Another thing to point out is that you have to remember: your character doesn't speak, but YOU should. Beeing completely silent in a table may come out as lack of interest. Describe your character's emotions, facial/body expressions, how they react to the world around them. This will help the table to understand your character more clearly
@@bigfattank101 Gerald is awesome but he is great example of how you make a character that doesn't speak a lot. Gerald speaks more with his actions. He knows what he is doing and others trust him - there is no need for extra dialogue. But in table this is much harder to play off - if rest of the people discuss what to do for 1h and you stand in silent it's hard to then make what you say really show confidence & value like Gerald would. It often falls flat when you finally open your mouth to make a pun or dad joke lol.
I never describe or let my players describe what goes on inside my/their characters unless it's super obvious from observing them. I find it breaks immersion and wastes a chance at interesting roleplay to just flat out say what a character is experiencing and not expressing it through that character. Describing their actions is a solid solution to bring those silent characters to life though!
Another tip: Describe your actions! There's much more roleplaying than just speaking. Maybe your Stoic grips their blade in frustration? Or stares daggers at someone who insults them. You can get the players at your table to really understand your character without speaking a word.
if your stoic grips his blade in frustration or stares daggers at someone then he aint a stoic though. stoic comes from the old greek philosophic believe stoicism which means, a person who doesn't act upon emotions, and has a tranquil mind. of course there is more to it then just that but it is a big part that people get wrong. not to be a smartass or seek conflict but to inform. i see plenty of people in the comment section who don't really grasp what it means to be a stoic. seen a guy talk about darth vader as a stoic warrior while he is sith and channels hatred and suffering. cant get more anti-stoic than that. a true stoic doesnt get frustrated when things dont go his/her way, and a true stoic doesnt give someone the power to hurt him/her with insults.
The most fun I had with a "Silent Type" was a subordinate sniper/bodyguard to our group's Noble Lady. Who didn't talk much, didn't ask questions, didn't even act much unless he was ordered to or the Noble Lady was in danger. Heck, he even stayed away with social interactions. I was fine with this, because I actually play Face or Leader most of the time, so it was very nice to step back and allow others to fill the role. I was pretty content with just describing how he busies himself with stuff like cleaning, solving weird puzzles, watching the perimeter and just being the quiet person. So, most of the party goes to meet the Important Lord Person Dude, while my guy stays outside of the chambers in the most unassuming clothes looking bored and unimportant. Lord Person Dude turns on the party, guards are swarming, party is captured. Last thing they see is my character looking at this from the corridor, then guards are running through the doors, breaking line of sight for a second. Then he disappears. And goes into the full "Okay, I actually have to act now and save their asses". So he goes to pick up our technician guy, who stayed at base, because he has more important things to do and they go on the rescue mission. Turns out the character was actually absolutely capable of showing initiative, making decisions and acting on his own when there was a NEED for that. Otherwise, he was very content with just doing what he was told.
I played a similar character and had a blast. He was a frontline battlemaster fighter who performed a lot of the heavy combat but stayed out of the social limelight. It was funny too bc he was much more merciful than the other party members so there was interesting RP whenever my character suddenly did something to spare an adversary.
A third reason... My current character is the strong, stoic, type, an orc fighter (Champion). The Dm has been playing for 3 years, as have 2 party members. The other two party members have been playing less than a year. I have been playing since red box, roughly 35 years now. I chose a strong, stoic, type specifically to limit myself so I don't overshadow I am used to knowing when to step into the spotlight for brief periods. Playing a strong, stoic type, is my way of ensuring the new players get used to interacting more.
another tip that sually helps, even though your character doesn't speak much, the player can describe their actions in the same manner as if they were speaking such as describing how they try to look imposing by staring someone square in the eye all the while slowly taking a step forward.
This is really helpful for a character I am currently playing, I wasn't sure how to play that silent stoic type until now, thank you for this very conviently timed video
I had a character who was this straight-laced ex-military type and still preferred being addressed as corporal rather than his actual name, operating in a party who generally didn't take anything very seriously. At one point we were fighting in zero G and everybody was describing their fancy movements in combat and how they were backflipping and everything, and I just went "I run in, take a knee, and start firing." It was such a "that's so you" moment, and the fact I was the only serious character had become entertaining in its own right :D
Also getting a handle on non-verbal communication can help your character be a lot more expressive. As a veteran player you can use small, non-verbal positive reactions like a smile or a pat on the back to communicate to your more green players around the table that you're proud of them.
My character lost his ability to speak freely (Speaking caused 1d8 of acid damage) which was bad for many reasons, as a wizard having a risky verbal component was a difficult situation and effectively made my character mute, using physical and Magic forms of communication besides speech is interesting
I'm really digging these guides on effectively saying less. I'm partly that 'shy, uncomfortable RPer,' but also partly interested in more understated stories where _not as much needs to be said, and people can show rather than tell each other things._ It's not about being a stoic 'badass' or an 'edgy loner,' nothing so _superlative_ -- I just learn a lot from keeping my mouth shut and observing, even if the result isn't particularly impressive, and I wonder how to make that work when everybody else wants to say things out loud. I wonder if _this_ character type could work if, during moments where other characters _speak,_ this character _emotes._ Ideally, you'd get the same amount of spotlight as everyone else, your vocabulary is just 90% body language. You still get the big payoff when you finally open your mouth, _and_ you get to respond as much as other players.
If you're silent, you can use motions/etc. to convey a lot. If the party is discussing how to handle a current challenge, your character can just step forward to get noticed, then hold up an item that they have which could help solve the issue. You don't actually explain how it helps, but allow the party to come to the conclusions themselves by continuing their discussion with the new detail in mind. You can also point or draw a blade to draw their attention to something in the distance that you noticed but they didn't. If your character does talk, but just not loudly or often, they can slam their staff/etc. into the ground to get the squabbling party's attention, then calmly make their statement now that everyone else is quiet and listening. Combining this with the prior option can make these talking moments stronger.
heres a suggestion for a video, you don’t have to do this obviously but just an idea, but what about how to play the wise old character, without being a one trick pony of sorts. (usually monks, wizards, or sorcerers for a typical class type for this character)
Great video with some excellent advice. I will offer one warning with the type of character, because I experienced it first hand. You need to make sure your character is coming through clearly via your actions - that you take time to describe. If you don't describe your reactions to party banter, or situations it might create a situation where when you do take an important action, it comes across as arbitrary and counter to the party. Storytime: I was playing in a group with a player who had his strong silent fighter. We hired a guide through the dangerous forest, and it turned out the guide was part of a bandit group leading us into a trap. The characters figured out what was going on and confronted her. She begged for her life and said she did it because she needed the gold to pay off her gambling debts. The party as a whole felt bad for her, and brought her along, in case they needed to use her as a bargaining chip to negotiate with the bandits down the line. They intended to help her out once they cleared the forest and got to the city. Eventually the party killed the bandits (they refused to negotiate), but still had the "guide" in custody. The fighter then turned around and ran her through. The party was shocked. They players started arguing. The fighter's player saying that his character hates traitors and won't let any live. It was in his backstory and was a key component of who he was. But to the rest of the party his actions came out of no where. He never described how his character was glaring at the "guide" or had him argue to kill her right after they figured out she was a traitor. Because he wasn't describing his character's reactions to the traitor, the party was blindsided by his actions, actions that they felt were against the majority of the party's wishes to help this woman. We ended up pausing the session to talk about it, because a few players were pretty annoyed by the whole thing. But it really just came down to the fighter's player not communicating his character's intentions and actions. We got past the issue, and the player got a lot better about describing the fighter's actions outside of combat. He became super memorable, because when he did speak there was weight to his words, and his actions were always clear. But we also learned to never hint at betraying him or anyone around him, because he was damn good with that blade.
The first character I ever played (and I am still playing. Another session scheduled this week) is a strong, silent type. He kinda wound up like that accidentally. I’m the kinda person who never stops talking, but I often wind up staying quiet because I don’t know the answer that my character would give. I felt super insecure about it for a long time, but, somewhat ironically, everyone loves my character. Like a legit fan favorite because I “play him so well” as essentially the strong, silent, level-headed member of the group. But also the guy who kicks absolute ass in a fight.
I Find it as a good role to play when you're a senior player with alot of rookie players as well, to let them get the hang of things. That being said, a video on how to play as a mentor to other players would be helpful, there's the DM role and the players, but often there's a seasoned player that helps the other new players out.
@@PlayYourRole I've often played paladins or more serious builds so that way when things start going bad i can step in and help get everyone to safety, with out using magic for the answer
I had a character a couple years back who wore a mask and never took it off. Very mysterious and everyone who tried speaking to him received a sarcastic remark, that was equal parts charming, funny and dickish. Kept most npc’s from talking to him if they werent already avoiding him or chaining him up. But the players and dm loved him. There was an event where a blood moon appeared where demons revived and came after the party but they had an introspective moment to observe the once-in-a-lifetime experience. I said one line: *“Yuriel puts his mask back on.”* EVERYONE freaked out. it was awesome
Here's an interesting take I took on this archetype. I play an Oath of the Ancients Paladin whose race I have not revealed to the party since my character is covered in this spooky armor, all they can see is the red glowing eyes piercing from the darkness in the helmet. Our artificer was ecstatic because "Yipee it's a Warforged I can tinker with", but my character is not a construct of any kind, they are very much a living being. They don't need sleep as much as they just need time to cease activity. In fact I've even made use of a voice filter to make them even more mysterious when I do actually talk. I plan on making it a...well, not a big reveal perse, mostly just a shock for when the time is right to reveal that my Paladin is actually a Drow woman who delights in the tomfoolery of the party but has had to stay strong and distant since she knows she will outlive them age-wise, and that the helmet has had some type of magic infused with it that makes her voice the way it is when she wears it.
Something I'd add is knowing why you're remaining silent. It can be for effect like Mando, because you're cynical like Geralt of Rivia, saving your voice for when it matters like the Greybeards, or you've taken a vow of silence...like the Poopsmith, I guess.
Playing a stoic half orc fighter (soldier/ hired bodyguard) and he takes the lead in the second session when the party gets warped to the dungeon and basically lead the way through the dungeon. Came across a kobold merchant in the dungeon and was the only party member to know draconic to talk him down. Got back to the surface and he faded back into the background through the surface social encounters.
Stoic characters are really good for people who like playing, but don't enjoy speaking in character. I followed a TTRPG group that started out as complete amateurs playing live and one of the members fell into that camp. The player was really attentive and cared about the world, but interaction was difficult. So he weaponized this and created more stoic characters, who rarely speak but always act. You can also explain what your guy is doing in 3rd person, to substitute many interactions. That players characters became the most popular to the viewers.
Another helpful thing to remember is to give a silent character a hobby or a relationship that personalizes them to the group. Boring no talk man becomes infinitely more interesting when he spends his time out of combat drawing sketches or feeding stray cats. My Star Wars character is a stoic bounty Hunter that my party thought was annoyingly flat and boring until I showed him on his ship watering a potted plant 🪴
I usually reserve my stoic characters for noble knights, balancing out their stoicism with a more vocal retainer. However, I have also used a couple other tricks to make them work; I've given them a full helmet and the Message spell. This not only makes it so that only one person could ever hear them at a time, but nothing in the spell says you hear his voice speaking to you. Also, I use actions to impact. For instance, giving a bag of gold to a gambler or guarding a fallen enemy needs no words, but if your actions are also as stoic, they can speak volumes.
Great video as well. Reminds me of Mando (of course, thumbnail) and Levi Ackerman. You mentioned stepping out of that shell, which we see Mando do a lot more in the second season. Levi might not fall completely in the silent category, but when he speaks.. everyone listens. And his actions (being the greatest solider) always are a highlight.
This is good advice, solid video. but It’s also what I call “ideal world advice”. It’s advice that works in an ideal situation where the table is going to respect that you don’t talk often and give you a lot of space to have your big epic moments. What’s more likely to happen at most games is you stay quiet most of the time, then when you try to speak up players who have been riffing off of each other for many games now are going to talk over you and not leave room in the conversation for you to participate. I think some other advice I would invoke is pick another player at the table and build something with them so that you do have someone to have meaningful interactions with so the party can see a glimpse of who your character is, the mando has the child, Geralt has Ciri, kratos has the boy. you don’t have to take on the masculine protector role because that can also have issues but if you’re a silent grump 90% of the time having some type of wedge to break into the dialogue is very helpful.
This is very good advice that I’ll pass on to some friends, my own current character is not all that talkative compared to some other members of his party, so I’ll definitely take some of it into account for myself too. Looking forward to whatever you cover next, I feel like even if I’m not playing the kind of character described it’s still really useful for understanding and giving advice to others or for future characters.
Had a good two man act with a bard I was playing with while I was playing as a bounty hunter. He would act the part of the aloof noble and I would be the bodyguard, which meant he could talk me though any checkpoint with all my weapons in toe. and typically get any target we are after into a room where it would be just us and maybe a few guards. One alone, he would sick me on them and in no time flat the world was down one (potential) criminal and up one paycheck for us.
What I do when I make quieter characters is that I'm often passing notes to the dm about my character wandering off to do something nearby. Picking things up and messing around and poking at things while everyone's debating and talking and blahblahblah. You don't even have to do something like that. Give the character a hobby. Make them a smoker with a pipe, or maybe they carve wood in their spare time and you're slowly whittling a block into something, maybe they've got some string and are playing cat's cradle or are writing in a journal or something. You can have them show a lot of personality. Imagine a person who after every fight, spelunk or whatever fastidiously cleans themselves with an expression of unhappiness on their face. They don't like getting dirty but it's part of the job. Right there there's a huge amount to read into it. If you want it to be practical give the character a small club that they go around and whack at the walls with to see if they find a hollow or accidently break through into something. It's a little something that makes a lot of sense and adds a lot of personality. An archer character could be fletching arrows in their spare moments, a devout one could be silently praying for guidance or just comfort, the more meditive and zen ones could literally meditate. Just because you're not center stage does not mean you're not doing something.
This will be useful for a paladín im currently playing, Morgan Beltri. He is the "responsible" character in a somewhat chaotic group. When the room is made a mess after a dispute between the group, he is the one who cleans it. If the rest come back from the bar with a hangover, he is the one who prepares them breakfast.
Honestly this Video is great. In my own experience right now playing a stoic character, it is great when you show feelings like when we lost our ranger I made my character bash in the head of the Dragon we slew. Also opening Up to others is also a great opportunity since Most don't expect such Things from the silent Type and are in my opinion a very cool way to Show maybe the direness of a situation.
Silent stoic type but turns out they just didn't understand common and decided to follow the group because you all got attacked together or defended something together
So something I will say is that playing a strong silent type character, but giving them strong morals/beliefs/honor code will give you a reason TO speak up on occasion. It will make your character memorable, as anything you do say will give details about WHO your character is.
I like to make my silent characters very physically expressive. I always try to punctuate social interactions with at least a nod, a sigh or a scratch to the back of the neck. That way, I can convey that the character is listening and even leave openings for other characters to respond to these actions
I love this series because you are practically giving advice for just about any time of character playing/creation. That includes character creation for theatrical or cinematic productions as well.
I tried a couple of times First time I was 13/14 in a sw roleplay and made an edgy op Sith grandmaster It was cool ‘til another player decided they were their nephew which I said “ok” but later regretted it and we then retconned it This actually worked differently than I thought, since he became an ever present figure and his interests were to expand his empire he became very diplomatic but between the yet unrevealed face, the impassibility in front of anything including when he tortures someone and stuff like this he became one of the most memorable characters of the roleplay, my most used and favorite but far more of a diplomat than I anticipated The second and third time were indeed in dnd, the first was a hollow Dragonborn fiend warlock who I wanted to play a bit aggressive and kinda ordering people around in a batman-esque fashion He became group leader and his high charisma didn’t help Third time it was a hobgoblin artificer who I still love but because of an npc who is trapped in a hammer that the guy always keeps on him and a sorcerer who acts like a bard he is always bantering with someone In short, IDK if I can play a stoic character, especially online, unless I am the dm
Recent took up playing a rather stoic type of character for my roleplay/storytelling heavy campaign. I will admit this is definitely my favorite of my characters to play. As much as I love all the characters I’ve made and all the campaigns I have played each in, my favorite really is my more recent (relatively, it’s dnd lol) stoic type of character. I will say they can have their quiet moments, moments where they largely are about being observant and trying to piece together who the people in their party are. And this is actually something they are really good at. Why? Well, one of the flip sides of this character is that they are also a scholar of linguistics, as in, languages. They do a lot of traveling for that reason and a lot of social interaction also. They are largely friendly and polite to everyone. They are also quite strong and tall (6’4” because I found it funny at the time to tower over the humans in the party, I play a wood elf). So they cut an imposing figure on a regular day. One of the funny things is that my character isn’t even the only stoic type of character. Our monk, artificer, and ranger all are too. Leaving the wizard and cleric being the more sociable ones. So mine kinda flips between both sides but it naturally more stoic, but can and does speak up as they see a need (they are the party face actually, with the skills and proficiencies to make that work). All of us are different flavors of stoic, without anyone being the “lone wolf” trope. The closest that comes to that is the monk but that is because he rolled up one of the most tragic of backstories (we used a table for some backstory elements to better integrate backstories into the setting). So yeah, he has the most edgy of strong stoic types. His is more the angry and bitter one. The ranger is more the shy, stealthy, nature focused guy. The artificer is stoic in the same way you expect maybe mr.freeze is as he is the inventor type and really focused on his work. In other words, he is the stoic who genuinely doesn’t give a care about all your problems (except for his party members and that’s a grudging affection that leads to a lot of sighing). And myself, which is the observant, insightful, sort of stoic type, the type your see maybe making their rounds as a courtier and slips in and out of groups but has a quiet type of charisma (though dm and I discussed some of this and we still conclude that this stoicism kind of also ruffles feathers from those who think my character is “stoic, stupidly righteous, and pretentious”). But yeah, most of the party is some flavor of stoic so I think that lends itself well to everyone leaving room for each other at the table to play that out and get their say and their rp moments. In fact, the party has a lot of one on one talks with each other that we all flow between with increasing ease as we play longer. What’s nice is that we all play well and have a good feel for that found family vibe we wanted out of this. But yeah, I love playing this character. I hope I articulated this all well. Not in my best headspace when typing this. Basically I wanted to convey that, with the right party, this trope can be super fun to play and you don’t need to just use it for combat. I play very much into my character being stoic. I think the fun part one can add to these types, is to give them something they get excitable about so the party can see that flip. Like my character for languages (if anyone knows a language my character doesn’t know, they will ask to be taught it), or papers in a treasure room (we once did this with a dragon hoard who had a ton of old books and maps), writing poetry (my character’s hobby), and combat training (my character IS still a fighter, even if they are also quite the scholar, so yes, they enjoy sparring). It’s been quite fun.
Literally when I was wondering how would someone play this role. You somehow heard and I found this video. Keep up the great work. Though I do have a question. How would I play a character that isn't really knowledgeable or confident in their abilities?
It's not about me being shy or anxious or being inexperienced I just really like to play the stoic type with occasional dry humor It's a fun balance and contrast to my typical party of whackos And while I do interact sometimes I just run out of ideas for what to do, how to pitch in some more
I really like this series. I would like if you would make a video, where you talk about play characters with amnesia. In a campaign i play a character who has nod amnesia but was brainwashed his hole live and has many implanted artificial memories which he all lost when he snaps out of the brainwashing. Now he tries to find out how he is and this cause to some problems with the other characters and some small issues with the other players ad my table.
I have now everything it takes to play Link in a D&D game. Perfect. Jk i'm not gonna do it but that is a nice archetype to know how to play! Btw I donn't think i've mentionned it before but I love the music you use. Speaking of music is your second channel going to have new playlists?
‘Speaking in character’ is only like 10% of what Roleplay is. Just describing your actions in third person is just as valid as ‘speaking in character’.
I usually have the opposite problem. I like to speak a lot and say little. Always be in the spotlight and such. So I'm trying to play a stoic character at my next table because I see this as a weakness in my play. When I was younger, I definately was the "protagonist" type player. While I tried to include other's stories, I usually find myself as party leader or voice, despite maybe not playing a character that works for that. So this is why I want to try and make a stoic/brooding type for my next game, focusing on describing what I am doing and trying to accomplish rather than speaking in character.
In a similar vein I'd love to know your thoughts on how to play just a silent type of character. Kind of like a bookish character that is lost in their own thoughts a lot.
Late to the party, but one of my current characters is a stoic/ doesn't talk. But not because they're the "strong, silent type" but because they severe anxiety and PTSD to the point they can't talk to other people (or at least have an extremely hard time doing so.). Instead, they talk to the party through their drake companion. In character, there was discourse over my character not communicating very well. So, they carved little figurines and laced them around some string to create pendants for the other players. Now they talk to the other party members by talking to the pendants, having the characters choose names for them and everything. Waiting to see how it pans out on the next few sessions.
The thing that comes to mind for me is not taking them too seriously. Ie. Let their silence and seriousness be a source of humor. Just look at Doros from the unexpectables.
As a guy who has a Minotaur Ranger, Gloomstalker, Mercenary, with a Charisma of 8, this is going to help a tonne. The guy doesn't say much, letting his actions speak for himself.
I feel like there wasn't hardly any advice in this video. Almost half the video was talking about why someone would want to play a stoic character, and then it moved to just saying why it has impact when a stoic type finally speaks up, and at the very end there was sort of a useful tidbit before it ended pretty abruptly. Some advice I think should have been in the video is that you can narrate facial expressions, body language, and just what your character is doing while others are talking. That way you're not sitting there practically invisible in the scene. Part of why the stoic type is easier to pull off in movies and shows is because it's all completely visual, so you still feel the presence of the stoic character. In a TTRPG, a silent character may have almost no presence if the player never talks about how their character is filling space in the scene.
The way I kinda see this playing out is like old kratos. He speaks very few words, sometimes just "Yes", "No". Quick, straightforward answers. No unnecessary details about "how you looked into the eyes of the dreaded Medusa and used the reflections of your blade to pinpoint her location and eloquently rid her neck of her foul head", you just say "I looked away, and cut off her head." You are a man of few words, but because you don't bother with these unnecessary details and pointless words, every word you have has meaning.
So I played a multilingual mute that used minor illusion to talk (essentially subtitles). So I could play as a mute character but having in character reason why people could understand me.
I’m completely new to DnD and I’m playing in a small group of 4 players of which are good friends and I want to play a silent, strong, stoic Minotaur but is a barbarian and can fall into fits of rage being a barbarian. Any tips on how I should go about this best?
I think I'm in a minority in that, for me, the strong and silent archetype *isn't* my comfort zone. My group has already finished two campaigns over the course of 6 years. In the first campaign I was the party leader and usually made all the decisions. In the second campaign, I was the face and had to play the emotional, and sometimes rational, core of the party. In our current campaign, I wanted to change it up. I'm playing a Tortle Barbarian who barely speaks at all. When he does, it's broken sentences. As such, it's hard for him to put complete thoughts out there, and he isn't one to speak his mind. But I've run into the issue of me, as a player, wanting to offer advice or help make a decision or strategize, but my character just isn't the type to do any of that. So it's actually more difficult for me.
I hate voice roleplay because of the natural implication of voicing my character. Maybe I might try to play a mute character, if I ever play such a game though.
I just finished the Halo infinite campaign, and the way Fernando Esparza (Echo-216) and the weapon bounce of Master Chief is a really good example of this. ua-cam.com/video/GrGRV0RAYwQ/v-deo.html
Another thing to point out is that you have to remember: your character doesn't speak, but YOU should. Beeing completely silent in a table may come out as lack of interest. Describe your character's emotions, facial/body expressions, how they react to the world around them. This will help the table to understand your character more clearly
Although this can come off as just not wanting to roleplay. That's how it comes off most of the time when I see it.
I love this think about Geralt from the Witcher he doesn't talk a ton but he says so much with his eyes and face.
@@bigfattank101 Gerald is awesome but he is great example of how you make a character that doesn't speak a lot. Gerald speaks more with his actions. He knows what he is doing and others trust him - there is no need for extra dialogue. But in table this is much harder to play off - if rest of the people discuss what to do for 1h and you stand in silent it's hard to then make what you say really show confidence & value like Gerald would. It often falls flat when you finally open your mouth to make a pun or dad joke lol.
I never describe or let my players describe what goes on inside my/their characters unless it's super obvious from observing them. I find it breaks immersion and wastes a chance at interesting roleplay to just flat out say what a character is experiencing and not expressing it through that character.
Describing their actions is a solid solution to bring those silent characters to life though!
Another tip: Describe your actions!
There's much more roleplaying than just speaking. Maybe your Stoic grips their blade in frustration? Or stares daggers at someone who insults them.
You can get the players at your table to really understand your character without speaking a word.
Also very true!!! As the old saying does in fact go: actions speak louder than words
if your stoic grips his blade in frustration or stares daggers at someone then he aint a stoic though. stoic comes from the old greek philosophic believe stoicism which means, a person who doesn't act upon emotions, and has a tranquil mind. of course there is more to it then just that but it is a big part that people get wrong. not to be a smartass or seek conflict but to inform. i see plenty of people in the comment section who don't really grasp what it means to be a stoic. seen a guy talk about darth vader as a stoic warrior while he is sith and channels hatred and suffering. cant get more anti-stoic than that.
a true stoic doesnt get frustrated when things dont go his/her way, and a true stoic doesnt give someone the power to hurt him/her with insults.
The most fun I had with a "Silent Type" was a subordinate sniper/bodyguard to our group's Noble Lady. Who didn't talk much, didn't ask questions, didn't even act much unless he was ordered to or the Noble Lady was in danger. Heck, he even stayed away with social interactions. I was fine with this, because I actually play Face or Leader most of the time, so it was very nice to step back and allow others to fill the role. I was pretty content with just describing how he busies himself with stuff like cleaning, solving weird puzzles, watching the perimeter and just being the quiet person.
So, most of the party goes to meet the Important Lord Person Dude, while my guy stays outside of the chambers in the most unassuming clothes looking bored and unimportant. Lord Person Dude turns on the party, guards are swarming, party is captured. Last thing they see is my character looking at this from the corridor, then guards are running through the doors, breaking line of sight for a second. Then he disappears.
And goes into the full "Okay, I actually have to act now and save their asses". So he goes to pick up our technician guy, who stayed at base, because he has more important things to do and they go on the rescue mission. Turns out the character was actually absolutely capable of showing initiative, making decisions and acting on his own when there was a NEED for that. Otherwise, he was very content with just doing what he was told.
I played a similar character and had a blast. He was a frontline battlemaster fighter who performed a lot of the heavy combat but stayed out of the social limelight. It was funny too bc he was much more merciful than the other party members so there was interesting RP whenever my character suddenly did something to spare an adversary.
A third reason...
My current character is the strong, stoic, type, an orc fighter (Champion).
The Dm has been playing for 3 years, as have 2 party members.
The other two party members have been playing less than a year.
I have been playing since red box, roughly 35 years now.
I chose a strong, stoic, type specifically to limit myself so I don't overshadow
I am used to knowing when to step into the spotlight for brief periods.
Playing a strong, stoic type, is my way of ensuring the new players get used to interacting more.
There's a lot to be said about playing this archetype to support others. Love it!
another tip that sually helps, even though your character doesn't speak much, the player can describe their actions in the same manner as if they were speaking such as describing how they try to look imposing by staring someone square in the eye all the while slowly taking a step forward.
This is great because it effectively communicates character WITHOUT having to speak in character, which is a big problem for many new players
This is really helpful for a character I am currently playing, I wasn't sure how to play that silent stoic type until now, thank you for this very conviently timed video
More than happy to help so glad you enjoyed!
I think that Book of Boba Fett release has something to do with this, since my game tomorrow begins as well with a character like this!
@@Synkrotta stoic warrior archetype is timeless, Boba & Din(Mando) aswell as Vader are very inspiring
I had a character who was this straight-laced ex-military type and still preferred being addressed as corporal rather than his actual name, operating in a party who generally didn't take anything very seriously.
At one point we were fighting in zero G and everybody was describing their fancy movements in combat and how they were backflipping and everything, and I just went "I run in, take a knee, and start firing." It was such a "that's so you" moment, and the fact I was the only serious character had become entertaining in its own right :D
Also getting a handle on non-verbal communication can help your character be a lot more expressive. As a veteran player you can use small, non-verbal positive reactions like a smile or a pat on the back to communicate to your more green players around the table that you're proud of them.
My character lost his ability to speak freely (Speaking caused 1d8 of acid damage) which was bad for many reasons, as a wizard having a risky verbal component was a difficult situation and effectively made my character mute, using physical and Magic forms of communication besides speech is interesting
I'm really digging these guides on effectively saying less. I'm partly that 'shy, uncomfortable RPer,' but also partly interested in more understated stories where _not as much needs to be said, and people can show rather than tell each other things._ It's not about being a stoic 'badass' or an 'edgy loner,' nothing so _superlative_ -- I just learn a lot from keeping my mouth shut and observing, even if the result isn't particularly impressive, and I wonder how to make that work when everybody else wants to say things out loud.
I wonder if _this_ character type could work if, during moments where other characters _speak,_ this character _emotes._ Ideally, you'd get the same amount of spotlight as everyone else, your vocabulary is just 90% body language. You still get the big payoff when you finally open your mouth, _and_ you get to respond as much as other players.
It absolutely can work this way! So long as you make your intention CLEAR with your characters body language and actions
If you're silent, you can use motions/etc. to convey a lot. If the party is discussing how to handle a current challenge, your character can just step forward to get noticed, then hold up an item that they have which could help solve the issue. You don't actually explain how it helps, but allow the party to come to the conclusions themselves by continuing their discussion with the new detail in mind. You can also point or draw a blade to draw their attention to something in the distance that you noticed but they didn't.
If your character does talk, but just not loudly or often, they can slam their staff/etc. into the ground to get the squabbling party's attention, then calmly make their statement now that everyone else is quiet and listening. Combining this with the prior option can make these talking moments stronger.
Seeing this comment a lot. And it's absolutely true! Movement's and actions can do loads to speak
heres a suggestion for a video, you don’t have to do this obviously but just an idea, but what about how to play the wise old character, without being a one trick pony of sorts. (usually monks, wizards, or sorcerers for a typical class type for this character)
Not a bad idea, I'll see what I can do at some point!
Great video with some excellent advice. I will offer one warning with the type of character, because I experienced it first hand. You need to make sure your character is coming through clearly via your actions - that you take time to describe. If you don't describe your reactions to party banter, or situations it might create a situation where when you do take an important action, it comes across as arbitrary and counter to the party.
Storytime:
I was playing in a group with a player who had his strong silent fighter. We hired a guide through the dangerous forest, and it turned out the guide was part of a bandit group leading us into a trap. The characters figured out what was going on and confronted her. She begged for her life and said she did it because she needed the gold to pay off her gambling debts. The party as a whole felt bad for her, and brought her along, in case they needed to use her as a bargaining chip to negotiate with the bandits down the line. They intended to help her out once they cleared the forest and got to the city. Eventually the party killed the bandits (they refused to negotiate), but still had the "guide" in custody. The fighter then turned around and ran her through. The party was shocked. They players started arguing. The fighter's player saying that his character hates traitors and won't let any live. It was in his backstory and was a key component of who he was.
But to the rest of the party his actions came out of no where. He never described how his character was glaring at the "guide" or had him argue to kill her right after they figured out she was a traitor. Because he wasn't describing his character's reactions to the traitor, the party was blindsided by his actions, actions that they felt were against the majority of the party's wishes to help this woman. We ended up pausing the session to talk about it, because a few players were pretty annoyed by the whole thing. But it really just came down to the fighter's player not communicating his character's intentions and actions. We got past the issue, and the player got a lot better about describing the fighter's actions outside of combat. He became super memorable, because when he did speak there was weight to his words, and his actions were always clear. But we also learned to never hint at betraying him or anyone around him, because he was damn good with that blade.
Stoics shine when they get the opportunity to speak. Player death, quiet moments and the like gives the stoic player such weight when they speak.
The first character I ever played (and I am still playing. Another session scheduled this week) is a strong, silent type. He kinda wound up like that accidentally. I’m the kinda person who never stops talking, but I often wind up staying quiet because I don’t know the answer that my character would give. I felt super insecure about it for a long time, but, somewhat ironically, everyone loves my character. Like a legit fan favorite because I “play him so well” as essentially the strong, silent, level-headed member of the group. But also the guy who kicks absolute ass in a fight.
I Find it as a good role to play when you're a senior player with alot of rookie players as well, to let them get the hang of things. That being said, a video on how to play as a mentor to other players would be helpful, there's the DM role and the players, but often there's a seasoned player that helps the other new players out.
VERY true! The ability to sit back and support, and step in to shine when the party needs it due to their inexperience cannot be overvalued
@@PlayYourRole I've often played paladins or more serious builds so that way when things start going bad i can step in and help get everyone to safety, with out using magic for the answer
@@skyeshi3570 A blessing for whatever new people you get in your groups! TTRPG needs more people like you
@@mazdeq i've not been in a group for a while lol
I had a character a couple years back who wore a mask and never took it off. Very mysterious and everyone who tried speaking to him received a sarcastic remark, that was equal parts charming, funny and dickish. Kept most npc’s from talking to him if they werent already avoiding him or chaining him up. But the players and dm loved him.
There was an event where a blood moon appeared where demons revived and came after the party but they had an introspective moment to observe the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I said one line: *“Yuriel puts his mask back on.”*
EVERYONE freaked out. it was awesome
Here's an interesting take I took on this archetype.
I play an Oath of the Ancients Paladin whose race I have not revealed to the party since my character is covered in this spooky armor, all they can see is the red glowing eyes piercing from the darkness in the helmet.
Our artificer was ecstatic because "Yipee it's a Warforged I can tinker with", but my character is not a construct of any kind, they are very much a living being.
They don't need sleep as much as they just need time to cease activity.
In fact I've even made use of a voice filter to make them even more mysterious when I do actually talk.
I plan on making it a...well, not a big reveal perse, mostly just a shock for when the time is right to reveal that my Paladin is actually a Drow woman who delights in the tomfoolery of the party but has had to stay strong and distant since she knows she will outlive them age-wise, and that the helmet has had some type of magic infused with it that makes her voice the way it is when she wears it.
Something I'd add is knowing why you're remaining silent. It can be for effect like Mando, because you're cynical like Geralt of Rivia, saving your voice for when it matters like the Greybeards, or you've taken a vow of silence...like the Poopsmith, I guess.
Playing a stoic half orc fighter (soldier/ hired bodyguard) and he takes the lead in the second session when the party gets warped to the dungeon and basically lead the way through the dungeon. Came across a kobold merchant in the dungeon and was the only party member to know draconic to talk him down. Got back to the surface and he faded back into the background through the surface social encounters.
Stoic characters are really good for people who like playing, but don't enjoy speaking in character.
I followed a TTRPG group that started out as complete amateurs playing live and one of the members fell into that camp. The player was really attentive and cared about the world, but interaction was difficult.
So he weaponized this and created more stoic characters, who rarely speak but always act. You can also explain what your guy is doing in 3rd person, to substitute many interactions. That players characters became the most popular to the viewers.
Another helpful thing to remember is to give a silent character a hobby or a relationship that personalizes them to the group. Boring no talk man becomes infinitely more interesting when he spends his time out of combat drawing sketches or feeding stray cats. My Star Wars character is a stoic bounty Hunter that my party thought was annoyingly flat and boring until I showed him on his ship watering a potted plant 🪴
I play this character damn near all the time because my group can’t STFU. And the reasons you outlined that are about me. Looking forward to the rest!
I usually reserve my stoic characters for noble knights, balancing out their stoicism with a more vocal retainer. However, I have also used a couple other tricks to make them work;
I've given them a full helmet and the Message spell. This not only makes it so that only one person could ever hear them at a time, but nothing in the spell says you hear his voice speaking to you.
Also, I use actions to impact. For instance, giving a bag of gold to a gambler or guarding a fallen enemy needs no words, but if your actions are also as stoic, they can speak volumes.
Great video as well. Reminds me of Mando (of course, thumbnail) and Levi Ackerman.
You mentioned stepping out of that shell, which we see Mando do a lot more in the second season.
Levi might not fall completely in the silent category, but when he speaks.. everyone listens. And his actions (being the greatest solider) always are a highlight.
This is good advice, solid video. but It’s also what I call “ideal world advice”. It’s advice that works in an ideal situation where the table is going to respect that you don’t talk often and give you a lot of space to have your big epic moments. What’s more likely to happen at most games is you stay quiet most of the time, then when you try to speak up players who have been riffing off of each other for many games now are going to talk over you and not leave room in the conversation for you to participate. I think some other advice I would invoke is pick another player at the table and build something with them so that you do have someone to have meaningful interactions with so the party can see a glimpse of who your character is, the mando has the child, Geralt has Ciri, kratos has the boy. you don’t have to take on the masculine protector role because that can also have issues but if you’re a silent grump 90% of the time having some type of wedge to break into the dialogue is very helpful.
This is very good advice that I’ll pass on to some friends, my own current character is not all that talkative compared to some other members of his party, so I’ll definitely take some of it into account for myself too. Looking forward to whatever you cover next, I feel like even if I’m not playing the kind of character described it’s still really useful for understanding and giving advice to others or for future characters.
Had a good two man act with a bard I was playing with while I was playing as a bounty hunter. He would act the part of the aloof noble and I would be the bodyguard, which meant he could talk me though any checkpoint with all my weapons in toe. and typically get any target we are after into a room where it would be just us and maybe a few guards. One alone, he would sick me on them and in no time flat the world was down one (potential) criminal and up one paycheck for us.
What I do when I make quieter characters is that I'm often passing notes to the dm about my character wandering off to do something nearby. Picking things up and messing around and poking at things while everyone's debating and talking and blahblahblah.
You don't even have to do something like that. Give the character a hobby. Make them a smoker with a pipe, or maybe they carve wood in their spare time and you're slowly whittling a block into something, maybe they've got some string and are playing cat's cradle or are writing in a journal or something.
You can have them show a lot of personality. Imagine a person who after every fight, spelunk or whatever fastidiously cleans themselves with an expression of unhappiness on their face. They don't like getting dirty but it's part of the job. Right there there's a huge amount to read into it. If you want it to be practical give the character a small club that they go around and whack at the walls with to see if they find a hollow or accidently break through into something. It's a little something that makes a lot of sense and adds a lot of personality. An archer character could be fletching arrows in their spare moments, a devout one could be silently praying for guidance or just comfort, the more meditive and zen ones could literally meditate. Just because you're not center stage does not mean you're not doing something.
This will be useful for a paladín im currently playing, Morgan Beltri.
He is the "responsible" character in a somewhat chaotic group.
When the room is made a mess after a dispute between the group, he is the one who cleans it.
If the rest come back from the bar with a hangover, he is the one who prepares them breakfast.
Honestly this Video is great. In my own experience right now playing a stoic character, it is great when you show feelings like when we lost our ranger I made my character bash in the head of the Dragon we slew. Also opening Up to others is also a great opportunity since Most don't expect such Things from the silent Type and are in my opinion a very cool way to Show maybe the direness of a situation.
Emotions are great. Emotions from a character who usually does not show them is powerful
Silent stoic type but turns out they just didn't understand common and decided to follow the group because you all got attacked together or defended something together
So something I will say is that playing a strong silent type character, but giving them strong morals/beliefs/honor code will give you a reason TO speak up on occasion. It will make your character memorable, as anything you do say will give details about WHO your character is.
I like to make my silent characters very physically expressive. I always try to punctuate social interactions with at least a nod, a sigh or a scratch to the back of the neck. That way, I can convey that the character is listening and even leave openings for other characters to respond to these actions
I love this series because you are practically giving advice for just about any time of character playing/creation. That includes character creation for theatrical or cinematic productions as well.
I tried a couple of times
First time I was 13/14 in a sw roleplay and made an edgy op Sith grandmaster
It was cool ‘til another player decided they were their nephew which I said “ok” but later regretted it and we then retconned it
This actually worked differently than I thought, since he became an ever present figure and his interests were to expand his empire he became very diplomatic but between the yet unrevealed face, the impassibility in front of anything including when he tortures someone and stuff like this he became one of the most memorable characters of the roleplay, my most used and favorite but far more of a diplomat than I anticipated
The second and third time were indeed in dnd, the first was a hollow Dragonborn fiend warlock who I wanted to play a bit aggressive and kinda ordering people around in a batman-esque fashion
He became group leader and his high charisma didn’t help
Third time it was a hobgoblin artificer who I still love but because of an npc who is trapped in a hammer that the guy always keeps on him and a sorcerer who acts like a bard he is always bantering with someone
In short, IDK if I can play a stoic character, especially online, unless I am the dm
Stoics talk when it's important.
When quiet people talk, they have something important to say so when they speak people need to listen.
Recent took up playing a rather stoic type of character for my roleplay/storytelling heavy campaign. I will admit this is definitely my favorite of my characters to play. As much as I love all the characters I’ve made and all the campaigns I have played each in, my favorite really is my more recent (relatively, it’s dnd lol) stoic type of character. I will say they can have their quiet moments, moments where they largely are about being observant and trying to piece together who the people in their party are. And this is actually something they are really good at. Why? Well, one of the flip sides of this character is that they are also a scholar of linguistics, as in, languages. They do a lot of traveling for that reason and a lot of social interaction also. They are largely friendly and polite to everyone. They are also quite strong and tall (6’4” because I found it funny at the time to tower over the humans in the party, I play a wood elf). So they cut an imposing figure on a regular day. One of the funny things is that my character isn’t even the only stoic type of character. Our monk, artificer, and ranger all are too. Leaving the wizard and cleric being the more sociable ones. So mine kinda flips between both sides but it naturally more stoic, but can and does speak up as they see a need (they are the party face actually, with the skills and proficiencies to make that work). All of us are different flavors of stoic, without anyone being the “lone wolf” trope. The closest that comes to that is the monk but that is because he rolled up one of the most tragic of backstories (we used a table for some backstory elements to better integrate backstories into the setting). So yeah, he has the most edgy of strong stoic types. His is more the angry and bitter one. The ranger is more the shy, stealthy, nature focused guy. The artificer is stoic in the same way you expect maybe mr.freeze is as he is the inventor type and really focused on his work. In other words, he is the stoic who genuinely doesn’t give a care about all your problems (except for his party members and that’s a grudging affection that leads to a lot of sighing). And myself, which is the observant, insightful, sort of stoic type, the type your see maybe making their rounds as a courtier and slips in and out of groups but has a quiet type of charisma (though dm and I discussed some of this and we still conclude that this stoicism kind of also ruffles feathers from those who think my character is “stoic, stupidly righteous, and pretentious”).
But yeah, most of the party is some flavor of stoic so I think that lends itself well to everyone leaving room for each other at the table to play that out and get their say and their rp moments. In fact, the party has a lot of one on one talks with each other that we all flow between with increasing ease as we play longer. What’s nice is that we all play well and have a good feel for that found family vibe we wanted out of this.
But yeah, I love playing this character. I hope I articulated this all well. Not in my best headspace when typing this. Basically I wanted to convey that, with the right party, this trope can be super fun to play and you don’t need to just use it for combat. I play very much into my character being stoic. I think the fun part one can add to these types, is to give them something they get excitable about so the party can see that flip. Like my character for languages (if anyone knows a language my character doesn’t know, they will ask to be taught it), or papers in a treasure room (we once did this with a dragon hoard who had a ton of old books and maps), writing poetry (my character’s hobby), and combat training (my character IS still a fighter, even if they are also quite the scholar, so yes, they enjoy sparring). It’s been quite fun.
Literally when I was wondering how would someone play this role. You somehow heard and I found this video. Keep up the great work. Though I do have a question. How would I play a character that isn't really knowledgeable or confident in their abilities?
It's not about me being shy or anxious or being inexperienced
I just really like to play the stoic type with occasional dry humor
It's a fun balance and contrast to my typical party of whackos
And while I do interact sometimes I just run out of ideas for what to do, how to pitch in some more
I really like this series. I would like if you would make a video,
where you talk about play characters with amnesia.
In a campaign i play a character who has nod amnesia but was brainwashed his hole live and has many implanted artificial memories which he all lost when he snaps out of the brainwashing.
Now he tries to find out how he is and this cause to some problems with the other characters
and some small issues with the other players ad my table.
Amnesia is one that's been asked for a few different times! I think I can work on it!
i just realized im playing oneof these characters as of last tuesday and im watching this today? This is very useful for next tuesday
I have now everything it takes to play Link in a D&D game. Perfect. Jk i'm not gonna do it but that is a nice archetype to know how to play!
Btw I donn't think i've mentionned it before but I love the music you use. Speaking of music is your second channel going to have new playlists?
Soon, yes! It can sometimes take a little time to compile one I feel like I want to use in my games, but there should be more soon!
Great! Can't wait to see what you'll have in store for us then, the mysterious cave one was one of my favorite music playlists, period!
‘Speaking in character’ is only like 10% of what Roleplay is. Just describing your actions in third person is just as valid as ‘speaking in character’.
Needed this video badly, thank you.
was the beautiful bastards a phillip defranco reference? love your videos as always
I usually have the opposite problem. I like to speak a lot and say little. Always be in the spotlight and such. So I'm trying to play a stoic character at my next table because I see this as a weakness in my play. When I was younger, I definately was the "protagonist" type player. While I tried to include other's stories, I usually find myself as party leader or voice, despite maybe not playing a character that works for that.
So this is why I want to try and make a stoic/brooding type for my next game, focusing on describing what I am doing and trying to accomplish rather than speaking in character.
In a similar vein I'd love to know your thoughts on how to play just a silent type of character. Kind of like a bookish character that is lost in their own thoughts a lot.
Late to the party, but one of my current characters is a stoic/ doesn't talk. But not because they're the "strong, silent type" but because they severe anxiety and PTSD to the point they can't talk to other people (or at least have an extremely hard time doing so.). Instead, they talk to the party through their drake companion.
In character, there was discourse over my character not communicating very well. So, they carved little figurines and laced them around some string to create pendants for the other players. Now they talk to the other party members by talking to the pendants, having the characters choose names for them and everything. Waiting to see how it pans out on the next few sessions.
taking TFP Soundwave for inspiration for my future warforged character
The thing that comes to mind for me is not taking them too seriously.
Ie. Let their silence and seriousness be a source of humor.
Just look at Doros from the unexpectables.
This video makes me want to play Ferb
As a guy who has a Minotaur Ranger, Gloomstalker, Mercenary, with a Charisma of 8, this is going to help a tonne.
The guy doesn't say much, letting his actions speak for himself.
I feel like there wasn't hardly any advice in this video. Almost half the video was talking about why someone would want to play a stoic character, and then it moved to just saying why it has impact when a stoic type finally speaks up, and at the very end there was sort of a useful tidbit before it ended pretty abruptly.
Some advice I think should have been in the video is that you can narrate facial expressions, body language, and just what your character is doing while others are talking. That way you're not sitting there practically invisible in the scene. Part of why the stoic type is easier to pull off in movies and shows is because it's all completely visual, so you still feel the presence of the stoic character. In a TTRPG, a silent character may have almost no presence if the player never talks about how their character is filling space in the scene.
The way I kinda see this playing out is like old kratos. He speaks very few words, sometimes just "Yes", "No". Quick, straightforward answers. No unnecessary details about "how you looked into the eyes of the dreaded Medusa and used the reflections of your blade to pinpoint her location and eloquently rid her neck of her foul head", you just say "I looked away, and cut off her head." You are a man of few words, but because you don't bother with these unnecessary details and pointless words, every word you have has meaning.
So I played a multilingual mute that used minor illusion to talk (essentially subtitles). So I could play as a mute character but having in character reason why people could understand me.
He had a very calm temperament which most people took as stoicism.
3:50 turns out Ferb was Brennan Lee Mullingan all along
Could you do the "Symbol of Hope" character. Basically the hero who is loud and proud. All might,superman type.
I’m completely new to DnD and I’m playing in a small group of 4 players of which are good friends and I want to play a silent, strong, stoic Minotaur but is a barbarian and can fall into fits of rage being a barbarian.
Any tips on how I should go about this best?
I'm currently playing a "warforged" artificer armorer who is the stoic type. He *does* a lot of cool stuff but when he speaks...
I think I'm in a minority in that, for me, the strong and silent archetype *isn't* my comfort zone.
My group has already finished two campaigns over the course of 6 years. In the first campaign I was the party leader and usually made all the decisions. In the second campaign, I was the face and had to play the emotional, and sometimes rational, core of the party.
In our current campaign, I wanted to change it up. I'm playing a Tortle Barbarian who barely speaks at all. When he does, it's broken sentences. As such, it's hard for him to put complete thoughts out there, and he isn't one to speak his mind.
But I've run into the issue of me, as a player, wanting to offer advice or help make a decision or strategize, but my character just isn't the type to do any of that. So it's actually more difficult for me.
I hate voice roleplay because of the natural implication of voicing my character. Maybe I might try to play a mute character, if I ever play such a game though.
Ever played metro? Artyom has more personality than most of the SW sequel characters. Not to say they have none, but Artyom has it all
This archetype is very commonly called "the edgy rouge" at least if the character looks like Aragorn.
I just finished the Halo infinite campaign, and the way Fernando Esparza (Echo-216) and the weapon bounce of Master Chief is a really good example of this.
ua-cam.com/video/GrGRV0RAYwQ/v-deo.html
Oh man, wish I had gotten to that part before recording this!
breaking news: archetypes are not limited to their worst interpretation
Easiest way to do this is to play the straight man.