10 Easy Roleplaying Traits for your TTRPG Characters!
Summary
TLDRIn 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
🌟 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.
🚀 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.
🤑 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.
📚 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.
📜 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.
🐍 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.
🌱 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.
😵 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.
🤓 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Role-playing traits
💡Backstory
💡Mercenary
💡Do-gooder
💡Quirks
💡Character development
💡TTRPGs (Tabletop Role-Playing Games)
💡Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)
💡Archetypes
💡Narrative
💡Player interaction
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
them in the comments below the videos
that we create on our channel are made
possible thanks to the incredible
generosity of our patreon supporters if
you enjoy the work that we do here on
YouTube and want to help us continue to
make this content get on our patreon get
on our Discord Ser you can join our
Discord server as part of that chat with
us about everything ttrpg DND and much
much more the links are down below and
if you want to see a bunch of these
traits and action you can check out our
actual play in the worlds of dragon n
which premieres Tuesday on our YouTube
channel you can check out all the
previous episodes right up over here and
we've got plenty more guides for players
playing d and d and other TTR RPGs right
up over here please subscribe to our
Channel like this video and ring that
Bell so that you never miss an episode
thanks so much for watching we'll see
you next time in the
dungeon
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)