How do you play a character: who does not know how there ablitys work?

[Dragonkingofth]

How do you play a character who does not know how there ability work? Say a sorcerer just born into there power and no idea about how it really works, or (my favorite example) the street fighter urchin who just accidentally start using ki? A freshly pacted warlock? or a bard who has no idea why he can cast spells and just accidentally makes people's head's explode with an insult?

Is it even possible to role play a character who has no idea, while you do? It seems a fun idea in theory, but the dichotomy between a sorcerer who does not know how to cast web, while you do, seems it would torpedo the whole character concept.

[ciarannihill]

I'm of the opinion, and there are certainly going to be some who disagree with me, that these types of characters know how to do the things they do...They just don't necessarily understand why they can do them. Perhaps new powers have a testing period, but by and large that's how I run it.

[Ventruenox]

I think that the Stupid Eldritch Knight can be an excellent example of this concept. If you can come up with some decent backstory as to why they don't understand how these effects are manifesting, it is an opportunity for roleplay gold. I once had an idea for a Gully Dwarf as an Eldritch Knight who would eat magically infused crystals, and would be completely surprised when casting abjuration spells.

[GlenSmash!]

Seems pretty easy to me. I would just describe it differently.

In desperation I reach my hand out hoping that something will stop my foe (casts web).

I look in wonder at my own hands. Where did that spider web come from?

[Grey Watcher]

I generally assume that the various supernatural powers come with a sort of instinctive knowledge of how to use them. Think of the Creature in the Darkness from Order of the Stick using "Escape". He didn't know it was a thing he could do, he was just so desperate to see O-Chul get to safety, he reacted instinctively did it, like putting up your arms to shield your face or something.

That would be how I'd play it.

Though with a Warlock or a Cleric, you might have the amusing situation that the character isn't doing the magic at all, but the patron/deity is. When a pillar of holy fire manifests to smite the ghoul, Pastor Jane is just as surprised as anyone (which also neatly explains why it costs her her action). Bob the Warlock's eyes glaze over as Oberon momentarily takes control to fire off an Eldritch Blast.

[Slybluedemon]

How do you play a character who does not know how there ability work? Say a sorcerer just born into there power and no idea about how it really works, or (my favorite example) the street fighter urchin who just accidentally start using ki? A freshly pacted warlock? or a bard who has no idea why he can cast spells and just accidentally makes people's head's explode with an insult?

Is it even possible to roleplay a character who has no idea, while you do? It seems a fun idea in theory, but the dichotomy between a sorcerer who does not know how to cast web, while you do, seems it would torpedo the whole character concept.

It would be a challenge but you could RP it. You could RP it like throwing up, it's happening but you can't stop it.

Your Character needs to defend him/herself from a pack of wolves and then the Eldrich Blast just fires from his/her body.

After the first time you use the power, maybe you can feel it inside like a lake or body of water, ready to flow out.

[Naanomi]

I played a Dwarven Wild Sorcerer; took no spells with material components; verbal and somatics were all just pointing and screaming gibberish... when even that happens since subtle spell covered much of my casting... and hated and feared my own uncontrollable powers

[mormon_soldier]

You could separate your spells and cantrips into a few different categories (offensive, defensive, sport, for example) and assign them dice values. When your character is angry or wants to hurt someone you roll to see what offensive spell your instinct casts. For role-playing, you could have it start out completely random and narrow the categories as you level up. Or maybe if you roll a certain spell so many times, the character figures out how to cast that one and can do so without rolling.

[The Cats]

I played a Dwarven Wild Sorcerer; took no spells with material components; verbal and somatics were all just pointing and screaming gibberish... when even that happens since subtle spell covered much of my casting... and hated and feared my own uncontrollable powers

I played a similar cahracter for a one-shot. My DM didn't pay much attention to components so I didn't have the restriction on spells though.

It was pretty great: I spent most of the time trying to convince the rest of the party that no, seriously, I DO have magic powers! I mean, I can't prove it right now but I KNOW I do!

Casting spells was stuff like "Oh god! Hurry up and kill it!" [Haste]
"Why's it looking at me? Why's it looking at ME? MAKE IT STOP LOOKING AT ME!" [Blindness]
"... did anyone try the doorknob?" [Knock]

I never did manage to convince the party. The ONE time I purposely (in-character) cast a spell with an obvious magical effect (Silent Image of an armoured knight) they assumed it was an ally of the now-dead Paladin who had been following us the whole time. "But he appeared out of nowhere!" "Hey man, Rhyson made that skeleton EXPLODE with his hammer. We don't know what all Paladins can do!" They didn't even give me a share of the reward at the end because from their perspective I never actually DID anything XD

[Vogie]

It could be done, with a lot of work for the DM. You'd basically show up without a character sheet, and they'd throw things at you, and how you'd react would judge how they decide your abilities happen.

I've only heard someone do it once, a podcast one-shot, I think from a convention. However, the entire one-shot was like that - The DM had character sheets, assigned the characters to various players without their knowledge, and played it like a Jason-Bourne-Meets-Misfits type of deal. None of the players had a clue what they were playing, just started RP-ing and rolling die.

Obviously, all of the prep & planning was done by the DM, specifically for that small one-shot. But You could pull off something similar, where you slowly tease out your abilities over time, and eventually work your way up to actually getting a copy of your character sheet as you figure out just how strong, fast, smart, wise, and powerful you are, and have some agency on where to go next.

But you'd just be doing the fun part... it'd be a fair bit of work for the other people at the table.

[Avigor]

How do you play a character who does not know how there ability work? Say a sorcerer just born into there power and no idea about how it really works, or (my favorite example) the street fighter urchin who just accidentally start using ki? A freshly pacted warlock? or a bard who has no idea why he can cast spells and just accidentally makes people's head's explode with an insult?

Is it even possible to role play a character who has no idea, while you do? It seems a fun idea in theory, but the dichotomy between a sorcerer who does not know how to cast web, while you do, seems it would torpedo the whole character concept.

He's surprised when he pulls off something impressive for starters. I like the idea of a chaos sorcerer who takes as many chaos/insanity type spells as possible, chooses the rest randomly, and basically "experiments" in-character to figure out which other spells he knows.

[ImproperJustice]

I was thinking of Elsa from frozen.

Needs stairs.....BAM! Stairs.
Creates life, creates dresses, ice walls, etc.....

Given time and experience you then develop mastery.