Speaking In Character - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Speaking In Character

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ilikefrogs
Mar 09, 2009 9:56:56 While it isn't universal, several players and the DM in one of my groups use specific accents, voice tones, etc to mark when they are speaking IC. I would like to be able to do the same, but am running into a problem. My PC is female. My RL voice is a baritone. I can't speak falsetto without giving myself a sore throat. I can't think of an accent that really fits her (genasi SM). Putting my hands in the air (or something like that) has come to mind, but seems rather dorky.

Does anyone have any other ideas that I can use?
#2
green_girl
Mar 09, 2009 10:03:27 You don't need to do a falsetto to make it sound female. You can try just saying stuff in-character, just how you think the character would say it regardless of the voice's pitch.
#3
ilikefrogs
Mar 09, 2009 11:50:29
You don't need to do a falsetto to make it sound female. You can try just saying stuff in-character, just how you think the character would say it regardless of the voice's pitch.

I am trying to differentiate between what I say IC and what I say either OOC or whispered to the group talker. (I have a CHA of 8, so any ideas my PC has, she passes on to either the Warlock or the Paladin.)
#4
agent000
Mar 09, 2009 13:56:45 As a male player, one of the things I do when I'm RPing female characters is that I make my voice 'softer', not necessarily 'higher'. I also try carry myself differently through my physical mannerisms. Some examples include making feminine hand gestures, batting my eyelashes, twirling my hair (my hair is actually very short, but I make the gesture as if it were shoulder length). Pretty much it translates into acting stereotypically 'flaming' in nature. This of course is dependent on your comfort level, but it works for me.
#5
Shiftkitty
Mar 09, 2009 14:38:05 There are plenty of deeper voiced women who packed a wallop of sultry femininity at those tones. Think Greta Garbo's "I vant to be alone..." Granted, your character doesn't have to constantly speak like she's ready for the bedroom, but spoken in soft, dusky tones, especially with a bit of an accent, it can add a lot of character to the voice. (My NPC sphinx, Etrusca, speaks with a moderate-tone voice carrying a Russian accent.)
#6
ilikefrogs
Mar 10, 2009 9:40:12
As a male player, one of the things I do when I'm RPing female characters is that I make my voice 'softer', not necessarily 'higher'. I also try carry myself differently through my physical mannerisms. Some examples include making feminine hand gestures, batting my eyelashes, twirling my hair (my hair is actually very short, but I make the gesture as if it were shoulder length). Pretty much it translates into acting stereotypically 'flaming' in nature. This of course is dependent on your comfort level, but it works for me.

:lightbulb Not a bad idea. My PC isn't very "girly," but I could play up a few things to get the point across. I have no problem coming across as "flaming." Until I mentioned my ex-girlfriend, I think the other players thought I'm gay!

There are plenty of deeper voiced women who packed a wallop of sultry femininity at those tones. Think Greta Garbo's "I vant to be alone..." Granted, your character doesn't have to constantly speak like she's ready for the bedroom, but spoken in soft, dusky tones, especially with a bit of an accent, it can add a lot of character to the voice. (My NPC sphinx, Etrusca, speaks with a moderate-tone voice carrying a Russian accent.)

I'm not sure how sultry someone can sound while sounding like she spent her life smoking several packs a day and working in a mine. (I don't smoke or work in a mine, but as I said, I'm a baritone, which doesn't lead to sultry.)

If I tried the accent, I'd end up sounding like Count Dracula. (I can do some accents, but not a lot.) :embarrass
#7
Shiftkitty
Mar 10, 2009 12:51:24 That text image of a sultry femme fatale suddenly speaking a gravelly, too-masculine voice came onto my monitor just as the radio started playing "Dude Looks Like A Lady". LOL!
#8
Mad_Jack
Mar 10, 2009 21:09:44 Instead of changing your voice, change your speech patterns.

Use different words, different syntax...

Yoda, dwarves with bad "I hits 'im wi' me trusty hammer, an' if'n 'e stands up, I hits 'im agin" Scottish dialogue or the typical half-orc "Hulk smash puny human!" are really extreme examples, but after awhile, the rest of the group will easily be able to tell when you're talking in character as long as you're consistent about using certain words or phrases that they know to be "in-character".

Depending on your character's background, intelligence and social standing, even just making an effort to sound more refined and "uppercrust" than the way you normally speak will work just fine.

If you normally swear alot or come from a working-class background that didn't stress good diction and politeness, be polite, act classy.
If you normally sound like an upper-class British snob, then tone down the politeness and don't use so many big words.

Act the character's background instead of her gender. Make up your own way of speaking based on what you think the people of her social class in her geographical area sound like.
#9
pigknight
Mar 10, 2009 21:20:32 Or speak normally.

Creepy roleplayers. :P
#10
MechaPilot
Mar 10, 2009 22:05:14 One of the things i have done in the past is use a hat.

I tend to wear a baseball cap, and when speaking for a female char I would remove it.
#11
1red13
Mar 10, 2009 22:50:11 :heehee
Or speak normally.

Creepy roleplayers. :P

#12
That_Blasted_Somoflange
Mar 11, 2009 20:07:32 Wear woman's underwear.

Of course I don't know how that would help you talk like a woman. Maybe walk like a woman. That's close enough though right?
#13
pigknight
Mar 11, 2009 20:10:19 Gender Reassignment Surgery
#14
MechaPilot
Mar 11, 2009 22:31:09
Gender Reassignment Surgery

I think the aforementioned ladies underwear would be easier to explain to the parents/significant other.
#15
bronski113
Mar 12, 2009 18:38:10 Don't have any better advice to give that hasn't been given already but this does remind me of one of my PC's doing an accent the session before last that I'm dm'ing.

He has been using a irish/scottish type accent but somehow during the course of a few lines he turned it into a goodfella type bronx accent. Couldn't help but laugh.
#16
etarnon
Mar 12, 2009 21:42:37 Practice your Tim Curry.

Wear fishnets and leather.

"An-tici-PATION!"
#17
Mad_Jack
Mar 15, 2009 0:25:43
Practice your Tim Curry.

Wear fishnets and leather.

"An-tici-PATION!"

The OP's character is a female genasi swordmage - clearly he'd need to practice his Patricia Quinn. I mean, c'mon, genasi have stripes on their heads; Magenta has a stripe on her head, obviously she's a genasi. Considering that she wears cloth armor, she could easily be a swordmage. :D
#18
pigknight
Mar 15, 2009 0:46:31 Hit on your guy friend.
#19
cole_caecus
Mar 15, 2009 9:39:23 With my group and most of the groups i've played with, we have a specific sing when we do out of character. That is the rock sign, which is to say you have your index and pinkie finger out, with the rest curled in to your palm. One of us just decided that was the sign for our games to be OOC. It doesnt have to be held up in the air, jsut in view of others in the game. Its worked out great so far.
#20
antesse
Mar 15, 2009 10:13:14 Around our gaming table, usually "aside" comments or rules clarifications or anything OOC is shown by holding up two fingers either straight up or the arm crossing the chest. The default is that talking is either IC talking or having been asked a direct question (also declaring actions in combat).
#21
october_darkness
Mar 15, 2009 18:18:51 If I wanted to speak OOC, then I would inform the DM. The part I don't like, is when the DM is refusing to acknowledge your intention, and use it against you.
#22
bone_naga
Mar 15, 2009 19:54:52 Just start talking dirty to one of the male PCs.
#23
cole_caecus
Mar 15, 2009 20:56:36 Lol, done that. Was playing new World of Darkness, was running a game, and had to hit on my best friend, as i was npcing a girl who was trying to kidnap him to a hotel room to steal his kidneys... It was Awkward for both me and him, lol.
#24
kouk
Mar 15, 2009 22:03:04 I don't play as female characters in particular, but generally I find if you just saying something that seems like the character talking, or with a little more force, people understand it's the character.

Generally in my out of character remarks I don't say things like, "Sir Doofus, I can't help but feel your plan on invading the castle could use a bit more work."

Out of character it would sound more like, "Uh, I think we should think a bit more about this plan guys."
#25
paladin-101
Mar 16, 2009 2:30:16 I have never had the urge to play a female character(mostly because I think the other guys I play with would try to slip me a roofie and date **** me IC) but I am definately an actor play style D&Der. When I play I run the gambit from accents, speech patterns, and body language.

1:Accents: If you can think of a feminine or just gentler accent don't be afraid to try it. Maybe a southern accent, or other such accents to make your speech seem gentler.

2: Speech Patterns: Very useful and very underused by most guys I play with. Just changing the manner in which you speak can do wonders. I have played everything from a sophisticated elf, to an unruly dwarf, to a halfling with a curiosity deathwish, and each of them spoke in a different manner. Perhaps your lady is very refined and uses alot of big words. If you have the vocabulary for it you can really **** with your table mates making them dive for a dictionary or else making them say "Can you translate that to normal for us?". Also think of yoda, sparsing up the structure of your sentances, or a plethora of other ways to mix up style of speech.

3: Body Language: Don't be afraid to use this. It definately can translate to the other players and DM that you are speaking IC. Perhaps you make alot of hand gestures IC, or mime flipping a coin, or batt your eyelashes, like Ursula in the Lil mermaid says,"Never underestimate the power of body language!" Hell I played an elf wizard once who I played as being eccentric and obsessed with colors, and everyone know when I was speaking IC because my head would start to weave and even my body would get into it as I played the character as very unbalanced.

So don't let your deep voice prevent you from enjoying IC pleasures!
#26
october_darkness
Mar 16, 2009 11:20:54 I have played two female characters. First one was an annoying singing wizard, who thought she was a bard. This character got the party into some weird situations.

Second character was originally a male, but the group forced me down and polymorphed me into a female. I won't say why though.:embarrass
#27
green_girl
Mar 17, 2009 6:15:36 http://www.tgguide.com/female-voice.htm found this in another thread. It might help.
#28
morganm
Mar 19, 2009 17:19:53 I like the idea of ques; visual or verbal.

One way of using verbal ques is (say your characters name is Sophie) you would say "Sophie responds by saying...." that way they know your speaking in character.

A visual que could be a hat, something you pick up and hold, or the hand signal ideas mentioned earlier. Just put it one or use it when you are speaking in character. Might I suggest a wide brim pink hat with a large purple feather?
#29
pigknight
Mar 19, 2009 20:45:37
I like the idea of ques; visual or verbal.

One way of using verbal ques is (say your characters name is Sophie) you would say "Sophie responds by saying...." that way they know your speaking in character.

A visual que could be a hat, something you pick up and hold, or the hand signal ideas mentioned earlier. Just put it one or use it when you are speaking in character. Might I suggest a wide brim pink hat with a large purple feather?

I put on mah pimp robe when I'm OOC. I'm the DM so it fits.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ilikefrogs Mar 09, 2009 9:56:56	While it isn't universal, several players and the DM in one of my groups use specific accents, voice tones, etc to mark when they are speaking IC. I would like to be able to do the same, but am running into a problem. My PC is female. My RL voice is a baritone. I can't speak falsetto without giving myself a sore throat. I can't think of an accent that really fits her (genasi SM). Putting my hands in the air (or something like that) has come to mind, but seems rather dorky. Does anyone have any other ideas that I can use?
#2 green_girl Mar 09, 2009 10:03:27	You don't need to do a falsetto to make it sound female. You can try just saying stuff in-character, just how you think the character would say it regardless of the voice's pitch.
#3 ilikefrogs Mar 09, 2009 11:50:29	You don't need to do a falsetto to make it sound female. You can try just saying stuff in-character, just how you think the character would say it regardless of the voice's pitch. I am trying to differentiate between what I say IC and what I say either OOC or whispered to the group talker. (I have a CHA of 8, so any ideas my PC has, she passes on to either the Warlock or the Paladin.)
#4 agent000 Mar 09, 2009 13:56:45	As a male player, one of the things I do when I'm RPing female characters is that I make my voice 'softer', not necessarily 'higher'. I also try carry myself differently through my physical mannerisms. Some examples include making feminine hand gestures, batting my eyelashes, twirling my hair (my hair is actually very short, but I make the gesture as if it were shoulder length). Pretty much it translates into acting stereotypically 'flaming' in nature. This of course is dependent on your comfort level, but it works for me.
#5 Shiftkitty Mar 09, 2009 14:38:05	There are plenty of deeper voiced women who packed a wallop of sultry femininity at those tones. Think Greta Garbo's "I vant to be alone..." Granted, your character doesn't have to constantly speak like she's ready for the bedroom, but spoken in soft, dusky tones, especially with a bit of an accent, it can add a lot of character to the voice. (My NPC sphinx, Etrusca, speaks with a moderate-tone voice carrying a Russian accent.)
#6 ilikefrogs Mar 10, 2009 9:40:12	As a male player, one of the things I do when I'm RPing female characters is that I make my voice 'softer', not necessarily 'higher'. I also try carry myself differently through my physical mannerisms. Some examples include making feminine hand gestures, batting my eyelashes, twirling my hair (my hair is actually very short, but I make the gesture as if it were shoulder length). Pretty much it translates into acting stereotypically 'flaming' in nature. This of course is dependent on your comfort level, but it works for me. :lightbulb Not a bad idea. My PC isn't very "girly," but I could play up a few things to get the point across. I have no problem coming across as "flaming." Until I mentioned my ex-girlfriend, I think the other players thought I'm gay! There are plenty of deeper voiced women who packed a wallop of sultry femininity at those tones. Think Greta Garbo's "I vant to be alone..." Granted, your character doesn't have to constantly speak like she's ready for the bedroom, but spoken in soft, dusky tones, especially with a bit of an accent, it can add a lot of character to the voice. (My NPC sphinx, Etrusca, speaks with a moderate-tone voice carrying a Russian accent.) I'm not sure how sultry someone can sound while sounding like she spent her life smoking several packs a day and working in a mine. (I don't smoke or work in a mine, but as I said, I'm a baritone, which doesn't lead to sultry.) If I tried the accent, I'd end up sounding like Count Dracula. (I can do some accents, but not a lot.) :embarrass
#7 Shiftkitty Mar 10, 2009 12:51:24	That text image of a sultry femme fatale suddenly speaking a gravelly, too-masculine voice came onto my monitor just as the radio started playing "Dude Looks Like A Lady". LOL!
#8 Mad_Jack Mar 10, 2009 21:09:44	Instead of changing your voice, change your speech patterns. Use different words, different syntax... Yoda, dwarves with bad "I hits 'im wi' me trusty hammer, an' if'n 'e stands up, I hits 'im agin" Scottish dialogue or the typical half-orc "Hulk smash puny human!" are really extreme examples, but after awhile, the rest of the group will easily be able to tell when you're talking in character as long as you're consistent about using certain words or phrases that they know to be "in-character". Depending on your character's background, intelligence and social standing, even just making an effort to sound more refined and "uppercrust" than the way you normally speak will work just fine. If you normally swear alot or come from a working-class background that didn't stress good diction and politeness, be polite, act classy. If you normally sound like an upper-class British snob, then tone down the politeness and don't use so many big words. Act the character's background instead of her gender. Make up your own way of speaking based on what you think the people of her social class in her geographical area sound like.
#9 pigknight Mar 10, 2009 21:20:32	Or speak normally. Creepy roleplayers. :P
#10 MechaPilot Mar 10, 2009 22:05:14	One of the things i have done in the past is use a hat. I tend to wear a baseball cap, and when speaking for a female char I would remove it.
#11 1red13 Mar 10, 2009 22:50:11	:heehee Or speak normally. Creepy roleplayers. :P
#12 That_Blasted_Somoflange Mar 11, 2009 20:07:32	Wear woman's underwear. Of course I don't know how that would help you talk like a woman. Maybe walk like a woman. That's close enough though right?
#13 pigknight Mar 11, 2009 20:10:19	Gender Reassignment Surgery
#14 MechaPilot Mar 11, 2009 22:31:09	Gender Reassignment Surgery I think the aforementioned ladies underwear would be easier to explain to the parents/significant other.
#15 bronski113 Mar 12, 2009 18:38:10	Don't have any better advice to give that hasn't been given already but this does remind me of one of my PC's doing an accent the session before last that I'm dm'ing. He has been using a irish/scottish type accent but somehow during the course of a few lines he turned it into a goodfella type bronx accent. Couldn't help but laugh.
#16 etarnon Mar 12, 2009 21:42:37	Practice your Tim Curry. Wear fishnets and leather. "An-tici-PATION!"
#17 Mad_Jack Mar 15, 2009 0:25:43	Practice your Tim Curry. Wear fishnets and leather. "An-tici-PATION!" The OP's character is a female genasi swordmage - clearly he'd need to practice his Patricia Quinn. I mean, c'mon, genasi have stripes on their heads; Magenta has a stripe on her head, obviously she's a genasi. Considering that she wears cloth armor, she could easily be a swordmage. :D
#18 pigknight Mar 15, 2009 0:46:31	Hit on your guy friend.
#19 cole_caecus Mar 15, 2009 9:39:23	With my group and most of the groups i've played with, we have a specific sing when we do out of character. That is the rock sign, which is to say you have your index and pinkie finger out, with the rest curled in to your palm. One of us just decided that was the sign for our games to be OOC. It doesnt have to be held up in the air, jsut in view of others in the game. Its worked out great so far.
#20 antesse Mar 15, 2009 10:13:14	Around our gaming table, usually "aside" comments or rules clarifications or anything OOC is shown by holding up two fingers either straight up or the arm crossing the chest. The default is that talking is either IC talking or having been asked a direct question (also declaring actions in combat).
#21 october_darkness Mar 15, 2009 18:18:51	If I wanted to speak OOC, then I would inform the DM. The part I don't like, is when the DM is refusing to acknowledge your intention, and use it against you.
#22 bone_naga Mar 15, 2009 19:54:52	Just start talking dirty to one of the male PCs.
#23 cole_caecus Mar 15, 2009 20:56:36	Lol, done that. Was playing new World of Darkness, was running a game, and had to hit on my best friend, as i was npcing a girl who was trying to kidnap him to a hotel room to steal his kidneys... It was Awkward for both me and him, lol.
#24 kouk Mar 15, 2009 22:03:04	I don't play as female characters in particular, but generally I find if you just saying something that seems like the character talking, or with a little more force, people understand it's the character. Generally in my out of character remarks I don't say things like, "Sir Doofus, I can't help but feel your plan on invading the castle could use a bit more work." Out of character it would sound more like, "Uh, I think we should think a bit more about this plan guys."
#25 paladin-101 Mar 16, 2009 2:30:16	I have never had the urge to play a female character(mostly because I think the other guys I play with would try to slip me a roofie and date ** me IC) but I am definately an actor play style D&Der. When I play I run the gambit from accents, speech patterns, and body language. 1:Accents: If you can think of a feminine or just gentler accent don't be afraid to try it. Maybe a southern accent, or other such accents to make your speech seem gentler. 2: Speech Patterns: Very useful and very underused by most guys I play with. Just changing the manner in which you speak can do wonders. I have played everything from a sophisticated elf, to an unruly dwarf, to a halfling with a curiosity deathwish, and each of them spoke in a different manner. Perhaps your lady is very refined and uses alot of big words. If you have the vocabulary for it you can really ** with your table mates making them dive for a dictionary or else making them say "Can you translate that to normal for us?". Also think of yoda, sparsing up the structure of your sentances, or a plethora of other ways to mix up style of speech. 3: Body Language: Don't be afraid to use this. It definately can translate to the other players and DM that you are speaking IC. Perhaps you make alot of hand gestures IC, or mime flipping a coin, or batt your eyelashes, like Ursula in the Lil mermaid says,"Never underestimate the power of body language!" Hell I played an elf wizard once who I played as being eccentric and obsessed with colors, and everyone know when I was speaking IC because my head would start to weave and even my body would get into it as I played the character as very unbalanced. So don't let your deep voice prevent you from enjoying IC pleasures!
#26 october_darkness Mar 16, 2009 11:20:54	I have played two female characters. First one was an annoying singing wizard, who thought she was a bard. This character got the party into some weird situations. Second character was originally a male, but the group forced me down and polymorphed me into a female. I won't say why though.:embarrass
#27 green_girl Mar 17, 2009 6:15:36	http://www.tgguide.com/female-voice.htm found this in another thread. It might help.
#28 morganm Mar 19, 2009 17:19:53	I like the idea of ques; visual or verbal. One way of using verbal ques is (say your characters name is Sophie) you would say "Sophie responds by saying...." that way they know your speaking in character. A visual que could be a hat, something you pick up and hold, or the hand signal ideas mentioned earlier. Just put it one or use it when you are speaking in character. Might I suggest a wide brim pink hat with a large purple feather?
#29 pigknight Mar 19, 2009 20:45:37	I like the idea of ques; visual or verbal. One way of using verbal ques is (say your characters name is Sophie) you would say "Sophie responds by saying...." that way they know your speaking in character. A visual que could be a hat, something you pick up and hold, or the hand signal ideas mentioned earlier. Just put it one or use it when you are speaking in character. Might I suggest a wide brim pink hat with a large purple feather? I put on mah pimp robe when I'm OOC. I'm the DM so it fits.