What’s The Best Way To Get Into Character When?

[lucylacemaker]

I don’t know where I can post this but anyway, what’s the best way to get into character when their personality is completely different from yours?

[Admin Pete]

Sept 14, 2023 10:10:25 GMT -5 lucylacemaker said:

I don’t know where I can post this but anyway, what’s the best way to get into character when their personality is completely different from yours?

Just start a new thread here in general, I will move it for you and I hope you get a ton of responses.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Sept 14, 2023 10:10:25 GMT -5 lucylacemaker said:

I don’t know where I can post this but anyway, what’s the best way to get into character when their personality is completely different from yours?

Hmm, I don't know if I can really describe it very well.

Here's what I do as a player. I draw from the thousands of stories I've read, from the movies I've seen and from people in real life and other. I first get a mental image of them in my mind, what they look like and then I remember that voice. Sometimes not often, I can even do the voice. I remember what that person was like and I just play that personality, sometimes I mash several together. I tweak all of that for the game. I remember the personality traits and the tells or ticks this person or people had and I throw some of that into how I play the character.

I hope that helps, I also do that as the referee for all the NPCs and monsters. They speak fast or moderate speed or slow and deliberate. Etc.

What say the rest of you.

[lucylacemaker]

I get what you’re saying however my current project has some characters from a series I like and I’m having trouble thinking the way he does so that I can make him a bit accurate

[dervish]

I never play characters straight from books, although I like to start with stereotypical character. I tend to start out by leaning into whatever that character's stereotypes may be. Things will no doubt happen to them during the game, and they change slowly to reflect that in ways I'm comfortable with over time.
For example, in my last 5e game I played a cleric who had a very clear view of universal justice and law. Then he had to work with the thieves' guild to recover an important artifact - and people who were clearly /good/ but also clearly wrong, by the law. (And, dammit, they then went and made him leader!)

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Sept 14, 2023 17:20:40 GMT -5 dervish said:

I never play characters straight from books, although I like to start with stereotypical character. I tend to start out by leaning into whatever that character's stereotypes may be. Things will no doubt happen to them during the game, and they change slowly to reflect that in ways I'm comfortable with over time.
For example, in my last 5e game I played a cleric who had a very clear view of universal justice and law. Then he had to work with the thieves' guild to recover an important artifact - and people who were clearly /good/ but also clearly wrong, by the law. (And, dammit, they then went and made him leader!)

Yeah, I agree, leaning into stereotypes and then tweaking them through play is great. PCs should grow and change over time in the game. That is IMO a tell of immersion.

[El Borak]

How is it going lucylacemaker? Did any of this help you with what you wanted?

[lucylacemaker]

There’s some good tips here 👍

[JMiskimen]

Jot down three descriptors or so at the top of your character sheet as the core portions of a character's personality. Before you react to anything in game, consider those words and respond accordingly. Modify those descriptors and add to them when situationaly appropriate.

JM.

[muddywater]

Oct 10, 2023 6:31:17 GMT -5 JMiskimen said:

Jot down three descriptors or so at the top of your character sheet as the core portions of a character's personality. Before you react to anything in game, consider those words and respond accordingly. Modify those descriptors and add to them when situationally appropriate.

JM.

This - this is the best advice I've seen from the short and sweet perspective. Combine this with The Perilous Dreamer's advice and you can't miss.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Mar 28, 2024 13:43:43 GMT -5 muddywater said:

Oct 10, 2023 6:31:17 GMT -5 JMiskimen said:

Jot down three descriptors or so at the top of your character sheet as the core portions of a character's personality. Before you react to anything in game, consider those words and respond accordingly. Modify those descriptors and add to them when situationally appropriate.

JM.

This - this is the best advice I've seen from the short and sweet perspective. Combine this with The Perilous Dreamer's advice and you can't miss.

I won't disagree with you. JMiskimen has a great technique spelled out.

[hengest]

A lot of good advice on this thread.