Roleplaying....help?

[Terrik]

Alright, I *know* this is kind of a stupid thread, because you're supposed to roleplay what you feel and if someone tells you how to do it, it kinda loses the point and so on, but I'd still like some advice.

Recently here in Shanghai, I've gotten together with a couple people to do some 4E roleplaying. 3 of us have played before (other editions) and two are new. Our DM has never DM'd before.

I haven't done it in a long time so I'm a bit rusty. Our group consists of a Dwarven Cleric Lawful Good with Bahamut as his deity, a Dragonborn Paladian Neutral aligned with a neutral god (forget which...one of the "artistic" ones, a 12 year old human wizard which sticks with the dwarf, good aligned and me, a Goliath thunderborn Barbarian, Neutral aligned, aligned with the neutral storm/warrior god of Kord.

I have a background of arena fighting after been taken by slavers.

From what I've read of Kord, he despises dragonkind, especially lawful evil dragons.

So I'm trying to figure out how to interact with my party in a consistent way, but I'm just not getting it. Would I have problems with my dragonborn pally companion? What about the dragon worshiping dwarf?

For instance, the dwarf plays an absolute zealot when it comes to Bahamut and the dragonborn wrings information out of anything that happens to break its legs in battle. I do my best to contribute to the roleplaying, but I feel I'm inconsistent and since a lot of you here are pretty seasoned RPers, maybe you could give me some advice about what you'd expect out of a character type like mine.

 

[Ravenpoe]

It is a tough question, because the character is going to be a unique creation of yours. He doesn't have to act the way you'd expect, he just has to have reason to act the way he does. If he hates dragon kind, that doesn't mean he can't work with them, he just has to have motive. Does working with him further his own goals? Can he set aside his hatred long enough to do so? Maybe he slips sometimes, and lets that hatred out.

Don't worry so much about what he does, just focus on why he does.

 

[Chibibar]

The old proverb of "Keep thy friend closer and thy enemies closer" can play into this. Note: this is how I would play it, you are welcome to use any materials

While your god despise dragonkind, the follower doesn't have to follow "exactly" as their diety. You would want to keep in good favor and maybe your motivation is to pass on information about dragonkind to your god. There could be a two fold

1. Do you personally hate dragonkind? where the slavers dragonkind? that could tie in and maybe the dragonkind is trying to show you the "good" side of dragonkind but your god tells you other wise. You could be a double "agent" of sort. working with your party to further your own goals and if bad things happen, try to pin on your "allies", I'm sure Kord will get a chuckle out of that one

 

[HCGLNS]

From what I've read of Kord, he despises dragonkind, especially lawful evil dragons.

That information is not up to date with 4th edition mythology.

Your character is avhuge, strong, hot headed barbarian who worships the god of battle. Respect those who excel in combat and solve your problems with fighting. Your goliath heritage would help you respect dwarves but your Kord worship would cause some resentment with them. You would most likely not enjoy the rigorous nature of law abiding citizens, so feel free to scoff at authority.

 

[Gusto]

That information is not up to date with 4th edition mythology.

Your character is avhuge, strong, hot headed barbarian who worships the god of battle. Respect those who excel in combat and solve your problems with fighting. Your goliath heritage would help you respect dwarves but your Kord worship would cause some resentment with them. You would most likely not enjoy the rigorous nature of law abiding citizens, so feel free to scoff at authority.

ie. Play your character like a prisoner. Fuck authority, respect the powerful and brave, look down on the weak and cowardly, solve problems with violence or threat of violence.

 

[HCGLNS]

Personally I think it would be hilarious is you took trial by combat into absurd minutia.

"Do we eat chicken or rabbit tonight?"
"Decide by combat! YEARGH!"

 

[Allen who is Quiet]

Play him like this

 

[Chibibar]

Personally I think it would be hilarious is you took trial by combat into absurd minutia.

"Do we eat chicken or rabbit tonight?"
"Decide by combat! YEARGH!"

You know. I can see this happening!

 

[AshburnerX]

Hey... just because your a follower of Kord, it doesn't mean that your a devout follower of Kord. Maybe your barbarian is having a crisis of faith now that he's worked with these "heathens"? Perhaps he never really understood that point of the hatred and left it behind him when he left his homeland? Or maybe he was never a "true" believer anyway and, like 70% of church going Americans, was simply going through the motions for eternal salvation?

 

[sixpackshaker]

A buddy of mine always roll-played a First Edition Cavalier. He always played it strictly by the loose guidelines in Unearthed Arcana.

DM: As you are traveling, you crest a small hill and notice, laid out before you is the entire Goblin Army...
Sir Phatsack: I mount my horse, draw my sword and charge down the hill.
Me: What the hell are you doing?
Sir Phatsack: The rules say that I am not to turn away from a fight.

DM: Everybody turn in your character sheets, and get out your dice.

 

[Chibibar]

A buddy of mine always roll-played a First Edition Cavalier. He always played it strictly by the loose guidelines in Unearthed Arcana.

DM: As you are traveling, you crest a small hill and notice, laid out before you is the entire Goblin Army...
Sir Phatsack: I mount my horse, draw my sword and charge down the hill.
Me: What the hell are you doing?
Sir Phatsack: The rules say that I am not to turn away from a fight.

DM: Everybody turn in your character sheets, and get out your dice.

LOL. Actually. you CAN turn away from a battle if you are outnumbered 10 to 1 I think.

 

[Gryfter]

A buddy of mine always roll-played a First Edition Cavalier. He always played it strictly by the loose guidelines in Unearthed Arcana.

DM: As you are traveling, you crest a small hill and notice, laid out before you is the entire Goblin Army...
Sir Phatsack: I mount my horse, draw my sword and charge down the hill.
Me: What the hell are you doing?
Sir Phatsack: The rules say that I am not to turn away from a fight.

DM: Everybody turn in your character sheets, and get out your dice.

LOL that reminds me of the twin Cavaliers a buddy of mine and I played in 1st Ed campaign, Nigel and Norman. They were constantly charging enemies more powerful than themselves but as long as both were there, never considered themselves out-manned. Gods, we gave that DM migraines.

 

[Covar]

wait. Neutral Paladin?!?

Hey... just because your a follower of Kord, it doesn't mean that your a devout follower of Kord. Maybe your barbarian is having a crisis of faith now that he's worked with these "heathens"? Perhaps he never really understood that point of the hatred and left it behind him when he left his homeland? Or maybe he was never a "true" believer anyway and, like 70% of church going Americans, was simply going through the motions for eternal salvation?

Except for the whole active gods thing. Really makes not believing kind of hard.

 

[Allen who is Quiet]

4e lets paladins be whatever alignment they want, and their class features aren't dependent on everybody's behavior anymore.

 

[AshburnerX]

Except for the whole active gods thing. Really makes not believing kind of hard.

Hey, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer was FULL of people who didn't believe in Gods. Every NPC follower in the game was an unbeliever in some way, where it was outright disbelief in their power, genuine doubts about whether or not what they were doing was right, or an intellectual disinterest caused by education and amassment of personal power... and all of them did this knowing that they would be cast into a wailing wall of eternal torment for their beliefs.

What you need to remember is that disbelief in Gods isn't an On and Off switch. It has many levels and comes in many flavors.