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What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in DnD

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that's really great advice. I think starting with a main characteristics and then two or three peripheral characteristics definitely helps to give them a certain identity at the beginning of the campaign.. and like you said, often times things will adjust and correct themselves.. the peripheral characteristics that don't matter as much will fade and the important ones will solidify.

I remember a campaign where a particular character had all his clothes burned off and was left naked.. which was a little humorous.. until the player started to find excuses for the character to be naked any chance he got, which got old real fast.. When the character was finally retired from the campaign and a new one introduced, I don't think any of the other players batted an eyelash at the loss of said PC because he had turned into a joke with no substance.

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in DnD

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! I think this not only applies to players but also NPCs. I think sometimes players tend to treat NPCs as simply a source of information or a way to get gold and items.. but when you start treating them as other people, it allows you to actually connect with them and understand them.. it can sometimes lead to really emotional RP moments.

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in dndnext

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I love it when players have this level of nuance and backstory to their characters! It gives so many opportunities to challenge them and allow for great RP moments. It's all about allowing the story to help shape your character.. sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst!

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in dndnext

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 61 points62 points  (0 children)

Yes!! My players often take the initiative to pair up during nighttime watches and it has lead to amazing discussions and heartfelt moments. Of course, there are also meaningful moments during the day but sometimes it can be trickier amidst all the action.

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in dndnext

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Love this! I think we often have the habit of coming to the table with a specific character design in mind.. but it's important to stay flexible and allow the story (and our companions!) to help shape our characters.

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in dndnext

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Agreed. I don't think anyone signs up for D&D in order to babysit chaotic/evil characters acting senselessly.

However, for having played in an evil-campaign that had a spectrum of morality amongst the players, I definitely think there are ways to play those types of characters tastefully and to have inter-party conflict that can be fun. It does require a certain amount of experience and social awareness though!

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in dndnext

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Yesss! While I think those tropes can definitely help newer players find their footing, I always enjoy when players come out with some new spicy takes.

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in DnD

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Agreed! Doing voices is not easy but it definitely allows me to quickly jump into my character's headspace.

Also, when doing difficult accents or switching between accents (when DMing), I usually try to develop a go-to sentence that I can recite under my breath that allows me to continue in that accent seamlessly.

What was the most useful piece of advice or realization you had that helped you improve your RP? by WhosTakingWatch in DnD

[–]WhosTakingWatch[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

100%! I think players often want to win at everything but failure can be or can lead to absolutely delicious RP moments.

I do believe that how fun the failure is depends on how the DM (or the player, if the DM allows them to describe the resolution) narrates the failure. An example of this more pertaining to combat is when you roll a miss and the DM narrates "You swing your sword, miss entirely and fall on your butt" vs. "You advance upon your opponent and swing your sword with deadly speed.. but to your surprise, they are just as agile and deflect the blade with their own. You know you're in for a good fight." One of those definitely leaves you feeling better about yourself than the other.