How do I stay in character?


Advice


OK, I know a lot of the questions here are about systems, but this is something I'm finding difficult.

When I play a new character or try to create one, I end up with usually one of two problems:

1) I give my character the same opinions and personality as my first, core character. My core character is a sneaky, impulsive, two-faced, loot-obsessed rogue. You can see how this would not work with a character who's meant to be a holy, righteous sort.

Or

2) I makes decisions based not upon what my character would do, but meta-game and think about what would bring me the greater benefit (when I play Dragon Age, my character is always ready to say whatever the companions want to hear).

Does anyone have any tips about how to stay in the mindset of my character? Any advice appreciated!


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Write a Ten Minute Background for the character when you're first creating them, and reference this on a regular basis. Add to it, occasionally, when something new happens that affects how they behave or that you think is really important to who they are - and if you're uncertain about how they might act, glance down at the sheet to refresh your thoughts. ^^


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Seconding GM Rednal - having a good story for your character helps a ton with figuring out what makes them tick. It's easier to emulate a person when they're a person, rather than a caricature or a flavorless ball of mechanics.

The Ten Minute Background is a quite nice one, especially if you aren't accustomed to characterization, but Paizo also has a background generator that can help to build out ideas, and there's plenty of other character brainstorming methods out there. You don't have to be a good writer to have a good character background - even if you can't state it eloquently, just getting the ideas out and organized will help.


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It can be tough getting into a rut with your characters, but you could also be what Robin Laws describes in his book (Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering) as a "Specialist" player type - we have one in our group as well, who tends to enjoy playing characters that fall into a "trickster" archetypal role.

He fought against it for a while before realizing that there are lots of ways to play a trickster (though he still breaks out of it from time-to-time - currently, he's playing a 5 Intelligence Goliath Druid who spends all his time as a dinosaur, for instance.)

There are - perhaps shockingly - even ways to play a bit of a trickster as a paladin. A paladin of Sheylyn, for instance, could be a vessel of pure joy - laughter, song, art, and music - a character that shocks the party by breaking the mold of what they think a paladin traditionally is when she gets up on the table in a bar and leads the tavern in joyful, rowdy drinking songs and buys everyone a round.

There are also archetypes and traits that create these kinds of openings. An aasimar monk with Enlightened Warrior doesn't have to be bound to a lawful code or way of thinking. A Chosen One paladin is still learning, and the Hero's Journey suggests such a character may even be resistant to accepting their own destiny.

But if and when you do choose to break "type", I recommend the suggestions above: figure out what makes your character tick and use those as the framework for their actions, though don't be shackled by them. Some players get too caught up in the mentality of, "Well my character wouldn't do that," and shut down story progression. When *that* happens, it's the duty of the player to figure out why their character *would* do something (provided it truly isn't antithetical to the character - there are times where a character has to hold their ground.)


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  • Use a role model, so you can think "What Would X Do/Say".
  • Have a few handy catchphrases, so you'll always say the right (albeit the same) things.


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Writing a few bullet points about your character's goals and values can help a lot. You can refer back to it whenever you need to make an important decision.


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I find that stealing Mouse Guard's system helps a lot, by determining the following about them:
Their Beliefs
Their Goals
Their Instincts

Beliefs:
This can be anything from "I believe that everyone is good inside and deserves redemption" (NG Serenrae follower) to "I believe that power is the key to self-enlightenment" (LE Irori follower)

Goals:
This is what they want in the world, what they strive for. "I want to be the best fighter" is a weak goal as its too vague, but something along the lines of "I want to be the noble swordsman that children look up to" is a better one, as it shows he has (somewhat) noble goals.

Instincts:
This is what they do without thinking. "I always examine magical items before looking at the consequences" or "I draw my sword even at the first hint of danger" tells us that they're impulsive, but in different ways.

You can go into as much or as little detail as you want, but it does help to spark that personality thought experiment.

Sovereign Court

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I find using a distinctive accent helps me stay in character, my current PFS character is from Galt so I am playing him as though he is French.


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GM Rednal wrote:
Write a Ten Minute Background for the character when you're first creating them, and reference this on a regular basis. Add to it, occasionally, when something new happens that affects how they behave or that you think is really important to who they are - and if you're uncertain about how they might act, glance down at the sheet to refresh your thoughts. ^^

Thank you! I've written brief backgrounds before, but now I think about it, it's only ever referenced an event in the character's past. I don't think I've put much thinking into how it really affects their behaviour now e.g. they're more guarded, so they wouldn't accept a random strangers request for help.


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Rennaivx wrote:

Seconding GM Rednal - having a good story for your character helps a ton with figuring out what makes them tick. It's easier to emulate a person when they're a person, rather than a caricature or a flavorless ball of mechanics.

The Ten Minute Background is a quite nice one, especially if you aren't accustomed to characterization, but Paizo also has a background generator that can help to build out ideas, and there's plenty of other character brainstorming methods out there. You don't have to be a good writer to have a good character background - even if you can't state it eloquently, just getting the ideas out and organized will help.

That link is brilliant, ta muchly! I think it'll definitely help me stick to some ideas on who the character is.


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Gulthor wrote:


There are - perhaps shockingly - even ways to play a bit of a trickster as a paladin.

That is a very useful bit of information to know. I've been trying to work out why a paladin-type character would go along with a trickster person's behaviour, so it looks like there's more leeway than I thought.

As for the "my character wouldn't do that", it has halted a few games I've been in, where plot can't progress. I do wonder if that's because we genuinely can't get that character to move from their (quite rightly held) beliefs, or if we could have found a compromise. Will think of that for the future...


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crashcanuck wrote:
I find using a distinctive accent helps me stay in character, my current PFS character is from Galt so I am playing him as though he is French.

I once played a game where I was French for the evening. At a certain point, I couldn't hold it, but it did help me become the other character more than I thought. Hadn't thought of employing it for a more long term campaign. Will give it a go.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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GM Rednal wrote:
Ten Minute Background

That looks super cool. :)


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Thank the people who originally came up with it. XD

What I'd probably do is start with a 10 Minute Background, then - if desired - move on to the longer Background Generator and use that to fill in the rest of the details of the character's life. By the time you're done, you should have a very solid idea of how your character acts - including why they behave that way in the first place. Once you know these sorts of details, it should be easier to stay in character whenever you're playing them.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Accents.

For some reason, most of my characters start with an accent or a tag line phrase.

So... my Mysterious Avenger introduces herself to the party in her alter-ego: A slumped over woman in glasses and a frumpy coat pulls out a clipboard, and says in a nasal voice: "I'm Doris, from accounting. The home office wants me to do an audit of a field operation. This will be so exciting! Last week, I was doing inventory of the barrels full of Cure Light Wounds Wands in the stockroom. This week, I get to see an actual monster-infested ruin!"

Doris does seem to have a backpack, a rapier and a whip handy. "Oh, these? Accounting's a rough business. Best to be prepared."

I kept the Doris identity going until we saw goblins in the distance, at which point I reversed my reversible cloak and charged into action. The nasal Brooklyn accent dropped and all of a sudden I started shouting, "Die, ill-mannered cur!" and "Begone, foul goblin!"

I had enormous fun swinging off roof beams with my prehensile whip, parrying and riposting bad guys and being ridiculous.

I could have been a regular swashbuckler, but the Doris persona actually is what nails the personality for me. It gives me a schtick that made the whole rest of the character come together.

Hmm


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I'll sometimes carry an item associated with the character (in real life) and have it in my hands or in front of me to help keep me in the right mind set.


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My wife has a large stick and high expectations.

I find an image of the person helps - either a pictures or a mini for real life games. I can spend hours hunting for the right mini, sometimes, and longer carefully converting and painting it (at least Warhammer served a higher purpose...). The right visual can help you get what kind of character they are in a nut shell.


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In addition to the accents I generally have a catchphrase or two I say out loud a few times, with hand motions and such to really get into it. I find that repeating the character's introduction and standing up and actually performing it lets me get into the mindset and into the voice and such.

One of my current characters has an accent and is eccentric to the point that he has Benecio Del Toro's crazy bow as The Collector and I find that performing it helps.


Lilith Knight wrote:
I'll sometimes carry an item associated with the character (in real life) and have it in my hands or in front of me to help keep me in the right mind set.

Hmm I'll have a think about using this one. That could prove to be a useful prop...


Hubaris wrote:
In addition to the accents I generally have a catchphrase or two I say out loud a few times, with hand motions and such to really get into it. I find that repeating the character's introduction and standing up and actually performing it lets me get into the mindset and into the voice and such.

Will give this one a try as having phrases would seem a natural thing to develop. Thanks!


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I would suggest approaching one of the other players and asking them to build a team backstory with you. This could be a series of funny events from recently, all the way to 200 years of companionship (for a pair of elves).

I find staying in character is a lot easier with another player helping to hold me accountable/share in the fun.

If it's a strict roleplaying environment; I will make a list of IF/THEN statements for my character, like "If I see a child struck by an adult, I do everything in my power to intervene."

In addition, RPGs are system games and roleplaying situations, so it's not always bad to meta-game. In the middle of a dungeon, PC's themselves are meta-gaming, but they call it survival.

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