Role Playing Advice for a Arcane Trickster Rogue?

[Baxter2072]

Hello I am still kinda new to tabletop role playing games so I am working on getting better. Recently I have made a rogue and last session we got level 3 so I choose Arcane trickster.However I feel I didn't really do much to portray the character well. (His name is cedric Reyne)

-His backstory is that he is the son of an ex-harper turned freelance spy/info broker who lived in the city of neverwinter. After his father acquired incriminating evidence regarding a lord's rights to his lordship the lord sent assassins after my character and his father. Eventually they were captured and tortured ,but with the help of his owl familiar Cedric escaped.Not his father(it is unknown whether he is dead or just imprisoned). On the rode and hunted he now has taken up a different identity. He now is on ambitious path for personal power and revenge.

-He is Charming and manipulative,but deep down he is good. He has just had a rough life and I made him younger so he has no idea what he is really getting into. Also for fluff I made his owl familiar really wise so it basically acts as a extra conscience always trying to make him do good.

[Ninja_Prawn]

The heart of roleplay is decision making. Whenever your character is faced with a choice, try to think about what he would do, instead of what you would do.

Does he stand and fight, or try to escape? Does he try to save the beautiful dragon himself, or look for others to help him? Does he slay the evil princess, or let her live?

You don't have to decide everything in advance, either. Sometimes you get put into difficult situations and learn something about your character that, up to now, even you didn't know.

[JellyPooga]

I'll second Ninja_Prawns advice. It's good.

Additionally, your guy's been tortured. That's a pretty big deal, so you need to decide how it has affected his personality.
- Does he flinch at the thought or mention of certain items, actions or phrases?
- Is he willing to use similar methods himself, or does he abhor even roughing someone up a little to get information?
- Does he avoid the subject of his past or is he willing to share the story of how his father might still be alive (the latter is probably not a good idea if he's trying to live under a different name, though!)?
- Does he still bear the physical scars of his experience? If so, how does he react to any questions about them? Does he shut down and murmur some excuse? Does he brag some false story how he got them? Does he get violent? Does he tell the simple truth?

As the Prawn mentioned, you don't need to make a decision about every detail in advance, but it's worth thinking about these kind of questions. Put yourself in your characters head and imagine some scenarios. Better yet, write some scenarios for yourself and then imagine what Cedric might do in them.

[sophontteks]

Think hard on what it means to be 'good'. That's a very broad word filled with problems. We all think we are good, we all want to be good, but there are numerous atrocities committed by good guys every day. Your character has his own perception of good, which others may not find very good at all. Afterall, in the world there is no good, or evil, just cause and effect and ultimately we are not omniscient enough to determine if any decision we make is any better or worse then another.

Even in the most obvious cases. Kill a tyrant. good? Right up until a fanatic group seizes the opportunity to oppress the people even further.

My point is people who believe they are good are generally bad, because their beliefs often cloud their judgement. This would be very fitting for a character who was tortured for doing what he believed was good. Developing it further, he may believe its good to kill all of the corrupt, or that its good to whip a prison guard to death with his own whip. He may believe its good to shake up the institutions, or steal from rich people.
Lots to think about for a single word.

[CNagy]

In regards to playing the Arcane Trickster itself, give a thought to how your character will treat, refer to, and use magic. Does he see himself as a Rogue with a few tricks up his sleeve? Is he enamored with magic, or just see it as a tool? Is he a Rogue by training/upbringing/circumstance but fancies himself an eventual Wizard at heart? Does he rely on it, or use it as a means of last resort?

Magic is what sets the Arcane Trickster apart from other Rogues, and his relationship with magic is what sets your Arcane Trickster apart from other Arcane Tricksters.

[Ninja_Prawn]

In regards to playing the Arcane Trickster itself, give a thought to how your character will treat, refer to, and use magic. Does he see himself as a Rogue with a few tricks up his sleeve? Is he enamored with magic, or just see it as a tool? Is he a Rogue by training/upbringing/circumstance but fancies himself an eventual Wizard at heart? Does he rely on it, or use it as a means of last resort?

Magic is what sets the Arcane Trickster apart from other Rogues, and his relationship with magic is what sets your Arcane Trickster apart from other Arcane Tricksters.

Good point. As it goes, I'm playing an AT at the moment, and this was one of the things I did give a bit of thought to. In her case, she sees magic as a means to an end. She's got a lot of natural talent for it, but she doesn't really care to develop that talent into anything more than the basics; other things are more important to her.

Therefore, when we are presented with magical puzzles, she defers to the cleric/wizard, even though she has the exact same Wis and Int scores that he does and could probably solve most of them herself.

[Baxter2072]

Thinks this is a lot advice

-With the torture he doesn't talk about his past because of being in hiding and he also doesn't want to think about it.
-He does have scars and if asked about them he will grow distant and try to change the conversation

-His form of "good" is probably evil to many. Greed,Ambition,and Revenge cloud his judgement. He sees himself as a hero trying to find his place in this world. Also I do think he would be willing to torture someone. I made it so he is very similar to his own worst enemy (The lord)

-I actually have him under a completely fake name right now. Cedric's travel companions think he is Aramis Blythe a rogue from Baldur's Gate thieves guild.

-He sees magic mostly as a useful tool of the trade much like a lockpick or dagger.

[djreynolds]

I played and loved the AT. Don't be afraid to snatch levels of wizards. It'll give you more spell choices. Like levitate or divination stuff you don't get. A few levels will give you some extras. I'm not talking fireballs just things that allow you to get to places. A few levels will expand your spells known.

Maybe stealing something from this tyrant is enough to set him straight. Like his Pokemon cards or GI Joes.

You have to hurt him, don't have to kill him. And he will know it was you.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Maybe stealing something from this tyrant is enough to set him straight. Like his Pokemon cards or GI Joes.

Hey, pokemon cards are serious business. Especially if he's got a shiny charizard!

[Baxter2072]

Cedric definitely wants to cause this lord(named Silas Howe) some pain after all the guy captured him and his father and had them tortured.

[Safety Sword]

Cedric definitely wants to cause this lord(named Silas Howe) some pain after all the guy captured him and his father and had them tortured.

Sounds like a decision making point to me.

Every choice should be in the context of getting closer to the inevitable (in his eyes) revenge that must be exacted.

The character might even be less excited about things such as travelling too far from the target if there wasn't some tangible reason to do so.

[Baxter2072]

He will be traveling mostly because he knows he wants to get revenge ,but he is scared of confronting this lord because he is more powerful then cedric. So cedric is biding time and trying to get power/experience so he is ready to take revenge

I do not know how the game will go ,but my goal is to eventually have Cedric grow to be loyal to his companions thus be willing to travel with them more. As well as maybe become a better person along the way

[Safety Sword]

He will be traveling mostly because he knows he wants to get revenge ,but he is scared of confronting this lord because he is more powerful then cedric. So cedric is biding time and trying to get power/experience so he is ready to take revenge

I do not know how the game will go ,but my goal is to eventually have Cedric grow to be loyal to his companions thus be willing to travel with them more. As well as maybe become a better person along the way

Like I said, he has a reason to travel then. A power imbalance that he intends to correct. I would probably frame it as searching for an item/person/location that is a well spring of power to help him win because I would let my character know that fighting more monsters will lead to "experience".

All of this is just my view though, you can basically handle it any way you like :smallbiggrin: