Playing Two Personalities in One? (Long-ish) - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Playing Two Personalities in One? (Long-ish)

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
danatha
Feb 10, 2009 16:55:18 My boyfriend is about to run an Ebberon campaign and I chose to be a Kalashtar... sort of. I was wondering how I should roleplay two separate personalities. Now, here is part of my character background:

A young girl, Annaleigh (Anna for short), lost her father while he was out doing some Indiana Jones type adventuring for some guy that Anna never got to see. He disappeared and her mother assumed he was dead and married another man. Furious she ran away from home to try and find him. While lost and alone near another town she runs into a man who is dying. He has a crystal shard in his chest. She pulls it out and falls into a dream-like state where she is visited by a Quor (a creature that lives in the dream world). She had been in the crystal. The man had died because the Quor, Leeariah (Lee for short), had been experimenting on ways for her people to live on the mortal plane without having to have a human host. The experiment went wrong and the man died. As he was dying, some guards came upon Anna holding the bloody shard over the dead man and she was convicted of murder and sent to a Prison colony (where the campaign is going to start). She stayed there for 6 years bonding with her new friend and they agreed to help each other out. Anna's goal being to find her father and Lee's to find a way to help her people.

Now, they have had six years to get to know each other (resulting in Anna basically becoming a psion) and I wanted to know how I should roleplay this. I was thinking that while in jail people could think she was a little crazy because she is always talking to herself but once the party figures out what I am I will need to come up with some way for the two personalities to work together and to show through in roleplaying. Just for a little more info on them Lee is a lot like the Stargate Tokra Anneise (hope you get the reference). She will go to any lengths to help her people including untested experiments on any humans or even herself if it would help. She isn't a bad person but her morals are more towards the "ends justifies the means" kind of mindset. Anna, is a simple girl who wants to find her father and to be just like him; an explorer and finder of artifacts (again like Indiana Jones). Anna would not be as keen to put people's lives at risk for the sake of an unknown experiment that may or may not work. How would I roleplay this?
#2
Tovec
Feb 11, 2009 17:33:17 If I read correctly your question is how to rollplay two minds in one body at the gaming table?

Assuming that's true. I suggest some kind of switch over effect. In the past that has meant our players doing the Tok'ra head fall or simply putting a hat on their head when they change personalities.

A couple of quick questions.

First, does the party at large know the two personalities and would it be a secret to outsiders?
Second, is it possible to be a dual personality thing? Both talking as one, thinking and talking together.
#3
mellored
Feb 12, 2009 8:16:57 Every so often (day?) roll a dice, evens be personality A, odds be personality B
#4
danatha
Feb 12, 2009 13:49:56
If I read correctly your question is how to rollplay two minds in one body at the gaming table?

Assuming that's true. I suggest some kind of switch over effect. In the past that has meant our players doing the Tok'ra head fall or simply putting a hat on their head when they change personalities.

A couple of quick questions.

First, does the party at large know the two personalities and would it be a secret to outsiders?
Second, is it possible to be a dual personality thing? Both talking as one, thinking and talking together.

At first, the party would not know. I would keep it as secret as possible, probably coming off more as slightly crazy, but eventually they will find out.

As far as outsiders, the Quori living inside my character has many reasons to keep her experiments, and even her existence, a secret. Last time her people tinkered around with a way to project themselves to the material plane all they did was bring the evil they were running from to the material plane with them.

I really would like to keep it two distinct personalities (at least until I can get the Quori inside of my character his own body). That being said, they will largely have the same motives, and are respectful of each others wishes.
#5
Tovec
Feb 12, 2009 17:20:40
At first, the party would not know. I would keep it as secret as possible, probably coming off more as slightly crazy, but eventually they will find out.

As far as outsiders, the Quori living inside my character has many reasons to keep her experiments, and even her existence, a secret. Last time her people tinkered around with a way to project themselves to the material plane all they did was bring the evil they were running from to the material plane with them.

I really would like to keep it two distinct personalities (at least until I can get the Quori inside of my character his own body). That being said, they will largely have the same motives, and are respectful of each others wishes.

Okay, that's all fair enough. So, the physical changes I described before are probably a bad idea. What I would ultimately suggest is looking at 3.5 rules for Ego, specifically for intelligent magic items. Basically the main personality talks but if the alternate has something to say they don't hold their tongue.

This could be fun. Have your main character talking to the party then suddenly stop herself and clasp her hands over her mouth to avoid saying something.

Ex.
The random NPC/PC ranger suggests they take the low road to the tower to avoid detection.
Personality A: "Yeah that seems like a good--"
Personality B: "Bad idea, there are likely goblins waiting in ambush down the low road, I suggest we take the high road instead."
(Then to make her seems cooky) Throw in a rolling of eyes for good effect as she respects but disagrees with herself.

EDIT: Upon reread, I'd like to clarify that a main (Anna) and alt (Lee) is probably easiest to rollplay with. Otherwise you would constantly have to remember who said what and keep track of who is running the show at all times.
#6
etarnon
Feb 14, 2009 7:10:19 Go to some NAMI sites, and google MPD.

As a DM of this, I'd rule that besides the two PCs you get, and a few more that I design, Roll randomly under stress for a switch, and 2 of the ones I design, the player doesn't get to play, they are effectively NPC'd.

Good luck, have fun, if you can.
#7
the_black_hand
Feb 14, 2009 13:21:19 I would recommend not doing the 2 personality thing.

Most people don't really understand how to do it, and it is just a cheap way to play 2 characters at once.
#8
Scars_Unseen
Feb 14, 2009 16:57:43 Heh, I did this once with 3 personalities. I was playing a guy that was being influenced by an angel and a demon. I rolled up 3 characters with the same physical stats and different mental stats. I think the trick to making this fun rather than cheap is not to be in control. I used dice to determine what personality was behind the wheel at the start of any given encounter, and told the DM he could tell me to switch at any time within an encounter. It ended up being pretty fun, with quite a few hilarious moments.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 danatha Feb 10, 2009 16:55:18	My boyfriend is about to run an Ebberon campaign and I chose to be a Kalashtar... sort of. I was wondering how I should roleplay two separate personalities. Now, here is part of my character background: A young girl, Annaleigh (Anna for short), lost her father while he was out doing some Indiana Jones type adventuring for some guy that Anna never got to see. He disappeared and her mother assumed he was dead and married another man. Furious she ran away from home to try and find him. While lost and alone near another town she runs into a man who is dying. He has a crystal shard in his chest. She pulls it out and falls into a dream-like state where she is visited by a Quor (a creature that lives in the dream world). She had been in the crystal. The man had died because the Quor, Leeariah (Lee for short), had been experimenting on ways for her people to live on the mortal plane without having to have a human host. The experiment went wrong and the man died. As he was dying, some guards came upon Anna holding the bloody shard over the dead man and she was convicted of murder and sent to a Prison colony (where the campaign is going to start). She stayed there for 6 years bonding with her new friend and they agreed to help each other out. Anna's goal being to find her father and Lee's to find a way to help her people. Now, they have had six years to get to know each other (resulting in Anna basically becoming a psion) and I wanted to know how I should roleplay this. I was thinking that while in jail people could think she was a little crazy because she is always talking to herself but once the party figures out what I am I will need to come up with some way for the two personalities to work together and to show through in roleplaying. Just for a little more info on them Lee is a lot like the Stargate Tokra Anneise (hope you get the reference). She will go to any lengths to help her people including untested experiments on any humans or even herself if it would help. She isn't a bad person but her morals are more towards the "ends justifies the means" kind of mindset. Anna, is a simple girl who wants to find her father and to be just like him; an explorer and finder of artifacts (again like Indiana Jones). Anna would not be as keen to put people's lives at risk for the sake of an unknown experiment that may or may not work. How would I roleplay this?
#2 Tovec Feb 11, 2009 17:33:17	If I read correctly your question is how to rollplay two minds in one body at the gaming table? Assuming that's true. I suggest some kind of switch over effect. In the past that has meant our players doing the Tok'ra head fall or simply putting a hat on their head when they change personalities. A couple of quick questions. First, does the party at large know the two personalities and would it be a secret to outsiders? Second, is it possible to be a dual personality thing? Both talking as one, thinking and talking together.
#3 mellored Feb 12, 2009 8:16:57	Every so often (day?) roll a dice, evens be personality A, odds be personality B
#4 danatha Feb 12, 2009 13:49:56	If I read correctly your question is how to rollplay two minds in one body at the gaming table? Assuming that's true. I suggest some kind of switch over effect. In the past that has meant our players doing the Tok'ra head fall or simply putting a hat on their head when they change personalities. A couple of quick questions. First, does the party at large know the two personalities and would it be a secret to outsiders? Second, is it possible to be a dual personality thing? Both talking as one, thinking and talking together. At first, the party would not know. I would keep it as secret as possible, probably coming off more as slightly crazy, but eventually they will find out. As far as outsiders, the Quori living inside my character has many reasons to keep her experiments, and even her existence, a secret. Last time her people tinkered around with a way to project themselves to the material plane all they did was bring the evil they were running from to the material plane with them. I really would like to keep it two distinct personalities (at least until I can get the Quori inside of my character his own body). That being said, they will largely have the same motives, and are respectful of each others wishes.
#5 Tovec Feb 12, 2009 17:20:40	At first, the party would not know. I would keep it as secret as possible, probably coming off more as slightly crazy, but eventually they will find out. As far as outsiders, the Quori living inside my character has many reasons to keep her experiments, and even her existence, a secret. Last time her people tinkered around with a way to project themselves to the material plane all they did was bring the evil they were running from to the material plane with them. I really would like to keep it two distinct personalities (at least until I can get the Quori inside of my character his own body). That being said, they will largely have the same motives, and are respectful of each others wishes. Okay, that's all fair enough. So, the physical changes I described before are probably a bad idea. What I would ultimately suggest is looking at 3.5 rules for Ego, specifically for intelligent magic items. Basically the main personality talks but if the alternate has something to say they don't hold their tongue. This could be fun. Have your main character talking to the party then suddenly stop herself and clasp her hands over her mouth to avoid saying something. Ex. The random NPC/PC ranger suggests they take the low road to the tower to avoid detection. Personality A: "Yeah that seems like a good--" Personality B: "Bad idea, there are likely goblins waiting in ambush down the low road, I suggest we take the high road instead." (Then to make her seems cooky) Throw in a rolling of eyes for good effect as she respects but disagrees with herself. EDIT: Upon reread, I'd like to clarify that a main (Anna) and alt (Lee) is probably easiest to rollplay with. Otherwise you would constantly have to remember who said what and keep track of who is running the show at all times.
#6 etarnon Feb 14, 2009 7:10:19	Go to some NAMI sites, and google MPD. As a DM of this, I'd rule that besides the two PCs you get, and a few more that I design, Roll randomly under stress for a switch, and 2 of the ones I design, the player doesn't get to play, they are effectively NPC'd. Good luck, have fun, if you can.
#7 the_black_hand Feb 14, 2009 13:21:19	I would recommend not doing the 2 personality thing. Most people don't really understand how to do it, and it is just a cheap way to play 2 characters at once.
#8 Scars_Unseen Feb 14, 2009 16:57:43	Heh, I did this once with 3 personalities. I was playing a guy that was being influenced by an angel and a demon. I rolled up 3 characters with the same physical stats and different mental stats. I think the trick to making this fun rather than cheap is not to be in control. I used dice to determine what personality was behind the wheel at the start of any given encounter, and told the DM he could tell me to switch at any time within an encounter. It ended up being pretty fun, with quite a few hilarious moments.