Character/personality rut

[Jdvn1]

I play paladins frequently. They're my favorite class. (And I think I'm one of maybe 15 or 20 gamers left in the world who can say that. )

Weirdo. In that case, try playing Rogues, Barbarians, or Druids. Something a bit more chaotic, y'know. Warlock, maybe.

There's a thought. I did something a little bit like that a few characters ago--he was a priest of St. Cuthbert, who would frequently ask people "Have you ever heard the Parable of St. Cuthbert and the [fill in the blank with something vaguely appropriate to what was going on at the time]?"

I should try that more often, and I'm wondering why it didn't occur to me at this point. Thanks for the thought.

No problem. In Nobilis, that's one of parts of character creation--a quote explaining your philosophy, that and a list of different things you might do. So, um, I can't claim the idea as my own.

 

[LogicsFate]

* Gestures. Sort of like physical catch phrases. Everyone has certain gestures they perform. I remember running an Al-Qadim game where the adventure involved the PCs questioning veiled women in a harem after a murder. I placed my hand in front of my mouth when speaking, and WOW! My eye movements and gestures sure became a lot more vivid. Consider having a unique gesture for each PC.

I'd like to second this one, It works absolute wonders when playing or DMing

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What first got me to get out of a rut was playing different systems...its hard to play a paladin in a universe where they don't exist- like a giant-mecha/anime setting! Still, barring that, identify what rut you are in, and put a typical PC in front of you while you design your next one. That way, you'll have it constantly in mind as a negative counterexample to avoid.

Some other hints:

Find a weapon you (or your comrades) don't usually use and figure out who would use it and why. It doesn't have to be exotic, polearms are typically underused for PCs.

Try a non-PHB race, like something from Savage Species. You'll be forced to play the outsider, treated like a barbarian even if you aren't one by class.

Use a class from Oriental Adventures or XPH if you can, assuming those are not usually used. Once again, this makes you play an outsider role, albeit from a potentially MORE cultured background.

Find an interesting PrCl and reverse engineer your PC.

Consider some of your favorite characters from fiction- even non-fantasy fiction- or history. I once made a great PC based on Batman and another on Iron Man. Another buddy of mine has one based on The Crow. I have also seen spiffy PCs based on Leonidas of Sparta and Abe Lincoln.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

My personal tendency is to play PC's in as competent, logical a manner as possible. I noticed some tending to blur together, so I try to find something in a PC to tweak that. I find that I do "buffoonish" reasonably well, so I often times pull that in, and I can do scheming and tricky, too - though when I do that I try to make sure that it's never scheming against the PC's, cause that never plays well.

So for example - one PC was a British Army Major. He was fairly buffoonish, but amusing to have around, and I could contribute in the "logic/tactic" field by drawing on his military skills.

Another was an elven wizard who was very logical and tactical, but who I played with a bit of daredevil aplomb. I used his chihuahua familiar for the comic relief element.

Another PC, way back when, was an alchemist - in the medieval "faker who is bilking noblemen out of their gold" sense. He was actually just a fighter when it came right down to it, with a high charisma and chaotic alignment.

I also concur with the idea of thinking up a catch phrase, or stylistic flourish for your PC. It makes a big difference.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Definitely some sound advice here.

Although I like playing paladins, I hardly restrict myself to them. Just in the past few years, I've PCed a paladin, a scout, a couple of clerics, a warlock, a necromancer, a (warforged) barbarian, and I'm about to start a druid.

The problem's not with my class selection. It is--as someone above noted--that I'm very much accustomed to taking the leadership role. I don't deliberately set out to do it, but it comes naturally to me. I don't even realize that I'm doing it until it's long done. And I tend to create characters who can play the leader, even if that's not their intent. Again, I don't think I do this deliberately, but it's the sort of character that appeals to me.

I'll definitely see about creating this druid in such a way that he's really not suited to lead, though it's an even bet whether that particular personality facet lasts more than a few games. (In addition to my own proclivities, I've found that if someone doesn't take charge, the group may not get anywhere. ) And I'll see if I can't come up with a few personality quirks or mannerisms.

Thanks much. Any other thoughts?

 

[Arrgh! Mark!]

Mouseferatu, we must have been conjoined twins .

I find that when I play (Rarely), I either take the leadership role naturally or simply nothing happens while I twitch with answers.

I'm also a paladin-player, quite often actually. Remember, small differences can be key. Being the normal forthright, morally upright and kick arse paladin -playing guy that I am, I came across the same problem.

I didn't want to simply change my abilities to a morally upright, forthright and kick arse wizard for instance.

So I chose Paladin yet again, but decided to make him older (34) and wiser than my normal paladin types. Every time a decision hit the party, I rubbed my growing hair (Ala the head samurai from Seven Samurai) and often mused my way through the problem (Or pretended to at least.)

The change in the party dynamic was rather drastic; My character's goals and motivations hadn't changed much and the character even had less troubles convincing the other characters to do something!

The only thing that had changed was a head-rubbing action and a single roleplaying trait - thoughtful.


My advice is to try something singular, one that isn't attention grabbing or anything. Try a small thing and keep at it. Instead of the morally upright, righteous kicker of demons bottoms, why not try a sarcastic kicker of demons bottoms, or something like that?

A simple change might be the most dramatic, and the easiest to actively drill into yourself.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Heh. All my characters are sarcastic. It's a personality trait of mine that I just can't shake no matter how hard I try, so I gave up trying to purge that one.

Your advice is sound, though, and we seem once again to be coming back to the "find a gesture" motif. I'm really going to have to try that. Thanks.

 

[The Grackle]

I do two things when I want to make an atypical character- pick a funny voice and an extreme characteristic. As long as I'm always thinking in terms of the character's philosophy, or code, or insanity, or life-goal or whatever, I won't think of them as me. And as long as I'm talking in a funny voice, I can't fall out of character while RPing.

Also I find that a good character takes awhile to develop. If you keep making new ones, maybe you're just not getting attached. I have shamelessly 'ported PCs from game to game, just b/c I wasn't done with them yet.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The problem's not with my class selection. It is--as someone above noted--that I'm very much accustomed to taking the leadership role. I don't deliberately set out to do it, but it comes naturally to me.

If THIS is the rut you're trying to escape, then skew the PC's stats so that you CANNOT be the leader. A low INT, WIS, or CHA should do the trick if you are a good role-player.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I'd like to second this one, It works absolute wonders when playing or DMing

I had an insane NPC wizard who had convered his body in magical tatoos, and while talking he would unconciously trace the tatoos with his fingers. It did wonders to bring the NPC to life, and it really freaked the players out, they said I did the NPC very well, a mixed blessing since he was insane.

So, I'll concur, gestures work wonders.

If THIS is the rut you're trying to escape, then skew the PC's stats so that you CANNOT be the leader. A low INT, WIS, or CHA should do the trick if you are a good role-player.

And hillarity will surely ensue as players who arn't used to leading the party stumble around trying to make decisions. I speak from experience. It's great!