role-playing accents, dialects, voices, etc.

[Mark1733]

As a player, I would like to try to make my characters have unique ways of speaking, but I find myself falling back to Irish/Scottish accents or a non-descript country twang--all of which I don't do well for my characters so far in our Medieval Fantasy realm.

I also can never choose between proper speech, slang, and figurative language. I like the Yoda style of transposing subject-predicate. "Stay and help you, I will." "Begun the Clone Wars have."

Any thought on how to get into character better and speak the part more "fluently?"

 

[Dracomortis]

When trying to do an accent, I find that it helps immensely if I imagine some notable person (such as an actor/actress) with that same accent talking in my mind. That way I can try to figure out "Okay, how would they pronounce this?"

If you can't imitate the accent perfectly, don't try to - just estimate it as best you can and, if necessary, make it up. I have trouble picturing anyone calling you out in the middle of a roleplaying session because you aren't a master linguist

 

[Lord Xtheth]

I've asked my players several times not to do this. It distracts them from the game (they stop and try to properly pronounce everything) and it give me a headache trying to understand what they say.

It's more trouble than what it's worth... at least in my games.

 

[fissionessence]

Watch over 9000 movies where characters speak with the accent you want to 'learn'. If you want to meld different accents and/or dialects, watch over 9000 movies of each.

Then you should have gotten the hang of it.

. . .

Some people get accents and voices easily; some people don't. I think I'm somewhere in the middle, but close enough to the 'not good at it' side that I don't really try too much.

~

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I personally find it easier and more engaging to simply describe almost novel-esque how the people speak. For one it doesn't distract if it is badly done and also allows each person to mentally narrate it as they imagine which will be a ton better then what I could do.

 

[Inez Hull]

As a player, I would like to try to make my characters have unique ways of speaking, but I find myself falling back to Irish/Scottish accents or a non-descript country twang--all of which I don't do well for my characters so far in our Medieval Fantasy realm.

I also can never choose between proper speech, slang, and figurative language. I like the Yoda style of transposing subject-predicate. "Stay and help you, I will." "Begun the Clone Wars have."

Any thought on how to get into character better and speak the part more "fluently?"

I've found the main thing is to focus on what is fun. Who cares if your character's accent is derivative or improperly done, as long as you set it within an acheivable scope and focus more on enjoying it and using it to bring your character to life, I don't think it matters if your muck it up now and then.

I personally find it easier and more engaging to simply describe almost novel-esque how the people speak. For one it doesn't distract if it is badly done and also allows each person to mentally narrate it as they imagine which will be a ton better then what I could do.

More engaging? I just don't get that.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

1) Do as good as you can. If/when you fail, gather yourself and keep trying. If you're really struggling, let it go for a while, and bring it up on occasion.

If nothing else, this can be a PC schtick- after all, we've all heard celebrities like Billie Joe (Green Day) and Madonna adopt faux Brit accents in interviews. Why not your PC?

2) Make up an accent. It has worked for many comedians- Bronson Pinchot, Sasha Cohen, etc.- and it can work for you.

3) Try an accent, and if/when you fail at it, keep going...perhaps even slipping into another accent. When someone asks about your accent, either use your normal voice or a third accent and admit you were faking the first 2...

Then when someone asks about accent #3, ask them why they're so interested in your accent and go for #4.

It can be an interesting schtick if your DM lets you run with it.

 

[The Grackle]

Funny voices are a great way to get into character. If you're bad at accents, you can still try mannerisms to make a character distinctive -- like Captain Kirk or the Tick or HAL 9000.

 

[Quickleaf]

Tons of ways you can inject color into your character's syntax without an accent...

Do as the character Sawyer does on LOST and give everyone a nickname.
Have coughing fits and a raspy voice like Raistlin of DRAGONLANCE.
Use another language when casting spells (e.g. German for warlock curses).
Always be munching on something when talking like Brad Pitt's character in OCEAN ELEVEN.
Add a touch of slightly archaic words and use a slightly upper crust accent.
Display an acerbic sense of humor and use european thieves' cant slang.

Just a couple ideas off the cuff. Accents become a source of humor in our group unless you can pull it off expertly. I recommend avoiding them unless you're super pro at it, or you intend it to be part of an ongoing joke.

 

[ExploderWizard]

First of all, be comfortable speaking as your character in first person with your normal speaking voice. If you can do this naturally without any problems then play around with accents and speech patterns. Quickleaf had some really good ideas for non-accent related mannerisms. It might be easiest to start with an impression of an actor.

In a campaign a few years ago, I played a fighter/rogue, and my in character voice was Christopher Walken. It was pretty funny and everyone at the table knew instantly when I was speaking in character and when I was just asking the DM a question. Experiment and have fun.