How to RP your Aura of Despair 101

[Rainbow Prism]

There is reason why the class was introduced in DM guide. It's prestige class that demands responsibility.

[Larzs]

i take the aura as a personality trait.. you can RP it in various ways... like normal physical ugliness so the enemys is kinda disturbed by your presence, you can also RP being a real "bad guy" intimidating people around you with your unpleasant evil attitude

In no way is it a "personality trait" Haha >.< It is supernatural and something completely unreal, a dread and a malignant haze over you.

I was pretty sure you can willfully suppress the effect but I can't see to find where I read that :/ DM guide just says the same thing as SRD. I know reactivating after dispelling is a free action.

[Rainbow Prism]

I believe that the ability to turn off the aura is server exclusive thing.

Seriously, if you can turn off your hideous chilling aura of terror, what are the guarantees you cannot stop being blackguard?

[Nomster]

When it comes to the Aura, best thing to do is: "See nothing, feel nothing." (See no icon, and pretend in character that your saves have not been lowered.) If you absolutely must role-play some reaction, have your character feel slightly less lucky whenever they around someone with the said aura.

Exactly - just because the player knows that their saving throws are being reduced, the character would not have that OOC information.

Even if a character has the experience to detect an evil aura, they would be unaware of the effect, if any, that it was having, apart from possibly imparting a faint sense of discomfort or uneasiness.

I've seen people roleplay it as and written in their description "an aura of evil". Others go for a more discreet line of, as Baboonicorn said, a sense of discomfort and unease. It doesn't actually cause people to despair - its not a fear aura so therefore it isn't frightful but a -2 to saves. An unnerving presence seems like the right level to RP it as.

Its easy to forget an aura that is always present, don't expect others to react unless you emote something (not everyone reads descriptions and knows what classes you have). Or for that matter, remember that your character has it! Both auras (Despair & Courage) can be used to emphasize something, a point or gesture being made. Tricky part is allowing other players to decide how to act and not control how they should act.

You can guess which is proper and which is not... As bad as these examples are I have seen people make the mistake.
*As he walks through the door, a sense of discomfort suddenly fills the room.*
*As he walks through the door, everyone quietens and look away.*

*As he walks through the door, a sense of tranquility follows him*
*As he walks through the door, everyone feels less afraid*

It doesn't have to be that obvious that the aura comes from a particular character. If a group of people enter the room it may not be clear who emits it.

Shall I add something on my description once I have it (RP guidelines)?

Only if you want people to be constantly aware of it. Like I said above though, do remind others with emotes now and then. A malign aura isn't enough to consent for PvP but you will probably get some attention if you show it off to a high extent.

[Deathgrowl]

The decreased saves debuff looks exactly the same as the on from warpriest. And warpriest can be any alignment, really. Meaning it will be hard to metagame it.

[fashionisdanger]

It is true! You can hotkey the Aura o_o

Wow.

[Larzs]

It is true! You can hotkey the Aura o_o

Wow.

You sure can...I did it a lot when it would get dispelled at the lizards...and that -2 Helped a lot as I stabbed them with Death Attack and they were then just a funny little thing to look at. =P

[Passiflora]

If I remember right though (it's been a while), it comes back with a rest, if you supress it in nwn2.

[Larzs]

If I remember right though (it's been a while), it comes back with a rest, if you supress it in nwn2.

It does come back on rest as well.