PDA

View Full Version : Need some tips for playing dnd and roleplaying.



TwentyFold
2012-08-10, 11:42 PM
Hello, playground. I have been playing D&D for about a year now, and my roleplaying is still subpar. Does anyone have any tips or pointers that can help me out? My problems have left me a little under the weather and I would like to change that as I am a underpar roleplayer as well as an underminded player and as I said would like some good advice. Thanks in advance.

Totally Guy
2012-08-11, 01:44 AM
Is there anything mores specific? What elements are you struggling with?

Zerter
2012-08-11, 02:16 AM
There is not any one thing you can do (okay, yes there are, but...), you just need to apply yourself and try to keep improving activally. The worst D&D players I have ever seen are also the most experienced onces, claiming they are great because they are experienced. Apply yourself for a year and you'll outdo a pretty big majority of forum-go'ers here.

TwentyFold
2012-08-11, 02:52 AM
Is there anything mores specific? What elements are you struggling with?

I am sorry but I will now bring to the front of the converse the elements I am currently struggling in: I have little knowledge of how to support my role playing and I rarely speak at all when it comes to roleplaying if even at all it is just me talking in my regular way and being a nut to the NPC's. Then when it comes to my characters I have a terrible habit of taking to worst momments and making those what I truly remember of that character. Also whenever I am given a chance to truly lighten the bad parts of my roleplaying with an awesome oppertunity I screw up and feel bad about it from then on until up to the present day and on. All I want is to recieve some help because I feel worthless when it comes to roleplaying because I am sensitive in some situations in dnd and need help with combat as I have terrible tactics. But whenever I do have good tactics everyone discards them and fools around making me feel even worse. Please I need alot of help and sorry for the ramble.

TwentyFold
2012-08-11, 02:53 AM
There is not any one thing you can do (okay, yes there are, but...), you just need to apply yourself and try to keep improving activally. The worst D&D players I have ever seen are also the most experienced onces, claiming they are great because they are experienced. Apply yourself for a year and you'll outdo a pretty big majority of forum-go'ers here.

Thank you very much and I shall use this tactic to further support my life in dnd.

pluizig
2012-08-11, 04:59 AM
I've had this problem as well. My solution was to play characters with a personality a little closer to my own.

For example: do you have some trouble talking to people in real life? Don't create a smooth talkin' PC. Nothing is as frustrating a failing repeatedly a what is meant to be a main, defining character trait. Instead, excel in playing a mumbling introvert. PCs come in literally all flavors. Make your (roleplaying) weakness a strength of your PC. This really can be a liberating experience.

Later, when you are more experienced with roleplaying, you can slowly get further away from your comfort zone, either with a new character or as character development for your original PC.

Of course, this also goes for whatever else you may have trouble with: leadership within the party, combat tactics, planning ahead, etc etc.

Popertop
2012-08-11, 09:17 AM
One of the things I find easier is sticking to established tropes.

Dwarves, for example.

And just dive into what makes Dwarves Dwarfy. Get into it, really get into
the mindset and have fun. Just take it so far, as far as you want. Be the Dwarfiest Dwarf you can be. Once you get comfortable in that zone, you can start improvising and really making it your own. Eventually you will be able to think like that character and make choices according to what that character would do, sometimes making awful tactical choices but completely in line with what they would do.

I find that working from established themes and existing tropes helps me stay grounded in a world, and I can think more creatively within what I've brought to the table.

From there it should be more easy to sort of create your own character, or something contrary to your actual nature.

All in all, remember this game is about having fun!
Go slay dragons and destroy undead!
Get phat lewt and crazy spellz!
Interactive story and your own personal moments of glory!

CHAAAAAAARGE!!!!

Rallicus
2012-08-11, 10:39 AM
Don't create a smooth talkin' PC.

But see, doesn't that defeat the purpose of roleplaying to begin with? What if you want to be a suave smooth-talker, because you're introverted in real life?

This is why so many systems have social skill checks and stuff, because it allows for those who are otherwise introverted to play a more social character.

Never limit yourself to what you play.

As for my suggestion, I'll just say that I agree with Zerter. Try your best, learn from your mistakes and improve as time goes on.

What may also help is to go over what you feel you did wrong in the campaign. Often I do stupid things in roleplay in the spur of the moment (for instance, last session my character botched a mission he was leading and then later pointed a mounted-turret laser at a non-hostile cop), and I think of logical reasons as to why my character would do it. Sometimes I bring it up or write it down for the next session. If it's just too goofy to even explain, I use battle fatigue or stress as an excuse.

To be honest, though, you're probably thinking too much into things. People can get real introspective when it comes to roleplay, and I'd guess that your fellow players and DM think you're doing just fine. Don't think about it so much... and have fun.

Jay R
2012-08-11, 11:12 AM
1. Play the character that you can play. You can't think of what to say? Play the quiet guy. Not sure what to do in a fight? Put yourself under the orders of somebody better. Note that this is exactly what an untrained soldier does.

2. Read. Read lots. Specifically, read a lot of adventure novels. Comics or movies do not replace this. You need to go through the story at your pace. Don't think about gaming; just immerse yourself in the adventure. Eventually, you'll start thinking about what you would do in this situation. (This is why it needs to go at your pace.) Then you will pick a character from a book you like, and try to make your character act like him or her. Don't worry about what genre the character is from. I've played a 17th century French rogue based on Thorby Baslim and a superhero based on Professor Kirke.

Gamer Girl
2012-08-11, 05:40 PM
An easy way to role play is to just play a character you already know. First it's very easy to pick a generic character to play. Can you tell me how a spoiled prince might act? A football jock? Then just play in that mindset. You don't have to play the exact character, for example you can play the 'goofy nerd' for a fighter.

Even better though, is to just pick a fictional character to 'copy'. Anyone from a TV show or movie or book will do. Just pick one you 'know' well.


For tactics....well, if your new or unsure, you should try to avoid spectacular stuff...just stick to the basics. Maybe come up with one or two things and just do them.

QuidEst
2012-08-11, 11:20 PM
1. A little prep work never hurts. If you have a funny character, come up with some good jokes. If you have a smart character, do a little research and think up some clever tricks ahead of time. If you have a dramatic character, think up some really good moments that you would like to pull off.

2. Writing a bit for the character helps. Write a scene from before the joined the party, or a scene that got skipped over (buying something in town, for instance). Or come up with how a scene should have gone. It'll get you on the right track for coming up with stuff on the spot. You can also get people to put scenarios to you, and you have to work out how your character would react.

3. I find picturing great hypothetical scenes with my character helps. It's one thing to have a nasty touch attack spell- it's another to grab somebody's face and hold your hand there. Think of little moments like that, general-purpose ones, and you can slip them in when they fit.

Knaight
2012-08-12, 01:39 AM
An easy way to role play is to just play a character you already know. First it's very easy to pick a generic character to play. Can you tell me how a spoiled prince might act? A football jock? Then just play in that mindset. You don't have to play the exact character, for example you can play the 'goofy nerd' for a fighter.

Even better though, is to just pick a fictional character to 'copy'. Anyone from a TV show or movie or book will do. Just pick one you 'know' well.

The character doesn't have to be fictional either - you can certainly pull traits from real life acquaintances, particularly those that would make vibrant characters (read: the ones that are irritating in real life).

Hylas
2012-08-12, 03:38 AM
It took me about 6 years of roleplaying before I actually started getting into character, and there's plenty of people who are better than me, so don't worry about not being the best after a year.

I usually played Rangers, because I liked the idea of being mechanically independent from anyone else. In a forest? I'll track us some food and survive us up some shelter and fire! But they always ended up quiet and shy, like me, happy to stand in the back providing support. Not really pretending to be a different person, am I?

Now to change gears to video games. I started playing Paladins in various MMOs, usually free to play games and usually with a friend of mine that we would always be in a duo party together. I liked to tank and have my self-healing (notice the independence showing up again?) so I gravitated towards Paladins. Then one day on voice chat I started acting like a typical paladin while doing low level scrub quests.

"CITY RAT! Your reign of terror ends here! Long have I sought you out and here shall be our final confrontation!" *kills one* "Now only 9 more to go before villainy has been vanquished!"

And I found it was a lot of fun to do something so outlandish and in your face which was so against the quiet thoughtful type that it helped open the gateway to more role playing opportunities.

So my advice to you is to try something different. You sound shy like me so try something that isn't like, a silver tongued rogue, but an in-your-face barbarian, with fiery red hair and temper to match. Don't go for a complex 3 page backstory, but something nice and stereotypical to get your feet wet.

Also, there's no bad decisions to make in a game. Sometimes you'll do something dumb and yeah, hindsight is 20/20, but there's no bad decisions in a game. I used to worry about saying the wrong thing to NPCs and that'll shut you down pretty bad to the point where you won't say anything. Paladins, they don't worry about what to say, they worry about action and sitting around being a talky man is letting evil get away.

Be a paladin, don't be a talky man.

GeriSch
2012-08-12, 04:31 AM
Maybe you have to lighten up a bit - don't take it too seriously, after all it's just a game. You could try and make some silly anti-cliched type of hero, just for the fun of it.
I, for instance, am playing an elf pirate (technically a plain fighter) right now and he was a bit disappointed about his lack of facial hair which seem to be mandatory for real pirates, so he shaved his head clean and searched for someone who had access to sovereign glue to permanently create him a "beard". "How comes you are an elf and have a beard?" "You really know nothing about the ancient mystical race of elves which laid the foundation of modern piracy! Arrr!" :D
Think up some traits of a character which would make you laugh, and just incorporate them - and as other people already said, there are no wrong choices in this game, just enjoy the ride. And if you're botching something, at least try and make it spectacular ;)

gr,
Geri

kyoryu
2012-08-12, 12:44 PM
An idea that's kind of counter to some of the prevailing ideas of "play something you know well" is to play something that's totally dissimilar and alien. Doing so is a good way to get used to the idea of playing a character that's not you.

Another good idea is to just focus on one thing per session. Pick a trait or idiom, and just make sure you play that up. Next session, try a different one.

TwentyFold
2012-08-12, 06:51 PM
So far thank all that have posted and any others are welcome.:smallsmile: