Help in my roleplaying [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help in my roleplaying [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gurthoron
12-13-04, 07:11 PM Okay, I am an admitted powergamer who is attempting to redeem my ways through improving my roleplaying status. Recently I have ended a campaign with a character and we will be restarting the campaign at a higher level under a different DM. My character is a difficult roleplay due to the fact he is an extremist- a CN White Slaad. I have been attempting to play the Death Slaad to the best of my abilities, but I felt I only really embraced chaos when I had gone insane. (I was sitting in a portable hole, convinced I was master of all the universe and singing Monty Python songs.) The only real uber chaotic thing my Slaad did was random and often shapeshifting into various humanoids, often in front of people. I am looking for more ideas for my white slaad. He will probably be rogue or rogue like, and will be working alongside a Saphire Dragon Barbarian, a Demilich, and a Silver Dragon Ur-Priest Sorcerer.(long story) Any comments and ideas would be greatly appreciated.
kliate
12-13-04, 07:36 PM Slaad, eh?

1. Take the answer "Because I can"
2. Find the question matching the answer in #1 starting with "Why did you..."
3. Do the latter part of the question from #2
4. Repeat regularly, except on Tuesdays and every nineteenth holiday when you intentionally fail the attempt to see what it's like.
5. Stab stuff
6. Blow stuff up
7. Dance on the carnage (You're CE, aren't you?)
CzarGarrett
12-14-04, 09:29 AM Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window.

Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink?

Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger.

Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic.
CzarGarrett
12-14-04, 09:29 AM Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window.

Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink?

Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger.

Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic.
CzarGarrett
12-14-04, 09:29 AM Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window.

Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink?

Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger.

Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic.
Masked Thespian
12-14-04, 07:17 PM Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window.

Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink?

Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger.

Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic.

Surely the most Chaotic thing you could do as a Slaad would be to act Lawful - it's not really the sort of thing that Slaad are famous for, are they? :D
Shazarn
12-14-04, 08:34 PM I am asuming that since you will be a rouge there will be cities. And that if there are cities there are countries :king: , so start an underground revolution against the country :fight!: . Try to get your adventuring partners with you and if you can't, do it on the sly. And make sure that it is an underground revolution if you are working on your roleplaying. There is nothing like trying to convince someone without rolling diplomacy to help boost your role playing skills.
The Man from Uncle
12-14-04, 08:42 PM So you want your roleplaying to be more proportional with your powergaming? You want to be a white slaad because a death slaad is too hard to roleplay (because basically they are tools of DMs who need a race that can both take up any role in a mid-high level and give the players a challenge because they are pumped to the nines with a whole host of 'munchkin' abilities, without needing to really explain (or roleplay) what the heck they are doing their other than just being dam crazy slaad)? Well.....its a start, but you are not giving us much to work with. The really really important part of roleplaying is to stop thinking about your character in terms of their abilities and start thinking of them as characters, in the traditional literary sense.

Now, the next thing is to say 'What would be fun to roleplay?' Then whatever the answer to that question is.......is exactly what you choose to be. Now if you must satiate your need for power try and find a race that can be roleplayed with what you have in mind. So if you want to be the dark and mysterious type....don't go for a half elf, or even a drow....go for a freaking Vampire. If you want to be a simple minded but otherwise goodly brute, don't bother with half-orc or even Gnoll, go all the way to some sort of giant. Only if you want to play a motiveless lunatic should you plump for slaad. (i can't even think of a non-munchkin race thats naturally that crazy, maybe something goblinoid)

Doing it the other way around (ie choosing a powerful race first then trying to fit a personality round it) is much harder, especially as you're not a great roleplayer to start with.

Sorry i can't offer useful advice on roleplaying what you are currently stuck with.
Afarian
12-14-04, 09:03 PM Sorry for my lack of knowledge on the non-core D&D races. What exactly is a Slaad? I'm thinking it's come kind of Frog-like or some other amphibious or reptilian creature.
It seems like all the monster races you and your fellow gamers are selecting are going to make it hard to NOT powergame because you can't help it--your too POWERFUL! I could be wrong about that though, and I guess it doesn't matter that the other players will probably be powergaming with their Demiliches, Silver and Sapphire Dragons since your just asking regarding yourself.
In addition to what everyone else says I think you should choose from the list of handicaps or flaws that exist in some book (Can't remember which one--but I'm sure someone here will know). Typically you get one extra feat for each flaw--instead, why don't you pick a flaw for most of the feats/abilities that make your race overpowered!! Most importantly though--the flaws will give you something to base your roleplaying off of!
Shazarn
12-14-04, 09:06 PM Well, to help him out lets just pretend that all slaad are not the same, getting discouraged when you are trying to do something is not very nice. Go for it :cheer:
psionichamster
12-14-04, 09:34 PM go for a one legged halfling psion.

a shaper...

with a crystal walking stick and skating...

toss that into your demilich/half-silver/etc... and you'll HAVE to be roleplaying...or you're dinner...

a telepath--->thrallherd may not be a bad way to go either...plenty of allies when your enemies can turn around and fight FOR you

ermmm

old aged human blacksmith. wizard/item crafter
120 yr old half elven sorceress named Ethel. former bar wench?

you can try going "backwards" and pick something you can get into and then working the numbers to fit...

hamster
Shazarn
12-14-04, 09:52 PM If you are having problems with roleplaying you can practice by asking your dm and your playing partners if they could just have a session where all you do is stay in town and make freinds, enemys, etc. I don't know if they would go for it but it would be worth a try.
Gurthoron
12-16-04, 09:34 AM Thank you for the advice. For the gentleman asking what Slaad are, they are a non-base race that appears mostly in the MM and Epic Level Handbook. As Archons are to the heavens, Slaadi are to chaos. The reason I am playing it is due to playing a gestalt campaign. (which is insanely better for weird critters and allows you to play the characters most times you could never achieve.) Other than random shapeshifting and a mixture of good versus evil deeds, I will have to see what is fun. Messing around in small, backwater towns perhaps. BY the way, the sapphire dragon is CN, the Silver CE, and the demilich NE, so I can probably work on my chaotic by watching them. I should get a rod of wonder too . . .

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gurthoron 12-13-04, 07:11 PM	Okay, I am an admitted powergamer who is attempting to redeem my ways through improving my roleplaying status. Recently I have ended a campaign with a character and we will be restarting the campaign at a higher level under a different DM. My character is a difficult roleplay due to the fact he is an extremist- a CN White Slaad. I have been attempting to play the Death Slaad to the best of my abilities, but I felt I only really embraced chaos when I had gone insane. (I was sitting in a portable hole, convinced I was master of all the universe and singing Monty Python songs.) The only real uber chaotic thing my Slaad did was random and often shapeshifting into various humanoids, often in front of people. I am looking for more ideas for my white slaad. He will probably be rogue or rogue like, and will be working alongside a Saphire Dragon Barbarian, a Demilich, and a Silver Dragon Ur-Priest Sorcerer.(long story) Any comments and ideas would be greatly appreciated.
kliate 12-13-04, 07:36 PM	Slaad, eh? 1. Take the answer "Because I can" 2. Find the question matching the answer in #1 starting with "Why did you..." 3. Do the latter part of the question from #2 4. Repeat regularly, except on Tuesdays and every nineteenth holiday when you intentionally fail the attempt to see what it's like. 5. Stab stuff 6. Blow stuff up 7. Dance on the carnage (You're CE, aren't you?)
CzarGarrett 12-14-04, 09:29 AM	Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window. Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink? Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger. Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic.
CzarGarrett 12-14-04, 09:29 AM	Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window. Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink? Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger. Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic.
CzarGarrett 12-14-04, 09:29 AM	Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window. Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink? Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger. Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic.
Masked Thespian 12-14-04, 07:17 PM	Whatever seems like the most logical thing to do at the time, don't do it. If logic dictates that you calmly walk down the stairs of a tower, then jump out the window. Why sleep in a bed when you can shapeshift into a small bird and sleep in the sink? Its a rowdy bar with fights every 20 minutes and really bad ale? Order fine wine and never lift a finger. Slaad always struck me as just out there and very, very erratic. Surely the most Chaotic thing you could do as a Slaad would be to act Lawful - it's not really the sort of thing that Slaad are famous for, are they? :D
Shazarn 12-14-04, 08:34 PM	I am asuming that since you will be a rouge there will be cities. And that if there are cities there are countries :king: , so start an underground revolution against the country :fight!: . Try to get your adventuring partners with you and if you can't, do it on the sly. And make sure that it is an underground revolution if you are working on your roleplaying. There is nothing like trying to convince someone without rolling diplomacy to help boost your role playing skills.
The Man from Uncle 12-14-04, 08:42 PM	So you want your roleplaying to be more proportional with your powergaming? You want to be a white slaad because a death slaad is too hard to roleplay (because basically they are tools of DMs who need a race that can both take up any role in a mid-high level and give the players a challenge because they are pumped to the nines with a whole host of 'munchkin' abilities, without needing to really explain (or roleplay) what the heck they are doing their other than just being dam crazy slaad)? Well.....its a start, but you are not giving us much to work with. The really really important part of roleplaying is to stop thinking about your character in terms of their abilities and start thinking of them as characters, in the traditional literary sense. Now, the next thing is to say 'What would be fun to roleplay?' Then whatever the answer to that question is.......is exactly what you choose to be. Now if you must satiate your need for power try and find a race that can be roleplayed with what you have in mind. So if you want to be the dark and mysterious type....don't go for a half elf, or even a drow....go for a freaking Vampire. If you want to be a simple minded but otherwise goodly brute, don't bother with half-orc or even Gnoll, go all the way to some sort of giant. Only if you want to play a motiveless lunatic should you plump for slaad. (i can't even think of a non-munchkin race thats naturally that crazy, maybe something goblinoid) Doing it the other way around (ie choosing a powerful race first then trying to fit a personality round it) is much harder, especially as you're not a great roleplayer to start with. Sorry i can't offer useful advice on roleplaying what you are currently stuck with.
Afarian 12-14-04, 09:03 PM	Sorry for my lack of knowledge on the non-core D&D races. What exactly is a Slaad? I'm thinking it's come kind of Frog-like or some other amphibious or reptilian creature. It seems like all the monster races you and your fellow gamers are selecting are going to make it hard to NOT powergame because you can't help it--your too POWERFUL! I could be wrong about that though, and I guess it doesn't matter that the other players will probably be powergaming with their Demiliches, Silver and Sapphire Dragons since your just asking regarding yourself. In addition to what everyone else says I think you should choose from the list of handicaps or flaws that exist in some book (Can't remember which one--but I'm sure someone here will know). Typically you get one extra feat for each flaw--instead, why don't you pick a flaw for most of the feats/abilities that make your race overpowered!! Most importantly though--the flaws will give you something to base your roleplaying off of!
Shazarn 12-14-04, 09:06 PM	Well, to help him out lets just pretend that all slaad are not the same, getting discouraged when you are trying to do something is not very nice. Go for it :cheer:
psionichamster 12-14-04, 09:34 PM	go for a one legged halfling psion. a shaper... with a crystal walking stick and skating... toss that into your demilich/half-silver/etc... and you'll HAVE to be roleplaying...or you're dinner... a telepath--->thrallherd may not be a bad way to go either...plenty of allies when your enemies can turn around and fight FOR you ermmm old aged human blacksmith. wizard/item crafter 120 yr old half elven sorceress named Ethel. former bar wench? you can try going "backwards" and pick something you can get into and then working the numbers to fit... hamster
Shazarn 12-14-04, 09:52 PM	If you are having problems with roleplaying you can practice by asking your dm and your playing partners if they could just have a session where all you do is stay in town and make freinds, enemys, etc. I don't know if they would go for it but it would be worth a try.
Gurthoron 12-16-04, 09:34 AM	Thank you for the advice. For the gentleman asking what Slaad are, they are a non-base race that appears mostly in the MM and Epic Level Handbook. As Archons are to the heavens, Slaadi are to chaos. The reason I am playing it is due to playing a gestalt campaign. (which is insanely better for weird critters and allows you to play the characters most times you could never achieve.) Other than random shapeshifting and a mixture of good versus evil deeds, I will have to see what is fun. Messing around in small, backwater towns perhaps. BY the way, the sapphire dragon is CN, the Silver CE, and the demilich NE, so I can probably work on my chaotic by watching them. I should get a rod of wonder too . . .