Character/personality rut

[Mouseferatu]

I'm finding myself in a bit of a rut with my PCs as of late. It's not that I'm only playing the same class, or the same type of character, or anything like that. It's that I seem to have lost the ability to differentiate them in terms of the actual RPing.

They start out differently enough, sure. But after two or four games, as the newness wears off, I find myself reverting back to playing them the same as all my other characters. That's to be expected to an extent, of course--our characters are all facets of ourselves, and there are certain personality traits that I simply am not going to be able to shake. But I'd like to portray them a bit more differently than I have been.

So, I'm certain others of you have seen this happen, and I'm curious. What little tricks and techniques do you use to keep yourself "in-character," or to ensure that you behave and even speak as your character would, rather than as you yourself would?

 

[Jdvn1]

Trying playing a Paladin?

In PbP games, reading my own background and personality is useful for staying in character for me. In my FtF games, the same is true. Before each game, go over your character's background and personality in your head. Take notes on it. Come up with in-character catch-phrases.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Trying playing a Paladin?

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. )

Come up with in-character catch-phrases.

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.

 

[Quickleaf]

That's funny, my friends are always telling me I have the reverse problem. All these character voices trapped in my head talking at once.

Besides reducing the number of PCs you run, here are some cool tricks I used as a GM to distinguish between multiple NPCs:

* Facing. As in, which direction I'm facing. This is a technique used by storytellers across the world. If I'm facing 45 degrees to the right with my head cocked that's Duke Dunderhead, but if I'm facing 45 degrees to the left with my chin in my chest that's Mortius the Sage. Very good trick.

* 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.

* Emotional Content. I think most games can benefit from increased emotional involvement, but it's not everyone's style. Role-playing anger seems to be the easiest, but there's a whole gamut of emotions to bring into the game: lust, loyalty, loss, etc. The more emotionally involved you are in a situation the more likely you are to remember it.

* Shadow. This technique came from the WOD Wraith game. Every PC has a dark side, and another player in the group takes on your dark side. Consider it a personality reality check. When you start acting out of character or losing your edge, your "Shadow" will inform you: Hey, we could really come out on top if this spy sneaks by; besides, no point in risking your life after the way the king insulted you! When the "Shadow" speaks, the player uses some kind of cue, like speaking in a sinister voice, or leaning across the table and whispering to you, or holding up a playing card, etc.

* Identify Your Pattern. It's not uncommon for players to have one or two roles they love to slip into time and time again. Identify what your pattern is, for example: Strong dutiful types tempted by lust and the quick road to power. Be aware of this trend and compare your current PC to your "natural" role-playing role, noting any differences. You might ask your GM/players to remind you when you slip into the generic role: "Theodoras already rules a kingdom. He is not tempted by the quick road to power, though he is tempted by appearing benevolent to his people."

* Rubberband on the wrist?

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Quickleaf has some really good ideas above (any Drama background there? ).

My group always wonders why I have to play characters that are so... different. A lot of it comes from wanting to get the character right and producing something so different from me that it is strangely believable.

Mouseferatu, like you, I'm most likely in that 15 to 20 in terms of Paladins. In fact, this was spawned by the comments of one player who thought I was not playing a real paladin. My character was somewhat pompous, ridiculously good yet at the same time lacking in wisdom if not intelligence. The DM loved it as the paladin suited his deity so well.

Since then, I have done my best to show this player that there are many ways of playing a paladin. Another is a very intelligent bluffing charismatic type who actually lacks a little self confidence although his heart is certainly in the right place.

And then I played the cheesy lawful stupid paladin that was such a stereotype, everyone thought it was an absolute crack up. The three personalities however were all very different, each coming from an entirely different background.

Currently I'm playing a genocidal, cult leader of an alienist who has reformed somewhat from his dark past. For me, I just try to make each character so unique in my mind that people will instantly know - hey, he's in character with Lucifus now. In fact with this latest character - easily the most difficult to get "right" - I made up an incredibly elaborate background. By referring in game to these different things, he has become very "real". (In fact if you wish to read a little bit further about Lucifus Cray, follow the link in my signature).

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Raven Crowking]

Pick up Dynasties & Demagogues, and convince your DM to allow you to take a personality feat from that book. The personality feats allow you to gain an action point for meeting certain personality goals....and these goals are not "kill the monsters & take their stuff."

IMC, I am planning on giving these away as free feats. Everyone gets one, and good luck with it.

****

For NPCs (and even PCs), I often use a "defining trait" or "defining interest" -- what the old FASA games called a "recognition handle". People do not always choose spells, for example, on the basis of combat effectiveness. A wizard who is a birder might have spells designed to allow him to see birds up close (perhaps even become a bird) or emulate bird traits. Likewise, a barbarian with a lion totem might consider the adventuring party to be her "pride". She might have quite a few stealth skills, and treat combat as a "stalk and strike" activity by preference.


Don't be afraid to reduce the overall effectiveness of a character by building along personality lines. Spells, feats, and skills can be chosen to create a certain effect. Once the character is built in a certain way, role playing becomes easier because you've made yourself more effective along a particular path.


RC

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

You aren't the only person I have heard of who feels this way. I think that there are certain comfort levels that people have with characters. For instance, take the player who enjoys wizards or fighters (as two opposite extremes). The wizard player likely falls into a 'trap' of bookish or mysterious or taking on the role of the 'arcane master' whereas the fighter type tries to be the militant swordsman.

One thing I like to try from time to time (when I actually get to play as opposed to run a game) is play the standard class I like but put a twist on it. Maybe a militant and/or religious wizard. Maybe a somewhat frightened fighter who picked up the sword somewhat reluctantly.

I think you'll find that playing something unusual or different while sticking with the traditional classes opens up some new doors.

 

[Wombat]

Quickleaf had some good ideas. One of his best ones was simply Identifying The Pattern.

I have had a number of characters over the years (not as many as I would like because I am usually Behind The Screen ). I took a look at about a dozen of them (mentally; I don't keep a lot of old character sheets) and found out that, no matter how diverse they at first appeared, most of them had a trait in common -- they were all social/racial oddballs who were rather friendly and determined to "fit in" and keep the group together. Some of this stems from my view of myself and some of it stems from watching several parties in games that shattered as they had not internal cohesion.

Having identified the pattern, I went out of my way to break it. The next time round I created a character that fit within the social norms but had to be actively convinced to be part of the party; that was extreme and the character didn't last long (died due to an overly large insect), but it really helped me break the mold. Since then I have thought about how my character will or will not reflect on my common theme. Sometimes I accept the theme in total, other times I take part of the theme. Sometimes I try to create new themes.

The point is that since I have identified my "standard type", I can now work to come up with something else in the game

 

[Quickleaf]

Quickleaf has some really good ideas above (any Drama background there? ).

You make a great point about mentioning the PCs' background during the game. As for me, nope, no drama background, but I used to tell stories for youth at a public library & orphanage.

The point is that since I have identified my "standard type", I can now work to come up with something else in the game

Man, that's a hard "standard type" to break - the one who keeps the group cohesive! Yikes! If you can break that one you can break anything! Btw, awesome Ars website!

 

[Mercule]

Find something you (as a person or a player) normal avoid, then make it the cornerstone of your next character.

If you like to play paladins, then I'll use the example of duty. You, as a player, may feel that you are bound to duty or carrying your own weight in the group. Make a lazy SOB of a character, maybe a playboy bard. Don't just make "lazy" a trait of the character, make it the defining trait of the character. It isn't anything that can be resolved or "grown out of", it's his very core.

Look for something out-of-genre, too. I played a character who was the son of a merchant. He pushed really hard to get the PCs to come up with a formalized treasure dividing system, an order of hierarchy, and a party treasury. Then, he managed to get named as treasurer -- and as the registrar for the group in the Greyhawk Adventurers' Guild. Sure, I still thought the same in combat, but it gave a different dynamic to the group.

For a real challenge, play a dyed in the wool pacifist. I did it once in 2E and that's a real trick. In fact, the attension required for that character is why, after only running for two months, ten+ years ago, I still use the character's name as a handle.

A hunch, since you're an active poster and a professional writer, is that you're commonly in a leadership or "face" position, by default. Make a character who almost can't draw too much attension to himself. Not a low-charisma half-orc who smashes everything. Maybe a Diviner with a stutter. Or a Monk with a vow of silence.

A taboo like can't lie, can't tell the truth, can't touch metal, etc. might work, too.

Sure, a lot of these could be really cheesy. But the point is to do something forcibly different. Cheese may factor in, in the short term.