Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SammyWammyPumpkinHammy 04-13-07, 07:43 PM	Hello everyone. I'm making a new character for a campaign my friend runs, and he suggested I try to build up more of a personality for my character. But how should I go about this? I'm by no means new to Dungeons & Dragons, but just recently has my group's attention turned to the finer points of role-playing. Most of the XP given out in campaigns is role-playing XP anymore. I'm pretty sure I'm playing a dwarven barbarian. By requirements of the campaign, I must be nice, use an accent, and play a meat-shield (long story). So if anyone has any suggestions to help get me off the ground for making a personality, please help! Or any real idea for getting me some more RP XP would be nice :D. Thanks, SamWam
Westbound 04-14-07, 02:20 AM	What do you mean by "nice?" If you mean that you've got to make a character that's agreeable to other PCs, that's fine, though it can limit your options a bit. You're playing a dwarven barbarian; this is a guy that gets his way with some brute force and isn't afraid to use it as a first resort. He should be quick to temper, as dwarves are anyway, but being a barbarian makes it doubly so. It's not that he's perpetually angry. He's just quick to fly into a rage when something makes him mad. He does this because it works for him - he taps into his rage to get results he wants. He should be intimidating, but also can be a party animal. He lives hard and plays hard, and he shouldn't take any guff from anyone, least of all the other PCs. You should make it a point, through actions, that it's not a smart thing to mess with you. You shouldn't threaten; your stare should be enough to intimidate others. You should also make it clear that you're not afraid of anything (and if you are, never, ever admit it). Traps? Bah! You can take it! Just kick the doors down and come what may! If you take a huge hit, then at least you learned something within the game that might make you think twice, and it would bolster the confidence of the Rogue character. Be a womanizer (or if you're a female, chase men). Bring a keg of beer with you to quests and drink from it regularly. Smoke tobacco. Live life boldly. When you're in town, you should always wake up with a hangover on a tavern table with several patrons of whom you've beaten with chairs and ale-mugs. You can be as crude as you want, or not, it's up to you.
Prom 04-14-07, 06:41 AM	Hi SammyWammyPumpkinHammy, Dwarfs can be nice, but not all the time and more often then not they get annoyed or angery with other characters. I must be nice, use an accent, and play a meat-shield Westbound's suggestions are fun to play, just becareful that you don't get your party killed by starting a fight with every NPC you meet. Prom
Mr.Atheist 04-14-07, 12:33 PM	Hey Sam. Good luck with all this. You can borrow my hero-builders guidebook if you want. DM loves you.
SammyWammyPumpkinHammy 04-14-07, 03:19 PM	Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I suppose what they mean by "being nice" is that my characters have always been broody and get into verbal fights anytime there is a disagreement. I suppose just kindness would be a dramatic departure for me. Those are great suggestion for being a barbarian, Westbound! Maybe a little severe, but I will definitely take some of them into account. Thanks! Prom: Yeah, I have to keep in mind not to go overboard with my barbarianism. Thanks. Sure, sounds good, Atheist. Thanks. Keep suggestions coming, please! I still need to think more about personality. Anyone have a way of going about making a personality?
Ensjak 04-15-07, 10:52 AM	Now I don't recall whose idea this actually was, but I read it on these boards. Someone once said to just pick a character from a movie and try to role-play them. Not necessarily try to make that character as far as class and ability, but their personality and demeanor. Don't give any hints like using a variant of the character or actor's name and stay away from lines used in the actual movie. It's just a good starting point if you're really having trouble defining a personality.
lulzapalooza 04-15-07, 06:51 PM	Having a history is a good way to make an interesting personality, so I make my PCs in the game I run answer some questions; 1) Name three people you have had some relationship with in the past. Your character has had a long life before now, and should atleast have exchanged names with a few people. They can be drinking friends or family, old adventurering allies or enemies who've sworn an oath to stomp you flat. 2) Name one monster that you particurally hate or are afraid of. Over the course of the game you'll encounter many monsters, and one of them will stick in your side more than others, so, maybe before your characters professional adventurering carreer he's head a few stories about kobolds or vampires, or maybe encounted such a menace in his travels? Ignore CRs and ECLs or any rules, from the characters perpesctive experience and level are abstract, who's to say a character hasn't killed a dragon even before level one (Just don't expect to have any easy encounters with a mindflayer once the stats are rolled)? 3) Go ahead and come up with two items for your character that serves no game mechanic purpose, but you own anyway. A broad brimmed hat or a holy text. Ask the DM before you go writting down family heirlooms and antique brooches, though. The last tip I have is to look at the chart for random NPC traits for your character, ask your DM to show you the chart in the DMG. I'd steer clear of ones like "Aloof" and "cautious" and instead take a few of the simpler ones, like "smelly" or "spins a coin."
DemonWeasel 04-17-07, 06:54 PM	Hi everyone. I am a player in the same campaign sammy wammy is in. These ideas are all absolutely wonderful and if you don't mind - I think I'll use some of these myself. However, I think the most important thing sammy needs to remember is to be nice. In the past Sammy and I have fought - a lot. So much so that I think it led to the downfall of our last campaign (along with one of the main characters dying ...). We fight because Sammy is very opinionated - about things he doesn't seem to know a lot about. He tries to boss us a lot - tries to convince us to do his idea by being mean. He has this one look he gives us ... I mean, its not like we listen a whole lot but it is still unnerving. So, try to give Sammy Wammy my pumpkin hammy some advice about breaking the mold and being a nice barbarian...Who occasionally rages ... haha ... joke... .. Ok, thanks for your help, guys. I love the ideas, very creative.
LoneStranger 04-17-07, 07:16 PM	Do you have to be a Barbarian in that game? Could another class be allowed at all? If so that could help.