| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MuadDib |
Posted - 16 Jul 2003 : 12:44:55
I don't know about everyone else, but I sometimes feel like the worst roleplayer ever...
No matter what game im playing i can hardly ever play an evil character. I almost always end up playing a paladin or some other good aligned character, and if i ever try playing an evil character, i end up giving up, because i dont enjoy it.
Does anyone else get this same problem? |
| 27 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Osmo |
Posted - 21 Jul 2003 : 13:30:54
Alignement to me is not such a problem, any is good. That doesn't mean I've got a perdisposition to run out and kill or donate all my money to charity. What that means for me is that I draw on life experiance, movies, people I know - like and dislike and incorporate the into my character. I get just as much fun out of pretending to be somebody as I do when I play facets of my own character.. I still have my preferred class and alignment but I'll give anything a go. Ultimately the pendulum will swing all over the place anyway, like a broken spedo. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 16:15:35
I'll try and find the article here in my archives. I think I remember saving a copy of that particular article because it also detailed a alternate ghost template which was different from the one presented in the MM.
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| zemd |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 16:00:33
I asked this last year at GenCon to James Wyatt and he answers that they didn't plan to make such book. I'm glad they thought of it again. I'll check on wizards.com |
| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 14:16:57
I think there were originally plans to create such a tome for the good-aligned organisations of the Realms, although I have not heard anything about this lately. The last time it was mentioned was on the WotC update column back in January.
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| zemd |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 13:01:51
I'm glad they'll released such book. As Evil can be incarnated in a lot of ways, good can have different flavors. I'd also like the equivalent of Lords of Darkness which could describe the Lords of Waterdeep, the Harpers,... |
| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 08:03:49
I wouldn't have thought so either Bookwyrm, but Bonds of Magic really opened my eyes as to the potential of LG paladin type characters, and other goodly-aligned character classes.
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| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 08:01:52
Yes, that is right. Although with the material presented in the two Bonds of Magic books (which I highly recommend for all you paladin and good aligned clerics out there), there probably won't be anything I have not already seen.
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| Bookwyrm |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 08:01:36
I was wondering if there was/would be a book like that. I was thinking maybe you don't really need as much of a book on goodness as you do on making a proper evil for your party to destroy. ( Or try to. ) |
| zemd |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 07:57:14
And in October will be released the book of exalted deeds, which is the equivalent of the book of vile darkness but for good characters |
| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 01:52:02
The same could also be said for LG and CG PC's. Book of Hallowed Might, and the two Bonds of Magic tomes also displayed the richness of variety a gamer can experience when role-playing a highly restricted alignment like LG. The Bonds of Magic series also includes some interesting pre-generated LG PC's, and NPC's that can be used in your home campaign.
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| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jul 2003 : 01:49:11
I had never really considered role-playing an evil character either until I had read through some interesting material in the 3e tomes Book of Vile Darkness and Encyclopedia Arcane: Demonology. There is a creative selection of gaming information in both of these tomes to help you play both LE, and CE type PC's. In fact I think I have made more use of 'Demonology', than I have of the BoVD.
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| Vallandar |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 23:08:36
Normally I play LN, LE, NG or NE characters. I could probably roleplay most types of characters (except gnomes and stereotypical halflings) though I would have problems identifying with them. |
| Mournblade |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 20:22:45
I don't think you are missing out on anything Muad dib. You are just not into the evil roleplaying. I have 2 evil characters I like that I have created. As a DM though it is easy to get your 'evil' side out because you have to roleplay villains. I have some EXCELLENT evil villains that hte players STILL talk about. Shakespear talked about Negative Capability. You have to be able to withdraw yourself form the character and let the character do what they will do. My villains do some things that would abhor me. But I just let them do what THEY decide to do. Sometimes I feel like I don't have that much control over them
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| PathWarden |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 20:22:21
In my years of roleplaying I have played a vast variety of characters. I have been a paladin, an assassin, rogue, ranger, mage, cleric, you name it, I have most likely played it. I have been everything from lawful good to chaotic evil. I try to have fun with each of them, and to make each character unique. I think it makes the game more interesting to play a diverse characters and to make each one an individual.
I have a friend that plays, and no matter what sort of character or alignment he plays, all of his characters act exactly alike. Their mannerisms, speach, actions, etc are all identical. Now that is more a candidate for worst role player of all time than simply not being fond of playing an evil character. |
| zemd |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 09:56:37
I think what you should do is roleplay an easy villain. Not a complicated background, easy and simple motivation (stealing, make the other suffer, killing, or anything else the simple villain do) Take the example of one of your favorite villain and act like him. I'm sure that after a few try you'll be able to add depth to your character, cause no one is completly evil.
A CE character is the easiest IMO. Just think selfish, you are the best the others are worms. NE and LE are much harder. The NE gives you the true evil guy which isn't tied to any kind of rules but who understands why they exist. The LE is a quite strange concept, it shows us the difference Law and good. And in our RL we are not used to make the difference. When you use the law at your own ends, you can be supported by the local governement and what you do is completly legal but evil (No, i'm not thinking of a recent war) |
| MuadDib |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 08:28:34
I find myself quite xenophobic in who i play, althought not all in my party members. My party is always a rainbow of hues and colours, but my main character is almost always human or half elf.
I think one of the reasons i find it so easy to play LG, is because when i read the description, i found a lot of myself in there. It shocked me, i dont want to be so hard***ed, so im trying to branch out.
The main reason im complaining about not being able to play evil characters was from a PC game viewpoint, where i actually miss out on a good half of the game simply because i dont do the evil things.
I want to say i want to learn to better myself, but it sounds quite strange i want to better myself by being evil, but im sure you guys know what i mean. I want to improve my roleplaying |
| zemd |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 07:56:40
The point is what's a good roleplayer?
For me it's someone that can put depth in any of his character. Adding this litlle extra details that makes his character more than a character sheet. You'll remember it by saying "the one who add this little problems with the guards' wives" and not "the one who had 18 in charisma".
A good roleplayer won't fall in the archetype of his character. He will find an intersting background, a good name and a physical and mental description of his character.
And as i say before, he will enjoy playing his character but maybe more important, the players and the DM will enjoy playing with him.
PS: When i refer to the player as 'him' i hesitated between 'him' or 'it'. For example it would give 'extra details that makes its character' |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 07:38:04
I have never played a half-orc, or a dwarf as character races, and I have never played a barbarian, fighter, or even a paladin for more than one game session. I have either retired from the game, or found some alternative way to change the character and class I was role-playing that I did not like.
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| Mournblade |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 06:05:37
I can roleplay evil characters, but I think we need to put a time frame into this. I can roleplay just about anything for a night. Any alignment at all. I have had to do it alot with the live action. But to COMMIT to something in a game is another story. I cannot ever commit to a green skin (orc, troll, goblin, ogre), or even a DWARF for that matter. I have made lots of characters over the years and only two of them have been dwarves. And they have been characters I never really got attached too.
I have also played just about every class. The only one I don't like and don't think I can commit to is the MONK. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 04:18:57
'The main thing is to have fun', you are very right about that Yasraena.
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| Yasraena |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 04:15:29
Well, there you go. If you don't enjoy it, then it turns into a chore and not something you look forward to. That doesn't mean you're a bad roleplayer, my friend.
I believe anyone who can take any type of character, good or evil, male or female, and play it well, is better at roleplaying than those who can't. It's a skill, and some are just better at it than others.
The main thing is that the fun is always there regardless of what you play. If it is, then there is no such thing as a bad roleplayer. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 01:46:03
As for my Int Modifier, +3 sounds good, but that would also mean that I'd have a base Int ability score of at least 16-17.
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| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jul 2003 : 01:41:53
I have been playing D&D for 15 years Bookwyrm and I still can't separate myself and my PC's personae. As I said before I normally tend to play wizards, bards (normally as a loremaster), and sometimes even clerics (normally of Oghma or Deneir). I would also describe myself as an intellectual role-player who enjoys liked minded character classes.
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| Bookwyrm |
Posted - 16 Jul 2003 : 18:02:44
I think that not being able to play something isn't a bad sign. That's a lot like an art professor saying she's a bad teacher because she can't swap places with the guy teaching advanced nuclear physics.
I also can't play an evil alignment. I'm not sure if that's just because I don't have the necessary experience, but it still stands. And I also couldn't play a barbarian or a half-orc; I'm still unable to separate my own mind that much from my character's; I such an intellectual (translation: geek) that I couldn't play anyone who didn't have brains. That is, no less than a +3 Int modifier. I might do a +2, but only with some character types. |
| Mythander |
Posted - 16 Jul 2003 : 17:19:06
I don't think having a favored alignment is a sign of bad role-playing. I have played every type of alignment but I tend to favor the good old true neutral. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 16 Jul 2003 : 15:00:07
I have to agree with that zemd. I have never really role-played badly, although this is highly subjective, since others may think otherwise.
I have had some difficulty playing barbarians, and to an extent even fighters. For some reason I cannot get into the 'mindset' of role-playing this type of character. I normally shy away from such roles, although when you are the DM, it becomes a lot harder to avoid. I have always been more motivated to playing wizards, clerics, and bards.
Alignments I really don't have a problem with, except for LG. I find this alignment very restricting (as it is supposed to be) and limits a lot of what I normally set out to achieve role-playing certain PC's.
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| zemd |
Posted - 16 Jul 2003 : 14:43:27
I don't have major problems to play any kind of character even if, IMO, i'm better for some (Wizards,Sorcerors,Rogues and more chaotic than loyal)
But the point is that no one is a bad role player. If you don't enjoy playing evil characters, just don't play it. A good role player is a player that enjoys the game he is playing. If you like playing LG characters and that you're not bored and that you are able to make them all differents by adding a personal touch... just do it  |
