10 Easy Roleplaying Traits for your TTRPG Characters!

Summary

In this engaging video, Monty Martin and Kelly Mlin, known as the Dungeon Dudes, introduce viewers to 10 role-playing traits that can enliven any Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) character or RPG avatar. They clarify that deep backstory isn't necessary for effective role-play, emphasizing simple quirks and decisions influenced by character mentality. The traits range from the 'Brave Fool' to the 'Sleeve Ball Salesman,' each offering unique ways to interact within the game and develop rich narratives that enhance the overall D&D experience.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Role-playing a character in tabletop RPGs like D&D doesn't require a fully fleshed-out character or Oscar-worthy acting skills; simple quirks and ideas can bring a character to life.
• 📚 A well-written backstory provides motivation and goals, but role-playing also involves character personality, likes, interests, quirks, and flaws that influence decision-making at the table.
• 💡 The video suggests 10 role-playing traits that can be layered on top of a character's motivations to add depth and influence gameplay.
• 🤷‍♂️ Avoid relying solely on common motivations like being a mercenary, do-gooder, or seeking revenge; these are foundational but not unique role-playing traits.
• 😜 The 'Brave Fool' trait involves reckless overconfidence, often leading to trouble but also being a driving force for engaging with the game's plot hooks.
• 🤑 'Insatiable Greed or Appetites' can make a character easily distracted by specific items or desires, adding a layer of complexity to their decision-making.
• 📖 'Quoth the Raven' involves a character who quotes from a book, scripture, or philosophy, requiring preparation but offering an easy trait to role-play at the table.
• 📜 'By the Book' characters live by a personal code of guidelines and rules, which can create interesting conflicts when faced with situations that challenge their code.
• 👻 'Irrational Fears or Superstitions' add a quirky dimension to a character, potentially leading to humorous or challenging situations in the game.
• 🌱 'Hopelessly Naive' characters see the good in everyone and can get into trouble due to their trusting nature, offering opportunities for character growth and development.
• 😅 'Affably Dimwitted' characters may not be the brightest but can have unique forms of intelligence and offer comic relief and heart to the game.
• 🤓 'Socially Awkward Extrovert' characters can be extroverted but awkward in social interactions, providing a relatable and entertaining role-playing aspect.
• 🎨 'Sleight of Hand Salesman' characters are skilled at deception and storytelling, often leading to complex webs of lies that can create dramatic moments in the game.
• ❤️ 'Caregiver' characters are fiercely loyal and protective of their group, often acting as the emotional glue that holds the party together.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video by Monty Martin and Kelly Mlin?

The main purpose of the video is to help viewers understand and develop role-playing traits for their characters in tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), making the process easier and more enjoyable.

Why is role-playing a character not as daunting as some people might think?

Role-playing a character is not as daunting because it doesn't require a fully fleshed-out character with actor-level personification. Simple quirks and ideas can bring a character to life and influence decision-making at the table.

What is the importance of a character's backstory in role-playing?

A character's backstory is important as it provides motivation, goals, and reasons for going on adventures. It guides the character's actions and interactions with non-player characters, the environment, and other player characters.

Why should a character's personality, likes, and interests be considered in role-playing?

A character's personality, likes, and interests add depth and make the character more fun to play. These traits influence how the character behaves and acts, making the role-playing experience more engaging and immersive.

What is the 'Brave Fool' archetype and how does it influence a character's actions?

The 'Brave Fool' archetype represents a character with reckless overconfidence, who may not make the best decisions but is ready to face danger. This character often gets into trouble but is also good at bringing the group into plot hooks and is not easily demotivated.

Can you explain the 'Insatiable Greed or Appetites' trait and its potential impact on a character's decisions?

The 'Insatiable Greed or Appetites' trait describes a character driven by a strong desire for specific items or experiences. This greed can lead the character to go out of their way to acquire what they want, often leading to interesting situations and conflicts within the game.

What is the 'Quo The Raven' role-playing trait and how does it work?

The 'Quo The Raven' trait involves a character who quotes phrases from a book, holy text, philosophy, or songs. This requires preparation, such as collecting quotes or learning songs, and can be a fun and easy trait to play once the work is done.

How does the 'By The Book' archetype influence a character's moral compass and decision-making?

The 'By The Book' archetype represents a character who adheres to a strict set of personal guidelines and rules. This moral code influences their decisions and actions, and can lead to character development as they encounter situations that challenge their code.

What is the 'Irrational Fears or Superstitions' trait and how can it be used in role-playing?

The 'Irrational Fears or Superstitions' trait gives a character quirky fears or beliefs that can be used by the Dungeon Master to create interesting scenarios. These fears can lead to humorous or challenging situations for the character and the group.

How does the 'Hopelessly Naive' character approach trust and social interactions?

The 'Hopelessly Naive' character tends to see the good in everyone and is overly trusting. This can lead to them getting into trouble but also allows for character development as they learn to navigate a complex world while maintaining their optimism.

What is the 'Affably Dimwitted' archetype and how does it contribute to the group dynamic?

The 'Affably Dimwitted' archetype is a character who has a positive outlook on life but may not be the brightest. They can provide comic relief and show that intelligence comes in many forms, often proving smart in unexpected ways.

Can you describe the 'Socially Awkward Extrovert' trait and its potential for humorous interactions?

The 'Socially Awkward Extrovert' trait describes a character who tries to engage socially but often does so awkwardly. This can lead to humorous situations and interactions, making the character endearing and relatable.

What is the 'SLE Ball Salesman' archetype and how might it affect the group's experiences?

The 'SLE Ball Salesman' archetype is a character who is always self-aggrandizing and willing to lie to manage risks. This can lead to a web of lies and trouble, providing opportunities for interesting storylines and character growth.

How does the 'Caregiver' role influence a character's actions and relationships within the group?

The 'Caregiver' role represents a character who is fiercely loyal and protective of their group, often acting as a parental or mentoring figure. They may face challenges in managing the group's dynamics and dealing with betrayal or emotional strain.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to Role-Playing Traits

Monty Martin and Kelly Mlin, known as the Dungeon Dudes, introduce a video aimed at helping viewers develop role-playing traits for their Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) or other RPG characters. They emphasize that role-playing doesn't require a fully fleshed-out character but can be as simple as adopting certain quirks and traits. The video promises to guide viewers in making choices influenced by their character's mentality rather than perfect personification through voice or mannerisms.

05:00

🚀 The Brave Fool with Reckless Overconfidence

The first role-playing trait discussed is the 'brave fool' archetype, characterized by reckless overconfidence. Examples like Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy illustrate this trait, where characters often act boldly without thorough planning, leading to frequent failures but also an engaging gameplay experience. The Dungeon Dudes advise that while playing such characters can be fun, it's important to consider the impact on other party members and the potential for character growth through realizing the need for caution.

10:02

🤑 Insatiable Greed or Appetites

The second trait highlighted is insatiable greed or appetites, using Rocket Raccoon's love for gadgets as an example. This trait can manifest as a strong desire for specific items or experiences, which can drive a character's actions throughout a campaign. The Dungeon Dudes suggest that this greed should be specific and focused rather than generic, and advise caution to ensure it remains fun and doesn't cross uncomfortable boundaries.

15:04

📚 Quo The Raven: The Scholarly Quoter

The 'Quo the Raven' trait involves characters who quote from books, holy texts, philosophies, or songs. This requires preparation, such as creating a set of quotes or familiarizing oneself with existing texts. The Dungeon Dudes illustrate how this trait can add depth to a character and provide a rich resource for role-playing, especially for those who may struggle with improvisation.

20:05

📜 By the Book: The Rule-Abider

Characters who live 'by the book' adhere to a personal code of guidelines and rules they will not break. The Dungeon Dudes use Wilhelm as an example, a lawful good rogue with a strong moral compass. They discuss the importance of internalizing these rules as the character's own moral code and the potential for growth when faced with situations that challenge these rules.

25:06

🐍 Irrational Fears or Superstitions

This paragraph explores characters with irrational fears or superstitions, which can lead to quirky and entertaining role-playing moments. The Dungeon Dudes suggest that these fears can be used by the Dungeon Master to create engaging scenarios and that players can invent new superstitions fitting a fantasy world, leading to unique character behaviors and interactions.

30:08

🌱 Hopelessly Naive Characters

The 'hopelessly naive' trait is characterized by a trusting nature and an optimistic view of people, often leading to getting into trouble. The Dungeon Dudes compare this to characters like Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings, who maintain their belief in the goodness of people despite challenges. They discuss the potential character development from naivety to a more worldly perspective while retaining optimism.

35:11

😵 Affably Dimwitted Characters

The 'affably dimwitted' trait is exemplified by characters like Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, who have a positive outlook on life but may lack intellectual prowess. The Dungeon Dudes highlight the potential for growth in such characters, showing that intelligence can manifest in various forms beyond book smarts, and that these characters can offer wisdom in unexpected ways.

40:12

🤓 Socially Awkward Extroverts

Characters with low Charisma scores can be portrayed as socially awkward extroverts, who despite their attempts to engage with others, often come off as awkward. The Dungeon Dudes discuss the humor and relatability of such characters, suggesting that they can provide comic relief and a sense of authenticity to the role-playing experience.

🎨 The SLE Ball Salesman: Master of Deception

The 'SLE ball salesman' archetype is a character skilled in deception and manipulation, often weaving elaborate lies for personal gain. The Dungeon Dudes describe how this character can create entertaining and challenging scenarios, both for the party and NPCs, but cautions about the importance of maintaining fun and not causing friction at the table.

🛡️ The Caregiver: Protector and Nurturer

The 'caregiver' trait is characterized by a strong sense of loyalty and protectiveness towards the group, often taking on a nurturing role. The Dungeon Dudes use Rudy as an example, illustrating how this character can provide emotional support and a sense of unity within the party, while also potentially facing emotional challenges and betrayal.

🎭 Embracing Archetypes for Rich Character Development

In the concluding paragraph, the Dungeon Dudes emphasize the importance of mixing and matching archetypes to create multi-layered, interesting characters. They stress the value of contradictions and cognitive dissonance in making characters feel human and engaging. The paragraph ends with a reminder that the primary goal of role-playing is to have fun and encourages discussing character concepts with fellow players to ensure a positive gaming experience.

Keywords

💡Role-playing traits

Role-playing traits refer to the distinctive characteristics and behaviors that define a character in a tabletop role-playing game (RPG). In the video, these traits are emphasized as essential for bringing a character to life and influencing in-game decision-making, beyond just the character's backstory or motivations. Examples given include the 'brave fool' and 'insatiable greed,' which showcase how these traits can affect a character's actions and interactions within the game.

💡Backstory

A character's backstory provides the history, motivation, and reasons for their involvement in the game's narrative. While the script acknowledges the value of a well-developed backstory, it also points out that focusing solely on this aspect may not fully capture the nuances of role-playing. The script suggests that incorporating role-playing traits can add depth and dynamism to character development.

💡Mercenary

In the context of the video, a 'mercenary' character is motivated primarily by financial gain. This role-playing trait can influence a character's decisions, such as choosing to undertake quests for profit. The script mentions 'mercenary' as one of the broad motivations that can be layered with other traits for a more complex character.

💡Do-gooder

A 'do-gooder' is a character archetype that is driven by a strong moral compass to do the right thing, often acting as a hero. The video script uses this term to illustrate a basic motivation that can be combined with other role-playing traits to create a more nuanced character. It's one of the motivations that can serve as a foundation for additional character development.

💡Quirks

Quirks are unique habits, behaviors, or idiosyncrasies that make a character stand out. The script emphasizes the importance of these small details in role-playing, as they can significantly contribute to a character's personality and make them more engaging to play. Quirks can be anything from a character's specific likes or dislikes to their peculiar habits or reactions to certain situations.

💡Character development

Character development refers to the growth and evolution of a character's personality, motivations, and abilities over time. The video script discusses how certain role-playing traits can lead to character development, such as the 'brave fool' learning to assess risks or the 'do-gooder' confronting moral dilemmas. These developments can create interesting narrative arcs and deepen the role-playing experience.

💡TTRPGs (Tabletop Role-Playing Games)

TTRPGs are games where players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting and interact within that world through a system of rules and storytelling. The script is aimed at players of TTRPGs, particularly those new to the genre, offering guidance on developing characters that are engaging and dynamic within these interactive narratives.

💡Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)

Dungeons and Dragons is a popular TTRPG that often serves as a reference point for discussions about role-playing mechanics and character creation. The video script mentions D&D as the context for applying the discussed role-playing traits, although the advice is applicable to other RPGs as well.

💡Archetypes

Archetypes are recurring character types that appear in literature and other forms of media. In the script, character archetypes like the 'insatiable greed' or 'irrational fears' are presented as a starting point for character creation. These archetypes can be mixed and matched to create a multifaceted character that is unique yet familiar.

💡Narrative

The narrative of a game refers to the story that unfolds as the game progresses, including the plot, setting, and events. The script discusses how role-playing traits can drive the narrative by influencing a character's actions and decisions within the game's story. A character's traits can create plot hooks and influence how they engage with the game world and other characters.

💡Player interaction

Player interaction in a TTRPG involves communication and collaboration between players to navigate the game's challenges and story. The script highlights the importance of discussing role-playing traits with fellow players to ensure a fun and engaging experience for everyone at the table. This interaction can lead to interesting dynamics and shared storytelling.

Highlights

Introduction to the concept of role-playing traits for enhancing character depth in tabletop RPGs like D&D.

Explanation that role-playing doesn't require a fully fleshed-out character or Oscar-worthy acting skills.

Importance of character backstory for motivation, goals, and adventure reasons.

Discussion on how personality traits, likes, and quirks bring characters to life beyond their motivations.

Introduction of the 'brave fool' archetype characterized by reckless overconfidence.

The 'insatiable greed or appetites' trait exemplified by Rocket Raccoon's love for gadgets.

The 'quote the raven' trait, which involves quoting from a book, scripture, or philosophy to fit situations.

The 'by the book' character who adheres to a personal code of conduct.

Exploring 'irrational fears or superstitions' as a character trait for unique role-playing opportunities.

The 'hopelessly naive' character who tends to trust everyone and expects the best.

Characterization of the 'affably dimwitted' archetype, like Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy.

The 'socially awkward extrovert' trait, which can lead to humorous social interactions.

The 'sleazy salesman' archetype, known for spinning tales and pushing questionable deals.

The 'caregiver' role, characterized by a strong protective instinct and nurturing behavior towards the group.

Encouragement to mix and match archetypes to create multi-layered and interesting characters.

Emphasis on the importance of fun and ensuring all players at the table enjoy the role-playing experience.

Advice on discussing character concepts with the group to ensure a cohesive and enjoyable game.

Transcripts

greetings my name is Monty Martin and

I'm Kelly mlin and we are the dungeon

dudes and today we're going to help you

get into character with 10 easy and fun

role playing traits that you can use for

your next D and D character or for

characters for any other RPG a lot of

people who are getting started in ttrpgs

think that role playing their characters

is a daunting task and it can be but

hopefully this video will help you

realize that role-playing a character

actually doesn't require you to have a

fully fleshed out actor certified

character developed and you don't need

to be an Oscar winner in order to

roleplay them you can have some really

simple quirks and ideas to bring your

character to life at the table and to

help influence the decisionmaking

because role playing is less about the

personification through voices or or

mannerisms and it's more about the

choices that you're going to make at the

table being influenced by your

characters mentality and that's what

we're going to help you figure out today

there's a lot to discuss so let's get

rolling a lot of players when they're

focusing on building their first

character backstory becomes front and

center for what we see a lot of people

put into the work of developing their

character and make no mistake there's a

lot of value in writing a good backstory

for your character it gives them a

motivation it gives them goals it gives

them reasons for going on the adventure

and these are things that you absolutely

want to have in mind when you're making

your character and while those things

are going to guide the big questions why

is your character an adventurer when

you're roleplaying your character and

interacting with non-player characters

with the environment with the other

player characters it's not always going

to be about your character's motivation

and their goals not every person is so G

focused and one tracked mind that that's

the only thing that they're fixated on

everyone 's got a personality they have

their likes and their interests they

have their quirks and their foibles and

their flaws how they behave and how they

act and even if you aren't getting into

character in The acting sense and

speaking in a voice or adopting some

kind of gestures or ways of speaking

still thinking about your character's

role playing traits is going to help

bring them to life and make them a lot

more fun to play and interact with the

traits that we're going to talk about

work with any backstory and to start

things off I want to talk about two of

the most used role playing traits that I

actually don't want to include on this

list cuz they're kind of blankets and

I'm going to talk about that the two I'm

referencing are the mercenary or the

doite this is the character that's

either just in it for the money I think

of Han Solo when he's first introduced

in Star Wars or the doite the character

who is doing this because the they are a

hero and it's the right thing to do uh

there's a lot of characters in

narratives that are the do right and are

there just because this is the right

thing to do and so they're going on the

quest you can use these as a basis for

any of these other role playing traits

you could be a mercenary who's just in

it for the money who also has other

motivations and quirks that are going to

bring the character to life these sort

of elements are kind of a backdrop and

so if you stop there you're actually

only doing half the work to role playing

your character I would say the third one

beyond the mercenary of the doite is the

character who smolders with

revenge and all those are motivations

but those aren't role playing traits and

so the traits that we're going to

discuss are things that you can layer on

top of your character's mercenary

attitude their do right motivations or

their need for

Revenge the first one is the brave fool

with Reckless

overconfidence my prime example of this

would be Star-Lord from Guardians of the

Galaxy uh getting yourself into trouble

while being bold and falling face first

into the story this is a character who

may not make the best decisions but they

are ready to go for it they are ready to

face danger and they think they might

always have a plan but they're going to

probably fail a lot I wonder who has

based their character on being

recklessly overconfident the brave fool

isn't much of a planner because they're

confident in their own abilities and

they believe that they can kind of

figure it out as they go along that

everything's going to kind of work out

for them because they're skilled they're

awesome and they really might be someone

who laughs in the face of danger or

doesn't really have a good sense of risk

management or assessing the actual

danger involved in what they're trying

to do this is a great archetype for

anyone who wants to really just cut

loose and dive into the experience if

you want your character to just again

fall face first into whatever plot hooks

your character your DM is dangling in

front of you this is a great way to do

it because your character kind of has

something to prove I also like that this

character is an improviser and relies on

their improvisational skills they're the

kind of person that when the creepy

dungeon presents itself some characters

might be like are you sure we're ready

to go in there the brave fool or The

Reckless overconfident is going to say

what's the worst that could happen and

March straight in yeah so I think that

if you're playing this type of character

you're probably going to be your DM's

best friend because generally this is

the this archetype is really really good

at bringing the rest of the group into

whatever the plot Hook is falling for

the Trap falling for the

Ambush and not getting demotivated by

that because they they know yeah even if

we get ambushed we're going to beat them

up yeah even if a trap happens we're

going to find a way out of it because

I'm just that good nobody should be

surprised by this but I love playing The

Reckless overconfident of the Brave fool

it's my favorite Trope to play and

you're going to notice if you do watch

our live play that a lot of times while

the other two are trying to say how are

we going to X Y or Zed I'm often just

being like I don't know we'll figure it

out let's go and it's it's just my

favorite thing I love seeing what's

going to happen if Monty has presented

traps and monsters I usually like to see

how those traps get sprung and how those

monsters are going to fight me I know

that I'm going to deal with it and

sometimes die along the way but we do

our best the thing to be careful of when

you are playing this type of character

is that it can get annoying for the

other people in the party if you are

constantly the one springing the traps

and pulling them into the dangerous

situations and you see a lot of times in

story Stories the brave fool eventually

bites off more that they they can chew

and someone they care about gets hurt

and so one of the things to talk about

with the rest of your group is that

that's kind of the point the character

development that the brave fool goes

through is they realize that sometimes

they actually do need to Spartan up and

they never learn that lesson until

somebody else who they care about gets

hurt and gets mad at them for it that's

the development that go on as the brave

fool and so just just know that like

when you are in this archetype that your

party members one day are going to be

like yo buddy you got to get it together

here and that's going to be a cool scene

when it happens another easy role

playing trait to latch onto is the

insatiable greed or appetites uh again

I'm going to throw it to Guardians of

the Galaxy with Rocket Raccoon being uh

an insatiable greed now not only does

Rocket Raccoon love love to get paid but

you'll also notice that he has something

that he finds irresistible and will go

out of his way to get it's usually a

weird Gadget like some guy's arm or that

guy's eye yeah if if somebody has a

mechanical part he's like I'm going to

get it uh he loves gadgets he loves

tinkering and he wants to get his hands

on any big cool Gadget so that he can

take it apart ref finagle it and put it

back together it's Rocket's thing and

that is a driving character

through the entire campaign if your

character loves gadgets perhaps you're

playing an artificer every time that you

see a mechanical thing you might get

easily distracted doesn't have to be

machines though you could be easily

distracted by money or Gems or drinks or

food or maybe people that that your

character finds particularly attractive

I will say be careful with that one

there's a lot of tropes out there for

playing the bad Bard uh

I I find that there is a line of polite

humor that you can Rush with that that

is that is fun and appropriate at the

table see what your table's comfortable

with but but yes yeah without

necessarily taking things into too much

of a a uh lecherous uh Dimension this is

also why I find with insatable greed

like with Rocket Raccoon it's a very

particular and focused type of greed or

interest so just wanting gold

generically isn't specific enough for

this character archetype it needs to be

something more along the lines of like I

like diamonds I like statues of a

particular design or maybe you can even

take it into a more esoteric Dimension

where it's like my character always

wants necromantic magic and anything

involving necromancy I'm always going to

be going after and interested in or

maybe it is uh something related to it

could even be related to your

character's Faith where it comes it

comes into play with relics or a

particular type of thing associated with

with the their own history or backstory

that they're always going out of their

way to get or again it might be a very

particular type of food maybe your

character isn't a glutton but they're

never going to turn

down seared salmon or some something or

maybe a particular type of drink that

they really really really like it's

specific and so it kind of lets your

DM pull it out deliberately on you well

uh Jill and game is the prime example of

insatiable appetites yeah and she told

you straight up at the outside of the

campaign if you ever want to get my

character to do something offer her food

and that was something that the DM got

to use and that's something that her

character got to latch on to the next

one that we're going to talk about is

easy if you put in the work to prepare

in advance and we' like to call this one

quo The Raven this is the character who

quotes phrases from a book holy text

philosophy or might even be The Bard

with an actual prepared repertoire of

songs if you put the work into this role

playing tra and it is work to go and

collect things like it might take a

couple Google searches you might need to

practice some of your songs you might

need to Source some of this material but

once you've done the work this is an

awesome and super easy trait to play at

the table I think that Wilhelm my

character is a prime example of quot the

Raven his book of rules is something

that I created at the outside of the

campaign I put in the work to create

about 25 out of the 100 rules and then I

filled in the rest as the campaign went

on it was a little bit of extra work I

always have the rule book open on my

iPad next to my character sheet looking

through the rules to see what best fits

the situation so I can pull out a quote

that appropriately summarizes what's

going on but it doesn't need to be a

book of rules that's one way to go I

think that this worked great for clerics

who maybe you have uh passages of

scripture that you read from your holy

book or philosophy I think that that

having some quotes and as you go on you

can write more quotes down and then have

those to attach to certain situations

yeah and you might just decide to grab

an existing text I could see a

Battlemaster fighter who loves to quote

sunzo and the Art of War and maybe you

rename that text to be related to a

character that actually exists in your

Campaign World um maybe you actually

pull out realworld quotes from a holy

book or religious text and kind of file

off the serial number so that you can

use that in that way maybe you actually

pull out passages from Shakespeare or a

a great resource Shakespeare wrote a ton

ofets that are very easily put to music

so if you have a Bard and you are

looking for a whole bunch of just unique

rhyming couplets look at Shakespeare's

sonnets it's a Gold Line you could also

go the exact opposite direction and have

a Bard that continually quotes

Smashmouth Hey Now You're an Allstar Bic

inspiration um however that works and it

could even be jokes too you could go for

humor um and and this could apply to any

sort of character you know you could

have the wise cracking Rogue that has a

repertoire of jokes um you could have

the wizard that has their historical

Parables that they have memorized right

maybe you might even have a druid that

is proficient in nature and can

basically Give an example like they have

a quote relating every situation to how

a certain type of animal behaves or

hunts there's a lot of space for

creativity with this archetype and if

you're the type of person who you might

not have that much like like you might

struggle to improvise in the moment this

is a great archetype for you because you

can do the research and the work before

the game and come to the game with a

whole bunch of cool things prepared and

then everyone in your group is going to

be like what are they going to say this

timee I also think that this example is

awesome if you have a really

unique specialty in your personal life

let's say for example you're a chef who

knows a lot about food science so you bu

build a character who cooks during the

short and long rests for your party and

so maybe you take the chef feet and so

when you are gathering ingredients or

you kill a monster you actually describe

the cuts of meat that you could use from

that monster or the different ways that

you could use the berries that you just

found in the woods to create jams for

you could go into great detail if you

know something about a specific topic

I've heard a lot of people online who

are GE ologists will play a dwarf who

talks about the rock formations of that

nature so if you have a quirky thing

that you know a lot about it's the

perfect thing to bring into your game so

that you already have a bunch of quotes

that you can apply to a fantasy setting

now the next one is actually kind of

also related to Wilhelm yeah in that um

Wilhelm has the rules that he quotes but

he also lives by the book you have that

personal code of guidelines and rules

that your character doesn't stray from

and I think you know Wilhelm is a

wonderful example of a lawful good Rogue

played really really well and so it you

don't have to be playing a paladin or a

cleric to be playing someone with a

strong set of convictions uh and a moral

compass that they will not stray from

and playing this kind of archetype yes

it is the most classically problematic

with the Paladin who smites at anyone

that doesn't obey their own rules and so

the the fine line to walk with the by

the book character is internalizing it

as your character's own moral code what

they and themselves will not do but not

necessarily one that they enforce on the

other player characters I think this is

also a great example since we are

bringing up Wilhelm again of saying that

you can actually very easily combine

multiple elements from these role

playing traits Wilhelm has a set of

quotes that he says all the time thus

he's quote The Raven

but they are also Rules by which he

dictates his decisionmaking and life

which is by the book so I think that

combining certain elements from these

role playing traits is actually a great

way to build a well-rounded character

yeah the by the book example just means

that you will not stray from the rules

that you live by but as we've said

before sometimes the point of these

character traits when you're latching

onto them are that that's going to

change I think the most important growth

for the character who lives by the book

is what situations occur that make them

bend or break the rules of their own

code I also think it's important to

consider rules that might be challenging

for you it's really tempting when you're

playing a character with a a strong

moral code to choose rules that are kind

of easy to live by and well that's fine

I think part of the point of it is

actually living by those things and so

you might have some like some examples

of tough rules that can come up and get

prompt some hard decisions of like I

will always Grant Mercy to someone who

asks for it I will

never stab someone in the back like if

someone runs away from me I'll always

let them get away right I'll never kill

somebody an

innocent yeah yeah never kill an

innocent is a pretty standard one I

think in a lot of you think that but but

yeah or um it might be also simple as

like I will always pay my debts

immediately or I will never take on a

debt um it could be something really

really stringent like I will not use an

edged weapon and will only use blunt

weapons um I think that you want to be

careful about taking your character down

the full route of full-blown pacifism a

full-blown pacifist character can be

really hard to play in D and D um

especially depending on the composition

of the rest of your group so if that's

the direction you're thinking of going

you should talk to your dungeon master

and the rest of your group about how

that's going to work because that one's

hard I think if you are going to play

the pacifist the best way to do it is to

either play a battlefield controller or

a Healer or both and so you need to be

okay with the fact that the people

around you are going to do a bunch of

killing while you disable them in my

opinion that's not a passive

you might feel free to disagree with me

but I think that someone who is

associating with people who are still

killing and murdering other people can't

really call themselves I'm stretching it

for the DND world in the D and world

people are going to kill people it's

what happens so your best bet if you

want to be the I don't murder people is

all I did is cast hypnotic pattern my

allies to the rest it also could be that

you don't have a morally good by set of

by the book rules I will kill everyone

it might not be as dramatic as that but

it might be that you have a a set of

rules that are more like a survival

guide your your rules might include

things like never trust somebody that

you just met never leave any

survivors um shoot first ask questions

later these could be your rules and they

might generate a different set of

conflicts for the the you and the rest

of the party members but be equally fun

another one that I love because you can

actually get really creative with it is

irrational fears or superstitions if you

have a character that has a lot of

irrational fears that's a really fun and

quirky way to bring that into the game

they could be afraid of anything and

actually I love when I tell the DM

something that I'm afraid of and it is

clearly something that can be used as a

monster my character is terrified of

spiders so obviously we have to go into

a giant spider nest it's great uh

superstitions you can choose normal

superstitions like don't if don't break

a mirror it's seven years bad luck don't

walk under a ladder but I like I like

inventing new superstitions for a

fantasy world it's bad luck to walk

under a flying Mage never look an owl

bear in the

ice um these type of things uh

especially by going into the fantasy

Dimension with your superstitions you

can avoid some of the touchiness that

might be associated with real world

fears in particular you know the really

understandable ones like being afraid of

heights or fire or insects or water um

and also the the ones that are more um

the more esoteric ones like being afraid

of going into a dungeon probably not the

fear that you want to have for Dungeons

and Dragons I'm afraid of small spaces

in Dungeons and big lizards like dragons

yeah maybe you want to think about those

more carefully but having these more

quirky superstition

um that again result in certain kind of

weird rules for for your character right

can be really really fun and lead to

interesting things and also like again

overlap with that sort of buy the book

or quote The Raven because it could be

that you have all these superstitions

that you quote of like yeah you know

it's bad luck if you step on a displacer

BEAST's tooth on a Tuesday and so if you

step on the displacer Beast tooth on a

Tuesday the only way to get rid of that

bad luck is finding some dust of

sneezing and sprinkling on yourself and

sneezing yeah or or or maybe you've got

to kiss a troll to to like something

absurd like that and so the these can be

fun things that you invent and the the

more that you embrace the fantasy

element of the superstitions first of

all the funnier they're going to be and

the more interesting they're going to be

but also the the more you're going to

have more to work with that isn't

generic like just being afraid of

heights I think you can also link

superstitions to rituals and Traditions

cuz often times superstitions are the

thought that if you don't do a certain

thing or if you do a certain thing that

you'll get bad luck and a lot of rituals

and traditions are built around the idea

of you proceed in a certain manner

regarding a certain act in order to

bring blessings or luck upon yourself so

if you're playing a cleric it doesn't

have to be a cleric you even a ranger I

think makes a good case for this

whenever your party has killed a beast

you might do a ritual of of saying a

prayer for the animal that you just

killed even if it's a monster or even if

it's a person uh a cleric might want to

say prayers for the dead a ranger might

want to say prayers for the owl bear

that they just had to kill a really cool

Superstition and a really interesting

set of traits that you can have is maybe

you're playing a paladin that your

Superstition is is that every time you

draw your blade you must anoint it and

you can't sheath that blade blade until

it is tasted blood and then once the

blade has been sheathed and once that

act has been performed you actually have

to do a ritual to First honor the dead

even though they were your enemy and

clean your blade because that is kind of

the Purity that you you embody and

building the sort of ritual now you're

already at the point where you're

building culture right you're building a

religion you're building a set of

beliefs that can actually be a really

interesting thing to role play and yeah

the notion of of having to have respect

even for your defeated enemies and only

draw your blade under the under

circumstances where you are willing to

use it those don't really impose a lot

of restrictions on your character's

behavior in in terms of what you're

going to experience in D and D but the

mere Act of bringing up those things of

of like every combat encounter during

the short rest your character takes that

time that reinforces that character's

personality in a really cool and

interesting way next up we have

hopelessly naive and I'm going to throw

it again to Guardians of the Galaxy with

mantis although mantis is extremely

intelligent she generally wants to see

the good in everybody and airs on the

side of just hoping everything's going

to work out okay this could also be that

character who's kind of experiencing

perhaps culture shock like maybe they

they they come from a very different

society and they have traveled a far

distance and so they're in a fish out of

water sort of situation where they don't

really know the rules of social

interaction for the society that they're

in or yes in the case of mantis that

that they expect everyone to be

trustworthy and they don't realize you

know that they have a mistaken

impression of the way the world works

this is actually another one of my

favorite tropes uh to play and I think

if you haven't gathered yet I love

tropes that allow me to engage directly

with the narrative cuz this one allows

you to play a character who will just

trust people which means that you're

going to get into it you're going to get

into trouble when the evil wizard opens

up the door to their creepy castle and

it's like come in I will take care of

you and you're just like okay thanks and

you walk in like that's great I love it

so I think that there's a really fun

Trope here and it also this one may be a

little less severe you could get your

party into trouble but your party could

also be the ones who are like no no no

no no don't don't go walking in there

just yet this is like the other side of

the coin to the overconfident uh like

the brave fool because this this

character is um is not overconfident

they're overly trusting yeah right um

and so in both cases the those are two

archetypes where the character doesn't

really know any better but for different

reasons and that plays out differently

but the result is that they get into

trouble I think I played this Trope with

my Twilight cleric dwarf in the Hogtown

butcher

and you lock the door behind me and I

knew that was happening and I think

that's actually fun is I was like this

is a trap but my character is just going

to go ahead and do it and the

development for this character is that

they become more worldly and they become

less

naive but they don't lose that element

of still seeing the good and people at

the same time like that's kind of the

track it's like whenever you see this

character go through development they

kind of have that moment of Despair

where they're thinking is everybody in

the world just horrible and am I always

going to get betrayed and find out that

people are awful and so the One

Direction they go is that they never

trust anybody and they always assume the

worst in everybody but kind of the the

positive spin on this is that they learn

no I'm going to learn how to stand up

for myself how to recognize when when

I'm in a situation but I'm still going

to maintain that

optimism and that that belief that

people are still fundamentally good and

that is is such an interesting character

development because what's beautiful

about the hopelessly knife person is

that they do kind of tell you yeah the

world is actually kind of it that maybe

going through life being able to trust

people and see the good in them is is is

actually a good place to begin I think

in a much more subtle way I think of Sam

wise gangji yeah I mean much more subtle

than S mantis but he's a pretty naive

guy who just lived in the Shire his

whole life and is excited to go on this

adventure because he might get to see

the elves but then he has these

beautiful speeches about why they're

doing this and how they're doing it

because there is some good in the world

and it's worth fighting for and and it's

that sort of mentality that I think is

beautiful about the hopelessly naive

characters even after everything that

Sam wise goes through and he does get

challenged in in his world view and the

way he sees the evils of the world but

he still says no we have to remember the

Shire and what we're fighting for and

what's good and and that there are

people out there that are worth it and

and I think that's such a beautiful

narrative related to being hopelessly

naive I think another archetype that is

so much fun to play but can be a little

challenging is the affably dimwitted

character th this is a character who

often has a very positive outlook on

life life but might not be the brightest

person they might be a couple d6s short

of a fireball um and so in that respect

um the I think a character that really

embodies us again from Guardians of the

Galaxy is Drax I think yeah if mantis is

hopelessly naive Drax is affably

dimwitted uh again Drax is amazing and a

great character but he's not the

brightest star in the sky not the

sharpest no no and and it's okay like

there's there's look it intelligence is

kind of everybody's dump stat in DND 5

so there's a lot of room to play a

character that is just a little dumb I

mean Joe plays Pluto Jackson as the

affably dimwitted hero and and he does

such a great job at it now again some of

the growth of this character is proving

that intelligence has a lot of different

Avenues to take correct and think that

what a character who appears dimwitted

at the start but then proves that they

are extremely smart in certain things

and I think Pluto for example has shown

that actually his his wisdom on on sort

of morality and and all of that is is

actually a high point in his

intelligence and he's been able to have

speeches throughout the campaign that

have really compelled people to do

what's right even though you know at the

start we were like this guy's an idiot

but but it's it's great to see that

growth yeah there's there's more to

intelligence than just book smarts

especially in real life there are

elements like emotional and social

intelligences that characters that might

not necessarily be the most book smart

person you know they're they're not you

know they they don't understand the

Wizard's jargon and that's a great thing

to play up for Laughs one of my favorite

tropes is like when the wizard explains

the really complex plan and they point

to the Barbarian go did you get that and

they're like when do I put hit it with

my Axe and and it it's a great bit um it

really does reflect a lot of like those

classic um comedy duo sort of things

when you when you play those things up

picky in the brain totally

absolutely right um there there there's

there's so many things about pinky is a

great example of being affably dimwitted

um and so oftentimes um you know and

they live through they they kind of are

a little carefree as well too that

that's kind of the the beauty of of the

the these characters if you're not dump

in intelligence there's a good chance

that your next up for dump stats is

going to be Charisma and this is where

you can play the socially awkward

extrovert or uh as we also have named It

Tina

beler yeah th I I think that this is I

think that a lot of players really

struggle with low Charisma

characters um and the first Port of call

for them is either to make them very

Gruff and reserved or just very rude and

uncouth and you don't have to go that

Direction with your low Charisma

character your Charis your character can

try to engage socially with others but

just be too awkward to successfully do

so I think I think it's so funny CU I I

love the social aspect of DnD I love a

character that talks so when I have had

Charisma be my dump stat I find that I

get into a lot of trouble with my

character because I unintentionally play

the social awkward extrovert and you

know I will say that again to take

another example of Joe when he plays

Wrath wrath is a very high Charisma

score but Joe plays him as extremely

socially awkward yeah um and so what

it's kind of irrespective of your

character's actual Charisma score um and

I think you know we can all relate to

being socially awkward can't we you know

we can all relate to WRA sometimes yeah

and maybe this archetype hits a little

too close to home for some people but it

can be in that respect maybe it's a

natural fit and it this might be the

perfect one to pick if you feel like

you're socially awkward because now you

just make a character who bumbles over

their words gets confused on what

they're saying and loses track of their

thoughts and is still trying and

sometimes that can be a lot of fun of

table and it can also be kind of

relieving to realize especially in a

role playing game that you know being

socially awkward isn't the end of your

social life no no Tina Belcher has a lot

of friends yeah of course she does right

and and is one of the most loved

characters and she's super socially

awkward yeah it gives you an excuse to

be just a little weird a little out

there I I think one of the the kind of

the great aspects of of Tina beler and

and that socially awkward person is

they're the kind of it's like they have

to say what's on their mind all the time

like

there there's no there's not necessarily

any holding back or filter of what comes

out of their mouth and so they'll just

say whatever they're thinking no matter

how embarrassing or weird that might be

and that's kind of adorable next up we

have the SLE ball salesman and Monty I

know exactly where you used this one

that is Blackjack Mel uh a character who

has just the the well we all know what

the SLE ball salesman sounds like

they'll say anything to convince you

that what they're telling you is great

advice it's worth listening to it would

they ever lie to you and the thing with

this character is that they're making up

stories they're always self aggrandizing

themselves or the situation and in this

respect they have a little bit uh in

common with the brave fool except the

sleev ball

salesman

actually has a little bit bit of a

better sense of risk assessment and is

usually lying about things to as a form

of risk management this this character

can be a really great instigator because

again um they love to lie about things

and eventually they kind of weave that

Web of Lies and get themselves into more

trouble they they tell the big fish

stories all the time that turn out to

not be true uh and eventually might have

to go through that Arc of realizing that

they've been lying to their friends the

whole time and then have to deal with

the Fallout from that this is the

character that's going to dig the hole

deeper and deeper until they get to the

point where they've lied so much that

they actually are not able to keep track

of their own lies again you want to be

careful with lying to your party but if

you're playing this in a more obvious

way and I think the party might know you

enough to to know when you're when

you're absolutely pulling their leg but

they see you pull the same stunts

against

NPCs and so when when you're talking to

your party and you're like hey would I

ever lie to you this is the this is the

this sword's obviously magical you

should buy it off of me and they're like

no Kelly I'm not going to buy your your

fake sword but then you bring it to the

NPC and they watch you Swindle them

that's that's a lot of fun this is where

you do have to separate the player

knowledge and the CL and the character

knowledge out because car you can have

characters that player characters that

are lying to one another and that can be

something that exists in the fiction but

the players are buying into that and I

think this is something that applies to

a lot of these character archetypes and

it is kind of where um a little bit of

that meta knowledge is acceptable of

like if you know Kelly that I'm playing

the SLE ball salesman and that's my

archetype and you're playing the

hopelessly naive character and we know

that that's kind of the role playing

Dynamic that we're going for it makes it

more okay for me to pull a fast one on

your character because we're embracing

that element uh and the overlap between

those characters rather

than trying to actively deceive one

another yeah when Monty and I are at the

table playing those characters and Monty

says I think you should go into the

dungeon first because uh you're braver

than me my character goes oh that makes

sense I know exactly what's happening as

a player but we're playing characters

and that's a lot of fun yeah the last

one is the caregiver and this is one

that I think Jill brings to life with

Rudy yes uh this is the character who is

always taking care of their friends

always sees the group as a family and is

fiercely loyal to that family and will

always go out of their way to protect

them make sure they're okay and of

course prob probably bring on some of

those motherly uh lectures but they can

also be like the grandpa or the uncle or

the mentor for the group like there is

kind of like I am the guardian or that

that that sort

of it fits like Jill's personality very

well but it also fits like I picture the

big Barbarian he's like this is my pack

and I'm going to protect them in our um

cyber Punk game when I played uh Biff

whatever his name was he was he was a

big muscle man with a curly mustache and

a bald head I love that guy but his

whole thing was he protected the group

like his family and that was that was

his whole shtick this is great if you're

playing the tank or the cleric or the

Healer or the support character because

you do get to feel like you are um maybe

the this is the person who believes in

the group right they believe that

everyone is better together and the arc

that they often go on is that the

caregiver might get betrayed emotionally

by the

Brave fool or the SLE ball and the

caregiver might also be the one that

kind of overlaps with the one that is

hopelessly naive as well and so they

kind of have to go on that Arc of H of

managing the difficult personalities

that are in their adopted family and

understanding how to deal with all those

personalities and what to give and what

to take and how to balance all all that

out because I think the caregiver type

character is often very giving and

sometimes they give too much and that

then comes at their own expense and so

there's really interesting story

elements that can come from this and you

can also do just fun things like be the

one that you know maybe you actually do

make cookies for the group and then you

do give them out during game night and

you you have the props or maybe you are

playing The Bard and you are the one

giving out Bic inspiration um and so you

can really feel like you are maybe the

cheerleader of the group or or again

that that parental figure I I also for

some reason the image of the Oracle from

The Matrix just popped into my head yeah

go ahead have a cookie by the time you

finish it you'll feel right as rain or

whatever it is that she said um I think

that playing the mama bear you also get

to kind of throw that energy both at the

rest of your party but also at a bunch

of the NPCs and even the enemies yes who

are you going to take under your wing

like you have now adopted the Goblin and

also one of my one of my favorite quotes

that Jill ever uttered on our show was

when one of the she was lecturing one of

the NPC one of our enemies and the enemy

said you're not my mom and she said I'm

everyone's

mom still one of the best lives so so

that that Trope is just such a fun one

to bring to life and it's actually I I

don't think I realize when we were

writing this that all of our characters

fit one of these TRS yeah yeah and and I

think that

as you think about how you might use

these for your characters again these

are archetypes and some of the fun of

using them is mixing and matching and

finding other combinations your

character doesn't have to fall into a

narrow definition of any one of these

and you can pick and choose and I I I

hope that what's what's clear from this

is that you can create that multi-layer

character that layers you know what

happens when the caregiver is the one

that's out for Revenge what happens when

the hopelessly naive character is the

mercenary who's only in it for

money

there's I think one of the things that

is really important about making an

interesting character is that real

people are full of

contradictions and are and almost

everybody has to deal with a bit of

cognitive

dissidence there's certain elements you

know some people are more hypocritical

than others but I think that everybody

has us has to deal with a little bit bit

of that it's part of what makes us human

that we have our foibles and flaws and

our contradictions as part of us and

those are wonderful things to embrace in

making a character that is interesting

because with all of these archetypes

there there always is something that M

gives you that connection or that gives

you that flaw and the more you Embrace

those things I think the the more

interesting your characters become and

the more opportunities you create for

fun during your gam and I think that as

a final note fun is the key here a lot

of these do have the potential of being

pulled too far and causing issues at the

table always remember that the main goal

of bringing your character to life is to

have fun with not only yourself but with

all of the other people at the table so

when you are designing your character

and you're picking your weird quirks

discuss them with the rest of the

players of the table all of the players

are there to have fun as well and so

finding out the weird idiosyncrasies

that can actually connect your car

characters for example if Monty plays

the SE SLE ball salesman and I play the

hopelessly naive character I am signing

up for a campaign where Monty's going to

continually get me into a lot of trouble

but if we've had that discussion early

on at no point is Monty going to upset

me by saying I should go first into the

dungeon I know that that's the role I'm

playing and I know that's the role he's

playing so have conversations talk about

the characters You're Building be open

about the ways that you can influence or

challenge each other with the weird

quirks and role-playing traits that

you've picked to bring your characters

to life if you have other great tropes

that you've brought to life with your

characters we would love to hear about

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