NPC's - How do you characterize?

[ThoughtBubble]

Mostly, I do voice and posture. I'll typically hold myself differently for the different characters. For the NPC elven ranger I'd typically straighten up, and look a little to the left. For the spoiled NPC hostage, I'd sit with arms crossed over chest, and slouch a little.

I've only got four or so speech patterns, but I vary it with accents, and the depth of the voices. Thez, the half ogre sherrif talks with a little gravel in his voice. The words all form down low in his stomach, and he's got a little cowboy that sometimes slips in.

There was one particular ghoul the party had to work with, I tried to cross Gollum and Agent Smith. They both have that same sort of tilt to their head and shoulders at moments, so I played that up, added a little rocking, and sort of blended their speech patterns, a little rambling, but also halting, and drawn out. That particular NPC freaked out my players for a long time to come.

 

[BSF]

There was one particular ghoul the party had to work with, I tried to cross Gollum and Agent Smith. They both have that same sort of tilt to their head and shoulders at moments, so I played that up, added a little rocking, and sort of blended their speech patterns, a little rambling, but also halting, and drawn out. That particular NPC freaked out my players for a long time to come.

Hey! That's cool. Anytime you can freak the players out is a good time in my book.