How do you role play as a yuan-ti pureblood?

[sflame56]

I was reading how they are quite cold and have removed all emotions from themselves. They also always have a scheme going no matter who they help. What tips would you have to roleplay this out right in a interesting way.

[SaurOps]

In the context of what the default setup is for their society and most D&D worlds and cosmologies, you could try to run purebloods as that corporate recruiters for teams of freelancers that you often see in cyberpunk or post-cyberpunk fiction. As a pureblood, you wouldn't even really need to screw over the group in your schemes; you could just engineer unforeseen accidents for other groups, and promote yours as the best people for whatever jobs they're suited for. Eventually, you might even get them to come around to your side, but for the time being, everything is done in secrecy.

[Naanomi]

Emotionless doesn't mean evil for what it is worth (it helps though). There are good Yuan-ti here and there in the multiverse... they do good from a position of reasoned detachment; 'utilitarian calculus' types who seek to do the greatest good without getting emotionally involved. There are also lawful neutral 'just a little immoral' scientist yuan-ti out there as well (in spelljammer I think).

Also, yuan-ti are not completely emotionless; just good at keeping things suppressed. There are a few 'Hedonic snake cults' with yuan-ti who bottle up their emotions and release it in big passionate orgies and the like.

[mgshamster]

I would roleplay them as someone who has long term plans, and their alliance with the other PCs helps that long term goal.

In other words, I wouldn't really change the dynamics of the team play, and make their manipulations occur off screen and post campaign.

[Dalebert]

When my yuan-ti sorcerer was young (tier 1ish), he would suggest sacrifices of certain NPCs to Sseth(sp?) in hopes of ensuring success of the mission. There was a paladin who got really upset. I tried to explain how the NPC "deserved" it because they were a bad person. It was no use. I just jotted down a note in my journal--"Don't suggest human sacrifice in front of a paladin. Just do it yourself in private."

[tieren]

I think of adventuring Yuanti as spies. They are involved in long term, often covert operations, to promote the goals of their empire.

As such it is necessary for them to ingratiate themselves to members of other races and societies and will therefore work to appear more friendly and affable than they really are.

That said I also don't necessarily think they are all evil, a paladin of the crown could have very similar goals and motivations.

I am also toying with the idea of pretending to be a dragon sorcerer (to explain the scales) instead of being openly Yuanti.

[jaappleton]

Ever watch LEGO: Ninjago?

That. >_>