PDA

View Full Version : Mute Character - Phrases to Prepare



~Corvus~
2014-11-01, 08:04 PM
Hello Playgrounders,

I'm sure the idea of a mute character is not one you're unfamiliar to. However, I find myself playing a mute character, which I had not known: we are playing Monster PCs and the monster in question I'd selected--A Caryatid--was mute, but I hadn't seen the part of the entry. Go figure, that a statue is created and can't talk.

Rather than be all mopey, and rather than look for items with Telepathy (which are very expensive, beyond the 7 ECL pay-roll), I think it's a great idea to prepare a book of common phrases that my character can use! in a Wizard's spellbook (15 GP, a 25% discount on 100 pages of loose parchment).

So, then, bold playgrounders, this is where I turn to you? What are some fantastic phrases?

I have a few to start us off:


Yes, We know. We're very sorry.
Hello!
What seems to be the trouble?
How can I help?
Yes
No
That explains the smell.
How Much?
You're breaking my balls man.
Agreed.


What else could be helpful?

NikitaDarkstar
2014-11-01, 08:33 PM
My name is <name>
I apologize.
I apologize for my friends behavior.
I'll do it.
I am/We are innocent.
Please explain.
I don't understand.

Hmm, I'd also suggest group things into subsections. Have one section for bartering and phrases related to that, one for questioning, one for apologizing, etc.

~Corvus~
2014-11-01, 08:36 PM
My name is <name>
I apologize.
I apologize for my friends behavior.
I'll do it.
I am/We are innocent.
Please explain.
I don't understand.

Hmm, I'd also suggest group things into subsections. Have one section for bartering and phrases related to that, one for questioning, one for apologizing, etc.

Great idea! Like a dictionary.

Kid Jake
2014-11-01, 09:29 PM
I have no response prepared for that.
Hahahahahahahahaha*continued on back of card*hahaha!
Did I stutter?!
I'm not done with this conversation, just out of paper.
Did I ask your opinion?
What have I done?!!
I hate you too.
Let's never speak of this again.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-01, 09:31 PM
Oooh, who, what, when, where, why, and how, should all be their own things.

Maybe you should have pages with a header and a selection of related lines the character could point to. The header's big at the top, then you'd have the lines below it.
Sorta like:

I apologize-
-for my behavior
-for my friend's behavior
-for your circumstances
-for the misunderstanding
-for the smell
-for all the fire

What-
-Happened?
-Can I do?
-Do you mean?

and so on and so forth.

Oh, and keep in mind, any time they come a cross a situation where they would need a particular statement, the logical choice would be to add it to the book.
Could the book be enchanted to add an at-will ghost sound effect that could vocalize a given phrase?
You know, it would be kind of cool if you actually wrote the book pf phrases somewhere and everything you said ICly had to be in the book.

JHShadon
2014-11-01, 09:51 PM
"Your mother."

Kid Jake
2014-11-01, 10:02 PM
You know, it would be kind of cool if you actually wrote the book pf phrases somewhere and everything you said ICly had to be in the book.

Or set up a soundboard with the phrases on it.

~Corvus~
2014-11-01, 10:54 PM
You know, it would be kind of cool if you actually wrote the book pf phrases somewhere and everything you said ICly had to be in the book.

Well, the GM said that "anything that's not written on your character sheet doesn't exist."

THus, this bunch of phrases will help out quite a bit :smallbiggrin:

Honest Tiefling
2014-11-01, 11:13 PM
'Duck'
'Don't trust that person'

Milodiah
2014-11-01, 11:50 PM
"Run, you fools, run!"

Elana
2014-11-02, 12:49 AM
I am Groot

The question is why do you need a whole book, one page is more than sufficient for everything you might ever want to say ;)

~Corvus~
2014-11-02, 01:05 AM
I am Groot

The question is why do you need a whole book, one page is more than sufficient for everything you might ever want to say ;)

True. However, I'm not sure that having only 1 page of text is good here. Large text for maximum visibility is better, I think.

Gah, what am I thinking??? This character is supposed to start in a dwarven mining city!! Where's the shale boards and chalk?!?

GrayGriffin
2014-11-02, 01:19 AM
Depending on how close the party members are, you could also add some "code" pages-pages with phrases similar to ones on another page, but have completely different meanings.

~Corvus~
2014-11-02, 01:30 AM
Depending on how close the party members are, you could also add some "code" pages-pages with phrases similar to ones on another page, but have completely different meanings.

Now that's just amazing! Fantastic idea. We could even exclude the DM from this knowledge and change it every so often.

Milodiah
2014-11-02, 01:30 AM
Will you be the voice of reason of the group?

If yes, you will have a very hard job.

If no, "I think we should kill this entity" and "I think we should not kill this entitity" could probably suffice for the average D&D session :smalltongue:

~Corvus~
2014-11-02, 01:32 AM
Will you be the voice of reason of the group?

If yes, you will have a very hard job.


Thankfully, no, my character won't. If it happens that way, hoo boy...

Jokes
2014-11-02, 10:18 AM
Gah, what am I thinking??? This character is supposed to start in a dwarven mining city!! Where's the shale boards and chalk?!?

You're a statue, right? Why not write everything on yourself? Point to your chest where your name is to introduce yourself. Put "Hello" on your hand so people can see it when you wave. When you go to a new city you can rub all the writing off and switch dialects.

Waker
2014-11-02, 01:50 PM
Pfft, you people forget these are common phrases for an adventuring party.
-It was like that when we got here.
-What is your most volatile drink? (I chose volatile over strong, because characters don't want drinks that are merely potent. They want them to be violently unstable.)
-My friend seems to have misplaced his clothing. Have you seen it?
-If it bleeds, we can kill it.

Honest Tiefling
2014-11-02, 01:58 PM
Why bother writing on yourself? Write on walls, signs, party members, guards...

I have to ask, what class are you?

~Corvus~
2014-11-02, 02:23 PM
I have to ask, what class are you?

Hehe Crusader.

Honest Tiefling
2014-11-02, 02:46 PM
I suggest you prepare hand gestures (or sword gestures) to communicate with the party. Something tells me you'll be doing an awful lot of sword diplomacy...

Numbers might be a good idea, just in case.

~Corvus~
2014-11-02, 02:49 PM
Pfft, you people forget these are common phrases for an adventuring party.
-It was like that when we got here.
-What is your most volatile drink? (I chose volatile over strong, because characters don't want drinks that are merely potent. They want them to be violently unstable.)
-My friend seems to have misplaced his clothing. Have you seen it?
-If it bleeds, we can kill it.

Even if it doesn't bleed, we can kill it.

Totema
2014-11-02, 03:55 PM
Can't forget "Where's the restroom?" Something everyone should know.

Honest Tiefling
2014-11-02, 04:11 PM
Er...What does a A caryatid do in a bathroom? Put on make up? Use the privacy to prepare something illicit? Read a book?

I'd say unless you feel charitable the fleshies can find their own dang outhouse.

Zale
2014-11-02, 04:48 PM
"Please do not press charges, we are leaving now."
"I hope the people of this place are literate, my comrades."

Milodiah
2014-11-02, 05:01 PM
"I hope the people of this place are literate, my comrades."


How many languages are you going to be prepping this in?


Oh yeah, I forgot that in most settings everyone speaks monodialect Common to some extent and 3.5 made everyone but Barbarians literate for free.

I, for one, choose to torment my players by ignoring those two rules.

Bulhakov
2014-11-02, 05:35 PM
Maybe some pictographs for communicating with those that can't read?

I remember a great t-shirt idea for tourists with a ring of icons depicting some common questions someone can ask: airport, toilet, food, money exchange, doctor etc. A fantasy setting equivalent would probably have drawings of a smith, mage, temple etc?

GorinichSerpant
2014-11-02, 07:21 PM
"I'm mute"
and/or
"Oh no, I just like to write these"
if you want to be sarcastic.

In fact you can just have "I'm mute" under "Hello", it saves time and prevents confusion.

~Corvus~
2014-11-02, 07:39 PM
"Please do not press charges, we are leaving now."
"I hope the people of this place are literate, my comrades."

Bwahahaha great ones.

"I don't know these people; we're just walking together."


In fact you can just have "I'm mute" under "Hello", it saves time and prevents confusion.

That's a great suggestion!

Milodiah
2014-11-02, 07:39 PM
I think numbers would be best communicated using a small abacus, actually.

~Corvus~
2014-11-02, 07:43 PM
I think numbers would be best communicated using a small abacus, actually.

I think most common folk are illiterate in the ways of abacus. Perhaps even many merchants.

Milodiah
2014-11-02, 07:48 PM
I think most common folk are illiterate in the ways of abacus. Perhaps even many merchants.

I mean the simplified form of abacus with 10 beads per row, along with clear labellng. At the very least it would help with bartering, labelling one level as "copper", the next as "silver", then "gold", etc. All that would really call for is being able to count to 10.

KillianHawkeye
2014-11-03, 06:37 AM
I played a mute character once, a long time ago. Rather than going to all of the trouble of preparing a phrasebook, I merely acquired some chalk and a slate board (and a whiteboard and some dry-erase markers OOC) for communication purposes. I also cannot recommend highly enough using pantomime, body language, and facial expressions as your primary means of communication as it's a great exercise for improving your ability to roleplay.

Lord Torath
2014-11-03, 02:26 PM
"Look behind you!"

nedz
2014-11-03, 07:19 PM
Your phrases could relate to the fact that you are a statue; e.g.

My heart is made of Stone. Actually this one could be extended in all manner of ways, and even used ironically.
My heart is made of Stone, but that doesn't mean I don't care.
My heart is made of Stone, so is yours.
This floor feels wrong.
I have lost a splinter.
You crack me up.
etc.

Drynwyn
2014-11-03, 07:25 PM
"I am so sorry, that's never happened before".

Honest Tiefling
2014-11-03, 07:45 PM
'I respect your authority'...If being mute gives you a circumstance bonus to bluff, of course.