Do you use accents/"funny voices" when playing your PC?

[reveal]

If you haven't heard the D&D 30th Anniversary piece from NPR yet, click here.

Very good report.

In this thread, http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=98198 some people complained the "funny voices" used by characters were detrimental in portraying a positive images of RPers to non-RPers. Some disagreed.

So here's my question to you: Do you use accents or "funny voices" when playing your PCs? I don't, but I don't think it hurts. I may just have to with my next PC. Sure would cut down on in-game/out-of-game comments confusion.

 

[derelictjay]

Yeah sometimes, but southern twang ain't that hard when your from Texas. And everybody tells me not to sing when I'm a bard (my favorite class), yep I'm that bad.

 

[maddman75]

I have before, and I do funny voices when DMing as well. Not every character, but if a character suits one I'm not afraid to do it. Part of being a good roleplayer is being willing to make yourself look foolish.

Besides, if any o' them scurvy dogs start bellyachin' about me characters, I just threaten ta make tha next one a proper buccaneer!

Arrr, Matey...

 

[Ashy]

Always.

 

[Turanil]

I don't do funny voices when roleplaying my PCs mainly because it's too tiring to maintain, and leads me very quickly to boredom. However, I did try, especially once when playing a halfling with a Swiss accent.

On the other hand I always do weird or funny voices and acting when portraying NPCs as a DM (of course if it is appropriate to the creature). It's really funny to portray Yuan-ti, harpies, and what not with voices and accents that seem appropriate. Ususally my players like it much. However, i am able to do this because NPCs and creatures in fact just need to be portrayed a few minutes, not hours after hours of gaming sessions.

 

[Umbran]

I vote a qualified "yes". Heavy accents are difficult to do reqularly and consistently. But I do try to vary my basic vocal tones and word choices for various characters. I try not to make them sound comical, unless the characteris supposed to be comical.

 

[Wombat]

If I am "in character", yes. If I am "out of character", no.

Same is pretty much true for all my gamers (except one who, as he says, "only has one voice").

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Same as wombat.

I have a 'stable' of over 100 voices that I've developed over the years.

Unfortunately, I can't do a female voice, so when I DM, NPC women are seen, not heard.

 

[SubMensa]

Like Umbran for most of my PC's I will adjust the timbre of my voice to match the characters disposition. Deeper for my recent paladin, and softer for the female rogue prior to that.

Only once have I been able to pull off an accent. I was playing a Ss’ressen (a lizard like creature) in an Arcanis game. Other than that, whenever I try to speak with an accent for any period of time I end up sounding like a drunken Scott. No matter how I started off.

Once however I played a mute character for a period of time, his back story included being slashed across the throat and loosing his voice that way. Not necessarily an accent, but definitely a role playing challenge to avoid shouting out advice like we normally do.

 

[Cithindril]

No offense to those who like to use differing voices for their characters, but I've never had the acting talent to pull it off convincingly without making the whole thing a farce. I think the important thing is to do whatever enhances the game for yourself and the other players. If it's distracting to some then I would shy away from it, if it makes the game better...go for it with gusto!