convince them better than other ones.

Similarly, any role-player knows the rules, and the basic character. A good role-player knows the exceptions and the subtle aspects of the character. A great role-player knows the DM.

It's easier to play a character who does the kinds of things the DM enjoys.

So start with the DM - what kind of character does she play? That's the sort that will fit in her world most easily.

Beyond that, pick somebody you know, ideally somebody not know by the other players. And then, ask yourself , over and over, how would that person react? Do this away from the game, by the way. I have several lines for my thief/wizard stored up, some of which I have already used. In an argument with the paladin over what the party should do, I once said, "Yeah, well, you're a paladin - you have to do what's lawful;. The rest of us are free to do what's right." I'd been saving that lines for weeks for the right moment.

kyoryu
2012-07-26, 01:27 PM
I think the biggest thing is knowing what drives your character. What does he or she care about? Why is he or she moving forward, and doing the things they do?

Burning Wheel encapsulates this nicely as "Beliefs". A good exercise is to look at fictional characters - movies, books, tv, whatever - and try to come up with three statements that define why they do what they do, what drives them, what it is that they stick to that complicates their lives. Note that this *can change* over time.

Probably the best example was: "My name is Inigio Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

You could probably round him out with: "There's not a lot of money in revenge. I'll work for Vizzini to pay the bills."

And: "I am the greatest swordsman in the world. I seek to challenge my abilities, even if I must handicap myself to do so."

Again, note that the second one of these changes halfway through the movie.

A lot of people will argue backstory, and that's useful. But ultimately, what will matter at the game table is not where the character came from, but what's driving him or her forward, what's driving his or her decisions. This can be *informed* by the backstory, but the loveliest, novel-length backstory doesn't really help much at the table unless it provides something that drives the character *forward*.

Jay R
2012-07-28, 08:26 AM
A lot of people will argue backstory, and that's useful. But ultimately, what will matter at the game table is not where the character came from, but what's driving him or her forward, what's driving his or her decisions. This can be *informed* by the backstory, but the loveliest, novel-length backstory doesn't really help much at the table unless it provides something that drives the character *forward*.

Exactly. While I tend to write long backstories, none of it matters unless it affects his decisions.

Besides, the lack of a backstory will fix itself. by the time the character is fourth level, he will have a backstory. He'll have gone through several adventures, and will have experiences, friends, allies, rivals, and enemies.

(This is one of the reasons why I prefer characters to start at first level. An experienced character should be rooted in the world by actual experience.)

Otacon17
2012-07-28, 12:09 PM
To help me get into character, I like to come up with a few people from my character's past and determine how my character interacted with them. This gives me an idea of how he might interact with other people, such as party members or important NPCs. If you can come up with, say, three or four people that your character has been involved with and really flesh out those relationships, you can get a good idea of how his or her other relationships might play out. Plus, some DMs might even bring one of these past relationships to the fore later on in the story, which is always fun.

Of course, I usually DM, so perhaps the reason this works for me is that I'm already used to making lots of NPCs.

Also, I'd like to echo valadil's sentiment - write a detailed backstory. The better you know your character, the better you can play your character. If the DM doesn't want to read all of it, that's fine; what's important is that YOU know what the character has been through.

Stubbazubba
2012-07-28, 06:12 PM
One of the hardest parts of role-playing live vs. role-playing online is that you need to get out of your head and into your character's, and be OK performing as him/her instead of you. So, some part of it comes down to being comfortable acting in front of other people.

So, besides joining the 'practice' chorus, I'll give you another idea if people aren't available; use a mirror. Get in front of your mirror and act like your character. Practice their most common looks. Now practice how they would respond to different things; a surprising twist in the plot, a trap being sprung, a terrifying monster, etc. Now go back and forth between your char and one of the chars in their backstory, improvising a conversation about something important, so you get a feel for not only how he talks but how he feels about certain things and how he reacts to organic conversation. At this point you should have a good feel for how your character carries himself, talks, thinks about things, etc.

Hallavast
2012-07-29, 09:06 AM
I have for my RPG career have been limited to forum games although this will change soon. Because of this role-playing has proven difficult in my opinion for me.

So, my question is how could I learn to role-play better?

Our advice would be more efficient if you could elaborate on exactly what it is you have trouble with at the table. Do you have trouble coming up with things to say fast enough? Are you shy about changing your voice or accent? I assume the problem has to do with the physical medium change rather than conceptual character problems, because as you say, you've had experience with forum games.

In all cases, I suggest a moderate amount of drugs and alcohol :smallwink: . A couple drinks usually helps me get the words out at the table. Just don't overdo it.

Hylas
2012-07-30, 12:35 AM
1) Make sure to play along with the group rather than against the group.

Some people like to be a thief, or even a kleptomaniac, but stealing from other party members can cause divisions. Don't go overboard and let your character's concept interrupt group play. I'll give a real-life example of how this can go awry. The setting is our party is working for the emperor and trying to rebuild a fallen empire and we're all entrusted with a lot of executive power. One person made a character who is an anarchist and isn't hiding it, but it didn't come up until 4 sessions in. See the problem? Why would the emperor trust this guy? It's not a mechanical issue so much as a roleplaying issue.

Another real life issue is a game of Warhammer I was in where I played a Bretonnian Knight who was in the empire to prove his worth. Now Bretonnians are very chivalrous and sexist towards women. Our group would also happen to be 50% women for the first time I brought the character in the game. Now if I were really dead set on being sexist it would've been awful as everyone would have hated me. So I tried to keep it small. A few remarks when someone fails a roll or something, and I would open doors for the ladies and get their chairs to balance it out. What was interesting is that one women, who wasn't a good roleplayer, completely resented him and refused to accept anything he did for her. The other, who is better and had a character who would try to exploit other people (usually NPCs to trick them into giving her free rooms in the inn or free food). Now my character was also very naive and not too bright, so she knew if she played along she would gain his trust (by being a decent and respectable woman) and would be able to get away with even more things, along with free door opening service. I'm expecting acts of bravery or "competence" to challenge the knight's worldview at some point.

In short, don't be a **** to other people because you're "chaotic neutral."

2) Go through situations and how your character would react.

The best advice I was ever given was consider how a character would react to problems. I was a pretty bad roleplayer back then and I'm still learning a lot, but it went something like this: If you really want to get into roleplaying try to think of how your character would react in any given situation where you are in real life. Let's say you're at the DMV and they lost a piece of paper with some important information. Despite what you do, how would this guy react? Would he (or she) be calm and try to work through it? Would he throw a tantrum? Would he break down and start crying about how nothing works out? Would he start punching things until there's nothing left to punch?

What if your mom calls you and asks her to help with some yard work around the house? How would this guy react? Just simple everyday things will eventually translate into bigger actions as the character evolves.

Doing these things a couple times everyday for a single character will help you stay in his mindset as you're learning to roleplay. Either that or make you go crazy.

elizasteave
2012-07-30, 01:22 AM
Role playing sometimes may seem somewhat complicated but it can be tackled in an easier way. Just like the other members have said here, I'll also say that practice is only the one major key regardless of any sorts of shortcuts. Yes, there are no shortcuts for this thing. The only thing is that the person has just to make him capable to get himself inside the character forgetting all the things rest. He just has to remember that he is into role playing at the moment and nothing else.

BootStrapTommy
2012-08-01, 12:34 AM
Biggest thing I can think of is, instead of designing characters which are god-awful good or which fulfill a purpose in the party, design a character who you think you could enjoy playing as and whom you can be involved with, even if the character may not be the best. It's always helped me.

It's one of the reasons I'm a huge fan of GURPS. I can built characters who have interesting dynamic and playable personalities. Often I find the conflicted and hard to play characters are the funnest and exercise my skill the most.

I'm reminded of a campaign where I played a mute with premonition, which proved incredibly fun when I knew what was going to happening but couldn't tell the party!!!

With gaming systems which have some sort of alignment mechanism, try and game as a rather uncharacteristic alignment. It exercises your creative capacity by forcing you out of your comfort zone.

I used to never play characters who were not Chaotic Good in D&D. But I ran a couple campaigns on the Lawful end (bot neutral and evil) and they were some of the more amusing campaigns I've been a part of.

Finally research the game you're playing. Become well read on the rules and mechanics. Then try and GM when you can. I've gained a lot of valuable experience from GMing, as I've seen a lot of the stumbling blocks of the others, which has allowed me to make cooler, more rational characters, which is why I usually end up the party leader when I play. I've also learned to play thinking like a GM, which helps me to not get angry when things take a turn for the worst.

Oh, and if the GM seems hesitant about the action you are taking, as a rule of thumb, DON'T DO IT. Common Sense is an Advantage in GURPS for a reason!!

TheOOB
2012-08-01, 02:06 AM
Read these two articals, both courtasy of the Giant himself.

http://www.giantitp.com/articles/XbsQgS9YYu9g3HZBAGE.html
http://www.giantitp.com/articles/tll307KmEm4H9k6efFP.html

The trick with roleplaying is two-fold, the first is to try to find your own way to do it, and the second is to remember that roleplaying encompass everything your character does, not just the words you say. Actions speak louder than words, and a wizard who chooses burning hands over sleep is a different type of a wizard and it says something about them.

I, for example, rarely roleplay first person, I typically roleplay third person(which annoys some people), that means no funny accent or anything, but I make sure everything my character does helps define him as a character.

Logic
2012-08-01, 02:13 AM
A drama class (such as the type you can take in high school) can help. You could also read plays. (Stuff by Shakespeare is one example, but don't feel limited to just that.)

BootStrapTommy
2012-08-01, 04:23 PM
I, for example, rarely roleplay first person, I typically roleplay third person(which annoys some people), that means no funny accent or anything, but I make sure everything my character does helps define him as a character.

I roleplay and GM in third person. Every time I try first person, I feel really ridiculous. I end up like one of those news reporters who can't finish the report because they are laughing so hard.