Does anyone have any roleplaying tips? I haven't played in a year. I'm playing Riftivan, a Wilden Ranger with social phobia unless he has his beloved mask on. Should I do a voice? It's 4e if that makes any difference. I'm also A DM so NPC roleplaying tips would be nice too.
Only do a voice if you're comfortable doing a voice, and don't go overboard. I recommend against it if you're a DM -- it's a lot of work on top of everything else, and that level of acting is a real skill that you've probably never developed.
Instead of doing a voice, you can do a lot with how they speak. Are they deliberate? Smug? Taciturn? Cheerful? What sort of word choices do they make? (These sorts of things are even more useful when DMing.)
But, ultimately, what you need more than any cosmetic stuff is knowledge of the character's motivations. If a PC, why are they adventuring, with these people? What are their short- and long-term goals? What do they want? Without those, the character will generally feel inert. NPCs without motivations are just plot devices and scenery. (And that's fine for, say, the town blacksmith. For those, you need, like, a mannerism and their current mood at most.)
I encourage you to connect with that side of you that's anxious to roleplay. Maybe it is scared to be vulnerable or act like a fool in front of others. That's ok, its dnd; we're all nerds and the table should be a safe space that embraces our weirdness and rewards taking risks.
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Does anyone have any roleplaying tips? I haven't played in a year. I'm playing Riftivan, a Wilden Ranger with social phobia unless he has his beloved mask on. Should I do a voice? It's 4e if that makes any difference. I'm also A DM so NPC roleplaying tips would be nice too.
Only do a voice if you're comfortable doing a voice, and don't go overboard. I recommend against it if you're a DM -- it's a lot of work on top of everything else, and that level of acting is a real skill that you've probably never developed.
Instead of doing a voice, you can do a lot with how they speak. Are they deliberate? Smug? Taciturn? Cheerful? What sort of word choices do they make? (These sorts of things are even more useful when DMing.)
But, ultimately, what you need more than any cosmetic stuff is knowledge of the character's motivations. If a PC, why are they adventuring, with these people? What are their short- and long-term goals? What do they want? Without those, the character will generally feel inert. NPCs without motivations are just plot devices and scenery. (And that's fine for, say, the town blacksmith. For those, you need, like, a mannerism and their current mood at most.)
I encourage you to connect with that side of you that's anxious to roleplay. Maybe it is scared to be vulnerable or act like a fool in front of others. That's ok, its dnd; we're all nerds and the table should be a safe space that embraces our weirdness and rewards taking risks.