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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Amaroq" data-source="post: 1454545" data-attributes="member: 15470">One thing you might try is to pick a character from one of your favorite books. In one campaign, I've done exactly that: I took a character in a book I've read over and over. I totally love the character, and pretty much know how the character would react for almost any situation - and if the DM surprises me, well she's surprised, too! In particular, that has really helped me relate to a class which I'd have said "I just don't get" before I started playing it. The advice to "pick a voice" is very good - good role-players, like actors or writers, find that when they are speaking with the voice, or "in character", they are unable to say anything which the character wouldn't say. For some people, affecting a different voice helps with that. It can help separate 'the character' from 'you', and can also make clear to the DM and players when the characters is asking a question aloud, and when you are asking for clarification. Another trick there is to give yourself some 'stock phrases'. 'By Clangeddin's Beard!' the dwarf says any time he's astounded. Work with it until one day, when the GM surprises you personally, you respond 'By Clangeddin's Beard! ...' and then the next in-character sentence just rolls off your tongue, because you're in-character. It feels particularly good compared with, "Uh, ummm, I guess I say,..."Another thing I'd say is 'avoid cliche'. If you're relying on a cliched character concept, then you're only setting the character's surface, you aren't creating their depths. What you really want is to know when the character would be really angry, and to know when the character would be deeply hurt, to know what makes them happy, and to know what's important in their mind. A good thing to think of is 'What is my character afraid of?'Also, remember, playing a role does only work with certain groups. If you're in a group where you want something very different from what everyone else in the group wants, you should consider walking away from that group and finding another one. I've seen a group close friends unable to 'play together' due to differences in the definition of what role-playing was, and also seen that everyone was much happier when the group adjusted to consist of players with a similar definition of what they were after. Finally, don't limit yourself. Afraid of saying the wrong thing? So what! You'll realize later, "Oh, man, my character would never have said that." Oh well! Who cares? Your character came off a little flat this adventure? You were having an off day. So? .... you can cripple yourself by over-analyzing it, but trust me, this is one realm where its much better to make the attempt and learn by error than to sit silent. "Just do it!"And let us know how it goes.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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