I create lots of teenage characters they are full of angst. They are like teens who want to prove themselves, teens, full of potential and sometimes full of power. Teens that worry they aren't good enough, or sometimes teens that are arrogant and believe they are the best.
Mostly though, they are young people, who lack the life experience to deal with whatever situation they find themselves in, and so, unable to solve their problems are home, they become adventurers to run away from them.
So when they first join the party, they are all wide-eyed with wonder, wet behind the ears and full of angst. I imagine these characters eventually coming full circle, and having been on a heroes journey, eventually come back from their adventures with the life experiences, skills and abilities and allies that allow them to deal with the original situation.
I always end shelving these characters, though, because they never seem right. So, how do I play the kind of teenage characters without becoming an edge lord?
Cheers Foxes
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A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
I think it would depend on how much role playing you can do in your campaign. if you role play a lot, fill the role of a young character and always ask the older ones for advice in role playing. You also may want to try having a character with a vary bad strength or con to reinforce the idea that you’re a bit weaker or more fragile. may not want to play a melee dependent class in that case.
I have a few suggestions for how to make a teen character not edgelord:
1- your character should view the adventure as an adventure. Tragic backstory or no, your character still finds the adventure aspect thrilling and desirable. Maybe they come from a small corner of the world and just want to get out there and see it. Think of Luke Skywalker, who just wanted to get off Tatooine and go to the academy, become a pilot, and join the rebellion. He doesn't do this because he has to stay and help his uncle, but then OH NO his relatives die and he can go on the quest. He's obviously not thrilled they're dead, but you can still see by watching him while he's out on the adventure that he likes being out there and making a difference. I'm sure he grieves more realistically for them between movies.
2- your character should have ideals, even if at times they hold them to the point of naivete. Revenge is a common edgelord motive because edgelords are too grizzled and cynical for things like 'justice' or 'truth.' Even if your non-edgelord's motive amounts to the same thing, like tracking down your father's killer, make it because the character is doing so out of a desire to see justice done, rather than personal vengeance. Likewise, if the edgelord is a lone wolf type because they only look out for themselves because other people will always try to hurt you, have your non-edgelord believe that people deep down are essentially good with few exceptions, and that people are worth knowing and even fighting for. Basically, have ideals.
3- Try to allow your character's development to be shaped by those around tthem. While edgelords can often be static characters because nothing phases them and they don't really form attachments to people, a character that has a real bond with fellow characters who are probably older than them would naturally start to look up to them and start to emulate their views and values. That isn't to say that the other party members are in control of your character, you can still choose what behaviors of theirs to react to and how to react. You can have your character, after traveling and adventuring with a goofy prankster bard, develope a sense of humor themselves, or develope a serious disposition out of a desire to balance out your friend and make sure the party stays on track. There's a lot of cool ways your environment can shape you in a non edgelord direction, and it's a fun creative exercise to examine what factors might take your character where.
4- Don't shy away from negative emotions just because you're trying to avoid being an edgelord. Non edgelords get mad or sad or have bad days too, it's just important to show those emotions as part of an emotional range, and properly justify them. In the 5th Harry Potter, Harry's anger issues come to a forefront throughout the book, but I think he avoids "needlessly edgy" status because it is clear that he's working through unprocessed trauma, feels abandoned by his mentor and many of his friends, and isn't angry *all* the time.
That's what I've got off the top of my head, hope it helps!
I feel like the simple answer is to put them through experiences that force them to grow up. Their own bullshit gets old quick when the world slaps them into adulthood.
Like Tidus from ffx. Started out as a pretty bratty, angsty young adult, but grows to accept his father and his role in the world as a fayth dream.
Apart from seconding the thoughtful post by CharlesThePlant, I would also say that you shouldn't shrink from the edgelord necessarily, or aspects of that kind of character. It's in vogue to mock the trope, partially for legitimate reasons but also because mocking edgelords makes for tasty tasty karma points on places like Reddit. But that doesn't mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater on that trope; like all cliches, there's a reason it exists. The edgelord archetype (speaking in story terms, not mechanical ones) is so recognizable because frankly it works. It has drama, it has room for character development, and it can lead to interesting conflict and interaction with your party members.
Sure, it can be overdone. But if you notice that you're making edgelord variations repeatedly, it must appeal to you, and that's nothing to apologize for (not that you were apologizing). Of course, openly communicating your desires for the character with the DM and perhaps the other players (if you think appropriate) is a positive thing too.
Hi guys,
I create lots of teenage characters they are full of angst. They are like teens who want to prove themselves, teens, full of potential and sometimes full of power. Teens that worry they aren't good enough, or sometimes teens that are arrogant and believe they are the best.
Mostly though, they are young people, who lack the life experience to deal with whatever situation they find themselves in, and so, unable to solve their problems are home, they become adventurers to run away from them.
So when they first join the party, they are all wide-eyed with wonder, wet behind the ears and full of angst. I imagine these characters eventually coming full circle, and having been on a heroes journey, eventually come back from their adventures with the life experiences, skills and abilities and allies that allow them to deal with the original situation.
I always end shelving these characters, though, because they never seem right. So, how do I play the kind of teenage characters without becoming an edge lord?
Cheers
Foxes
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
I think it would depend on how much role playing you can do in your campaign. if you role play a lot, fill the role of a young character and always ask the older ones for advice in role playing. You also may want to try having a character with a vary bad strength or con to reinforce the idea that you’re a bit weaker or more fragile. may not want to play a melee dependent class in that case.
I have a few suggestions for how to make a teen character not edgelord:
1- your character should view the adventure as an adventure. Tragic backstory or no, your character still finds the adventure aspect thrilling and desirable. Maybe they come from a small corner of the world and just want to get out there and see it. Think of Luke Skywalker, who just wanted to get off Tatooine and go to the academy, become a pilot, and join the rebellion. He doesn't do this because he has to stay and help his uncle, but then OH NO his relatives die and he can go on the quest. He's obviously not thrilled they're dead, but you can still see by watching him while he's out on the adventure that he likes being out there and making a difference. I'm sure he grieves more realistically for them between movies.
2- your character should have ideals, even if at times they hold them to the point of naivete. Revenge is a common edgelord motive because edgelords are too grizzled and cynical for things like 'justice' or 'truth.' Even if your non-edgelord's motive amounts to the same thing, like tracking down your father's killer, make it because the character is doing so out of a desire to see justice done, rather than personal vengeance. Likewise, if the edgelord is a lone wolf type because they only look out for themselves because other people will always try to hurt you, have your non-edgelord believe that people deep down are essentially good with few exceptions, and that people are worth knowing and even fighting for. Basically, have ideals.
3- Try to allow your character's development to be shaped by those around tthem. While edgelords can often be static characters because nothing phases them and they don't really form attachments to people, a character that has a real bond with fellow characters who are probably older than them would naturally start to look up to them and start to emulate their views and values. That isn't to say that the other party members are in control of your character, you can still choose what behaviors of theirs to react to and how to react. You can have your character, after traveling and adventuring with a goofy prankster bard, develope a sense of humor themselves, or develope a serious disposition out of a desire to balance out your friend and make sure the party stays on track. There's a lot of cool ways your environment can shape you in a non edgelord direction, and it's a fun creative exercise to examine what factors might take your character where.
4- Don't shy away from negative emotions just because you're trying to avoid being an edgelord. Non edgelords get mad or sad or have bad days too, it's just important to show those emotions as part of an emotional range, and properly justify them. In the 5th Harry Potter, Harry's anger issues come to a forefront throughout the book, but I think he avoids "needlessly edgy" status because it is clear that he's working through unprocessed trauma, feels abandoned by his mentor and many of his friends, and isn't angry *all* the time.
That's what I've got off the top of my head, hope it helps!
I feel like the simple answer is to put them through experiences that force them to grow up. Their own bullshit gets old quick when the world slaps them into adulthood.
Like Tidus from ffx. Started out as a pretty bratty, angsty young adult, but grows to accept his father and his role in the world as a fayth dream.
Apart from seconding the thoughtful post by CharlesThePlant, I would also say that you shouldn't shrink from the edgelord necessarily, or aspects of that kind of character. It's in vogue to mock the trope, partially for legitimate reasons but also because mocking edgelords makes for tasty tasty karma points on places like Reddit. But that doesn't mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater on that trope; like all cliches, there's a reason it exists. The edgelord archetype (speaking in story terms, not mechanical ones) is so recognizable because frankly it works. It has drama, it has room for character development, and it can lead to interesting conflict and interaction with your party members.
Sure, it can be overdone. But if you notice that you're making edgelord variations repeatedly, it must appeal to you, and that's nothing to apologize for (not that you were apologizing). Of course, openly communicating your desires for the character with the DM and perhaps the other players (if you think appropriate) is a positive thing too.
Just role play a mildy obnoxious a-hole with good intentions who thinks everyone around you is stupid...almost too real.