I guess I do not use "silly" voices, I use culturally/regionally appropriate voices. Being able to do a host of real world accents, plus creating my own, allows the players to know when an NPC is talking and when I am talking. Two of my players play faen (from Arcana Evolved) and they use a high pitched voice when talking in character. Another plays a litorian and tends to speak more gruff and bruskly. Another plays an effete elf nobleman, so he speaks with a slightly aloof tone.
Character voices
- Thread starter Thandren
- Start date
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
I'm a big fan of voices, especially when I DM, but as a player also.
The only 'silly' voice I've used as a player (that I recall, at any rate!) was a halfling paladin based on Sir Didymus from Labyrinth. Ha ha! Have at thee, foul wrrrretch!
The worst example I can remember was Calamar, the female elven Fighter/Rogue/Bard/Ranger, played by a guy we used to game with. He based her personality on a dumbed-down Phoebe (from Friends), and her voice was a whiny falsetto. It was infectious... he'd often have the whole table talking in the upper register...
My most recent amusement as a DM was Marjory the Otyugh, based on the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock. Well hel-lo, dah-links. What seems to be your trouble, hmm?
-Hyp.
The only 'silly' voice I've used as a player (that I recall, at any rate!) was a halfling paladin based on Sir Didymus from Labyrinth. Ha ha! Have at thee, foul wrrrretch!
The worst example I can remember was Calamar, the female elven Fighter/Rogue/Bard/Ranger, played by a guy we used to game with. He based her personality on a dumbed-down Phoebe (from Friends), and her voice was a whiny falsetto. It was infectious... he'd often have the whole table talking in the upper register...
My most recent amusement as a DM was Marjory the Otyugh, based on the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock. Well hel-lo, dah-links. What seems to be your trouble, hmm?
-Hyp.
sniffles
First Post
I like to have a different speech pattern for my characters. My elf fighter from Evereska, for example, is rather formal and quaint in his speech. My Valenar elf, on the other hand, is pretty terse and blunt. If I were better at accents I'd do those too.
One of my friends runs a gnome druid in one game and always uses sort of a high-pitched nasal voice that might be interpreted as 'silly'. But you definitely know when he's talking in character, and it helps to create a mental image of the character for the other players.
One of my friends runs a gnome druid in one game and always uses sort of a high-pitched nasal voice that might be interpreted as 'silly'. But you definitely know when he's talking in character, and it helps to create a mental image of the character for the other players.
Olaf the Stout
Legend
I only occasionally use different voices when I GM. One of my players is running a split personality PC though and uses 2 very distinct voices for the 2 personalities. It makes it a lot easier and keeps everyone "in-game" since no-one has to ask which character is in control now.
Olaf the Stout
Olaf the Stout
awayfarer
First Post
Both of the ongoing games I'm in are now played over Openrpg so it hasn't really come up. I try to type up what ym character would say precisely as they would say it however.
My MERP group used to be tabletop. I think I did the voice of my dwarven fighter for the first two or three sessions. Nobody else voiced there characters and I eventually dropped it because I felt a little out of place.
My MERP group used to be tabletop. I think I did the voice of my dwarven fighter for the first two or three sessions. Nobody else voiced there characters and I eventually dropped it because I felt a little out of place.
Aeric
Explorer
I do it sometimes when portraying NPCs. The elves in one campaign had British accents, which I thought was appropriate since they were Imperialist a-holes. When they spoke elven, however, I dropped the accent. I thought it was clever, at least. *shrug*
The last dwarf I played had a Scottish accent (it was for a one-shot, so I knew I wouldn't have to keep it up!).
The last dwarf I played had a Scottish accent (it was for a one-shot, so I knew I wouldn't have to keep it up!).
BullMarkOne
First Post
I'm a pretty big fan of accents in general. Most of my pc's have a bad accent of some sort, a few will even have unique vocal qualities.. but not too many because I dont have that great a range.
I have, on occasion, when dm'ing, used a high falsetto for female characters.
I have, on occasion, when dm'ing, used a high falsetto for female characters.
Robert Ranting
First Post
I tend to joke around and do silly voices and impressions all the time, but especially when I'm gaming.
As a player, I've been complemented on my ability to keep up an accent while remaining conversational (and vocal) throughout sessions. As a DM, my abilities get stretched a little thin, however, and I become somewhat self concious about trying out new voices for fear they sound like crap.
The two voices that got the most use belonged (not coincidentally) to the two characters I played in 2-year campaigns.
Anaphris, my Loresong Faen Magister (Roughly Gnome Wizard in D&D terms, if you're not familiar with Arcana Evolved) was my attempted impersonation of Malcolm McDowell, sort of a gravelly, cultured, menace to it, while kicking it up higher so that he would sound small. Many have noted that it sounds something like the lead singer of Prodigy, which resulted in "Firestarter" becoming his themesong. "The sreaming is just a reflex. Repeated tests have proven that the spell inflicts death far faster than the nerve conduction velocity"
Mayhew Engels, my Pseudo-Slavic Socialist Holy Liberator, had a rather thick Russian accent. While not perfect by any means, one of the other Players was a language major focusing on German and Russian, and she complimented it. Still, I had to make the occassional joke.
"Everything in life have purpose. Ski-vi-gi-ly (Squiggly) things purpose is to die, and make Mayhew look 'eroic!"
My biggest problem with voices is keeping Scottish and Irish straight (Thanks Mr. Doohan) and coming up with effective voices for Authority figures that don't seem utterly alike. Still working on that one.
As a player, I've been complemented on my ability to keep up an accent while remaining conversational (and vocal) throughout sessions. As a DM, my abilities get stretched a little thin, however, and I become somewhat self concious about trying out new voices for fear they sound like crap.
The two voices that got the most use belonged (not coincidentally) to the two characters I played in 2-year campaigns.
Anaphris, my Loresong Faen Magister (Roughly Gnome Wizard in D&D terms, if you're not familiar with Arcana Evolved) was my attempted impersonation of Malcolm McDowell, sort of a gravelly, cultured, menace to it, while kicking it up higher so that he would sound small. Many have noted that it sounds something like the lead singer of Prodigy, which resulted in "Firestarter" becoming his themesong. "The sreaming is just a reflex. Repeated tests have proven that the spell inflicts death far faster than the nerve conduction velocity"
Mayhew Engels, my Pseudo-Slavic Socialist Holy Liberator, had a rather thick Russian accent. While not perfect by any means, one of the other Players was a language major focusing on German and Russian, and she complimented it. Still, I had to make the occassional joke.
"Everything in life have purpose. Ski-vi-gi-ly (Squiggly) things purpose is to die, and make Mayhew look 'eroic!"
My biggest problem with voices is keeping Scottish and Irish straight (Thanks Mr. Doohan) and coming up with effective voices for Authority figures that don't seem utterly alike. Still working on that one.
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