How should I roleplay an alchoholic character?

[DragonBaneDM]

I wanna make my Half-Orc Ranger an alchoholic. He's a pirate, but other than that I feel his roleplay is lacking aspects of realism.

So yeah. Yeah. I wanna make him a drunk. I drink, but only casually. How should he act, do you guys think?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Drink heavily more often. I recommend during games.

At least you'll no longer notice poor role-play.

[AFS]

How should I roleplay an alchoholic character?

Drunk

[Touchy]

Stumble around and slur your speech, don't always try to make sense, because you ARE drunk. Change your emotions rapidly, and never recall most of what happened when you were drinking.

Roleplaying a drunk is fun, unforunately 4e has rules for being drunk, and they aren't very beneifical, so I can't roleplay a drunk for fun (unless I'm a dwarf and I'm not drinking dwarven booze).

[Mando Knight]

He wakes up every night, stumbles to the cabinet, grabs his bottle, tries to take a swig, then disgustedly asks, "Why is the rum always gone?"

[Terazul]

Stumble around and slur your speech, don't always try to make sense, because you ARE drunk.

Alternatively, make sense in a completely nonsensical way. One time we had a guy who was constantly drunk, and always spoke in slam poetry.

[Doc Roc]

Drink heavily more often. I recommend during games.

At least you'll no longer notice poor role-play.

The hard way is the best way!
For the :: glugggg :: God-Emperor!

[Soonerdj]

A character who throughout the session starts off pissed, starts drinking when he gets a chance. Throughout the session you go from tipsy and generally happy to swigging your flask, breaking off into song and drunkenly fade off, starting fights, trash talking, and generally be a drunken lout.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

He should have some way of healing himself through drinking.

And a beard of some sort.

[9mm]

The hard way is the best way!
For the :: glugggg :: God-Emperor!

oh god, memories... nothing like calling to a fellow player only to find he's passed out.

[Angrist]

Mess up everyones move silently and hide checks, spend all your time in the taverns insted of buying supplies, get thrown in jail. Basicly get on everyones nerves, just like a real drunk person.

[Dust]

When sober, be irritable and poor-tempered.
When drunk, be louder than your party membersh, friendly as hell to them, NEVER think a plan through whatshoever, and remember that the FASHTEST way is also the BESHT way.

Three or four game sessions in, drunkenly admit that your middle name is Clancy. Start attempting to purchase a parrot companion. After ruining a stealth check and causing party glares, try to convince your companions that there'sh no such thing as bad ideas, they're jusht misunderstood.

[Grumman]

He should have some way of healing himself through drinking.

Poison Healer, from FC1.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Poison Healer, from FC1.

<Insert witty and incisive comment here>

[Serpentine]

Okay, a bunch of different options. Series #1, types of alco:
1. a) Hardcore alcoholic. Has been drinking so much for so long that it doesn't really effect him anymore. Always has a bottle of booze on hand, but is never really drunk. Probably gets the shakes and the like if he stops drinking for long (Dex penalty? Bonus vs. poisons? Definitely a bonus vs. effects of alcohol).
1. b) The tippler. As above, but to a lesser degree. More likely to have half a glass of wine on hand than a full bottle of rum. Will probably still get the shakes if he stops drinking for long, but can still be affected by booze if he drinks a large amount in a session as opposed to his usual regular little bit.
2. Binge drinker. Isn't always drunk, but prefers to be. Sober more often than drunk, but not necessarily by much. Will start a party at any opportunity. Has a stash of booze near to hand, but not actually in it. Likes to get other people drinking.
3. Somewhere in-between. Drunk more often than not, but occasionally sobers up (if only for an hour around breakfast). Possibly wild personality changes between drunk and sober - the latter possibly being largely defined by hangovers.
4. Secret drunk. Has alcohol hidden around, but doesn't want anyone to know how much and/or how often he drinks. May become a problem when he becomes too unreliable because of his regular drunkeness, or a particular private binge. Tends to drink alone.

Series #2, reason/s for drinking:
1. Likes the taste.
2. Likes the feeling.
3. To get drunk.
4. To forget.
5. To lose inhibitions.
6. Believes booze is necessary for fun.
7. Flat-out addiction - just a habit.
8. Bitterness.
9. Makes the world a bit easier to deal with.

No doubt there's more of each...

[Sstoopidtallkid]

<Insert witty and incisive comment here>

FISTBEARD BEARDFIST HAS NO NEED FOR WIT! He has his beard!

[Magnor Criol]

Mess up everyones move silently and hide checks, spend all your time in the taverns insted of buying supplies, get thrown in jail. Basicly get on everyones nerves, just like a real drunk person.

It'd be interesting to sort of go the OTHER way. Be more annoying when you're not drunk - maybe you're depressed when you're not drunk, or debilitatingly timid. Or maybe when you ARE drunk you come up with some amazing plans. Whatever the means, make your party appreciate you more when you're seeing the pink elephant. So eventually they're TRYING to slip you alcohol.

(Bonus points are awarded when the party pally is slipping you boozlehol himself)

[Soonerdj]

It'd be interesting to sort of go the OTHER way. Be more annoying when you're not drunk - maybe you're depressed when you're not drunk, or debilitatingly timid. Or maybe when you ARE drunk you come up with some amazing plans. Whatever the means, make your party appreciate you more when you're seeing the pink elephant. So eventually they're TRYING to slip you alcohol.

(Bonus points are awarded when the party pally is slipping you boozlehol himself)

+1 I like this. You could also be angry (if you are a half-orc and can't find a reason to be angry try harder) when sober but chill out when you start drinking.

[Dr.Epic]

I wanna make my Half-Orc Ranger...

What about a half-dwarf whose also half-dwarf? Can't go wrong with over used stereotypes.

[Galileo]

Show up to the game with Dylan Moran/Neil Gaiman style hair. Look down or away most of the time, and whenever you're addressed in game, look up really fast with your best crazy/blank stare. There is a good example in Black Books episode 2, but I can't find it on youtube, I'm afraid.

[Totally Guy]

For the :: glugggg :: God-Emperor!

At last, someone gets it right!

Really there's a dark side to alcoholism that's not just drunk all the time comic relief stuff.

Have him not admit to mistakes, blame others for everything and drink to escape his problems. I'm guessing he's an adventurer type. Well give him a family he's run away from. A family that blames him.

He could make everything better with just one little bit of effort to make contact. But when it comes to family and the people he loves most, he's weak and he'll drink to forget that.

[Fiery Diamond]

What about a half-dwarf whose also half-dwarf? Can't go wrong with over used stereotypes.

Other half, also orc.


...sorry, I had to.

[graeylin]

Each hour of the day that he has been drinking, use these effects (cumulative)..
+1 charisma
+1 charisma
-1 dex
+1 con
-1 wisdom
-1 intel
-1 charisma
-1 dex
-1 strength
-1 intel
-1 dex
-1 charisma
-1 wisdom
-1 dex
-1 charisma
-1 con
-1 strength
-1 dex

you get the picture.. the alcoholic will appear charming for a bit, then his lowered intelligence, wisdom will overcome that, and his charisma will drop. Any skill checks should be impacted as well, and as mentioned, likely everyone else with him too... move silent even more so if he is wearing loud metal armor, for example. he will be helpful to those trying to pick locks *Move, let me do it!* or negotiate. Lower any negotiation roles because people will dislike him after he is full blown drunk, and you by your association.

Also, remember to track his money. alcoholics spend money, not only on alcohol, but overspend on food, stupid items/impulse buying, and spread it around among their friends to buy them back.

Remember that for every year he has been an alcoholic, you may want to decrease his Con score permanently, or his wisdom/intelligence score too, by some small amount to reflect the damage to his body, immune system, and mind by the drug.

Also, remember the blackouts, as well as the impact of disease from sleeping it off in cold wagons overnight, alleys, ditches, etc.. Perhaps the additional bumps and bruises from trying to ride a bull while drunk, and being kicked in the chest or face. Or the fights, and the mysterious bruises he wakes up with from brawls he can't remember.

For real fun, have him drive a coach or wagon while drunk, and perhaps run over and kill an innocent woman or child, and then have the character try to live with the death of innocent on his hands, because of his choice to drink to excess and play god. Some time in gaol, all his magic items taken by the Barony for his crime, restitution to the family for the death.

[DragonBaneDM]

Oh WOW these are starting to get complex. I like the idea of me trying to get the party's pally to slip me booze, except it's gonna be the Avenger instead, since he had this whole "I died now I be stealthy" deal that no one understands.

He's also standing right over my shoulder saying, "Well that's not very nice...I'm armored by faith, DUH!"

[Primehunter74]

Simply take some levels in drunken master, that should help your character fight while drunk. Have him stumble around alot, hitting random targets (have him hit the other players once or twice for funny effect). Waking up with a strange tattoo helps as well.

[Touchy]

Simply take some levels in drunken master, that should help your character fight while drunk. Have him stumble around alot, hitting random targets (have him hit the other players once or twice for funny effect). Waking up with a strange tattoo helps as well.

Pointing this out...
VVV

Oh WOW these are starting to get complex. I like the idea of me trying to get the party's pally to slip me booze, except it's gonna be the Avenger instead, since he had this whole "I died now I be stealthy" deal that no one understands.

He's also standing right over my shoulder saying, "Well that's not very nice...I'm armored by faith, DUH!"

It's 4e.

There are rules for being drunk, I do not like those rules.

You can possibly enforce those rules on him, I have no idea where those rules are though.

[Sir Homeslice]

I've never seen the rules for being drunk in 4e. Like, ever.

[Kiren]

Watch Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3, you will find your answers

[Touchy]

I've never seen the rules for being drunk in 4e. Like, ever.

From what I've been told, they are rules for it. I do not particularly like the majority of negatives for a few postives.

I'll check for it in my DMG/PHB.

[JohnnyCancer]

It depends on what kind of a drunk the character is: violent, sloppy, clingy, laughing, charming, crying, combo, etc.

Does the character regard their drinking as a problem? Does anyone? Some drunks look like hammered dog crap, luckier drunks end up pickled in their prime and looking younger than their years.

If the character is a drunk and an adventurer then they're probably a functional drunk, but do they go into battle drunk? Will they refuse to go into battle otherwise?

Is there a religious aspect to it? Some campaigns have gods of drink, revelry, debauchery, or something similar.