Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Souldrinker 07-02-04, 09:23 PM	that's it basically. I've never done it, and I guess my fellow players wouldn't take me seriously if I tried. I wanted to know what have your experiences been
The_Yellow_Dart_Swinger 07-03-04, 02:35 AM	I think it adds a bit to the roleplaying experience, I'm at the stage that I have to think about using the voice to use the voice. I can't do it naturally without thought at the moment. Another bonus is that in character you use your characters voice so other players and the DM know when the character talks, and not when your just making an out of character comment or joke.
Persephone Imytholin 07-03-04, 02:55 AM	Unashamedly, and with most of my characters. I find it's a good roleplaying aid, and helps propel the character away from numbers and into a story. I've even been known to do this while GMing.
Souldrinker 07-03-04, 10:57 AM	I tried to come up with a soft, smooth voice for my elven mage. The problem is, I'm terrible with voices, so I keep changing it, so I can't keep a constant, unaltered voice. This happened to me when I dm'ed, so I stopped trying.
Persephone Imytholin 07-03-04, 11:05 AM	If you want to get good at it, just practise. Practise. Practise some more. Talk to things that won't think you're insane - objects, furniture, pets, the mirror - anythng and everything. Practise your character voice while you write up a background, and think of a couple of things which sound good - by testing them out. The more you do it, the more you'll be able to - until you can just sit down at the table, slide the sheet off to the side, and get into the character.
Trydan 07-05-04, 03:27 AM	As a DM, I'm doing it with NPCs the entire time. It is a good way to distinguish them, and the players can latch on to the NPC immediately. As a player, I'm much more wary about doing it, as you have to keep it up for everything that you say. While, I have done it for characters in the past, I tend to use set phrases in order to act as "character trademarks". The others know that your character is your character, and there is no need to distiguish them. Also, as the other players will have to put up with your character for a long time (it won't change like the flux of passing NPCs), something that is annoying to them will drastically lessen their enjoyment of the game.
Mr.Croissant 07-05-04, 06:24 AM	Bonjour monsieur! >_< Giving a specific voice to your character is, imo, more complicated than it seems... For example, as a dwarf, you are not going to try to express yourself like one, regarding the fact that it would just restrain you in your roleplaying (it IS exhausting, you'll think twice "shall i talk?") As a DM giving a certain voice/tone is an excellent thing to do. I still refer to some NPC's voices our DM "sent" us! The only "problem" is, if you start imitating voices of bizarre monsters, the players will be r.o.f.l. Ex.: We had to convince a Yuan-ti... You cant imagine how we laughed after our excellent DM answered with a sizzling "itS my treaSure, you SSilly creatSureS" ...and so on... As a conclusion, DM carefully have to chose which monsters they are going to imitate, in order to keep a certain atmosphere. Mr Croissant
Unleash 07-10-04, 04:25 PM	I have a special knack to make little creatures sound vile or utterly adorable it seems. I've had male players go, "Aww the poor thing ! Let's help it and tend to it's wounds !" , and female players go "Enough talking, let's just shoot the bloody thing!" I've also had a full table of good and articulate roleplayers verbally threaten me because they despised the villain I was portraying so much: Vilain: "*using lower tones* Eternal damnation awaits the Heretics to our church. Believe or suffer retrebution !" PCs in chorus: DIE MOFO !" Practice helps me pull these moments off successfully. What's my secret ? Talk to yourself constantly, not caring if someone can overhear you, get a night-job cleaning lockerooms, bang your head on walls regularly, be your own annoying little brother, etc. But like what's been said before, for PCs, an accent or voice can be a lot of trouble over time. If you must do it, use a voice that's not too much off key from your regular one, that way you won't strain it or annoy your mates. If all else fails, maybe an official Shaddap-I'm-In-Character hat would be the answer to your prayers...
Spellbinded 07-10-04, 05:08 PM	The current character I'm playing, a cancer mage, is terribly fun to alter voice for. Scratchy, phlegmmy tones, muttering to himself (well, his tumor), and wheezing and hacking whenever anyone looks at me funny. It's good stuff, it adds a lot to the roleplaying experience, as stated, and it's great to creep people out. I don't recall ever not altering my voice, even a little, for any character I've played in person. It just sort of happens. With most of my friends too. It helps paint the picture more clearly.
Souldrinker 07-10-04, 05:20 PM	"Shaddap-I'm-In-Character hats"... damn, I need to get one of those, even if just to show it to my friends :D
DwarvinJedi 07-11-04, 03:35 AM	I'm trying to find a voice fro my kobold adventurer
Unleash 07-11-04, 08:26 AM	Bark at random times, speak in high pitch tones, bare your teeth alot, lick your lips when you're on to something good, squeal "Retreat !!!" if a single member of your party goes down or if the numerical odds aren't 4/1 in your favor anymore... Man, I love kobolds !
Asmodeous 07-13-04, 01:06 AM	Ive been doing that for a number of years while role playing a number of my characters. My favorite character, a female cleric, I dont try and mimic a female voice but i speak with a softer tone and pleasant manner when role playing her. Another character I have, an evil and arrogant evoker, I speak with a more harsher tone and utter arrogance, bordering on insulting my Dm when addressing his NPC's though I dont actually voice any insults such as vulgar language & swear words, but as we all know a persons tone can be just as insulting as swearing can be. Its not something I consciously decided to do. I just get into role playing the actual character and then the voice tones, traits and so on just comes with it. It just feels right and helps me keep in character.
Johnny_Bluefire 07-14-04, 12:43 AM	I find having a voice for your character really gets you into it. But more so if you have a strong personality for him. I usually base my character personalities on certain songs I am partial towards. (example: Half-Giant Psychic Warrior Grappler from the desert -'A boy named Sue' (Johnny Cash)).
Johnny_Bluefire 07-14-04, 12:43 AM	I find having a voice for your character really gets you into it. But more so if you have a strong personality for him. I usually base my character personalities on certain songs I am partial towards. (example: Half-Giant Psychic Warrior Grappler from the desert -'A boy named Sue' (Johnny Cash)).
Persephone Imytholin 07-14-04, 07:42 AM	Johnny_Bluefire, I find having a rich, well-defined personality is absolutely compulsory for a good game. I'm pretty sure that's what you meant, since a strong personality isn't always a good thing. Asmodeous, that's an excellent way of doing it. It helps keep it from being irritating, and usually goes a long way to help other players fill in the blanks.
cmas3117 07-14-04, 05:31 PM	First off, it depends on whether the character has a particular accent. For example, my dwarf Crag has a very distinctive accent so I use it. My elf cleric however does not, so I don't. That said, what I do try to do is have a particular speech idiom that I use that identifies my characters instantly by voice. To facilitate, as another poster said, I practice practice practice. I also make it a point to get into character just as deeply as I can. Some things that you might find helpful, as well as being fun in their own right is to A) take an acting class. Most community colleges offer something as do most universities so you can get some practice at acting like your character. B) If that fails, get involved with a local theater group. Same ideas apply, and it's a ton of fun.
cmas3117 07-14-04, 05:34 PM	A player in a game I ran a whole lot of years ago played a cleric named Tom. Tom was a hunchback who would lick people's wounds to cast healing magic on them. The player was a method actor at a local highschool and was so good at it, played up his hump and the whole licking thing so much that he really creeped out the other players, especially the teenage girls in the game at the time. Originally posted by Unleash I have a special knack to make little creatures sound vile or utterly adorable it seems. I've had male players go, "Aww the poor thing ! Let's help it and tend to it's wounds !" , and female players go "Enough talking, let's just shoot the bloody thing!" I've also had a full table of good and articulate roleplayers verbally threaten me because they despised the villain I was portraying so much: Vilain: "*using lower tones* Eternal damnation awaits the Heretics to our church. Believe or suffer retrebution !" PCs in chorus: DIE MOFO !" Practice helps me pull these moments off successfully. What's my secret ? Talk to yourself constantly, not caring if someone can overhear you, get a night-job cleaning lockerooms, bang your head on walls regularly, be your own annoying little brother, etc. But like what's been said before, for PCs, an accent or voice can be a lot of trouble over time. If you must do it, use a voice that's not too much off key from your regular one, that way you won't strain it or annoy your mates. If all else fails, maybe an official Shaddap-I'm-In-Character hat would be the answer to your prayers...