RP-Critique/Support/Self Monitoring Club

[Charraj]

So truth be told, I don't consider myself the strongest RPer. I think a LOT of players have the ability to become more immersed and detail-oriented than me. You're one of them (so is pretty much everyone else in this thread, lol).

What I am trying to say is, I think you RP Aeili very well. I honestly cannot think of any way you can improve. You play a knowledgeable wizard without coming off as a know-it-all. Aeili's published literature goes a long way towards establishing her knowledge in her specified areas. You are careful to not RP knowledge of other areas (example: you had to travel to find out anything about another school of magic). And Aeili's tolerance for "non-undead" necromancy indeed conveys a Lawful Neutral leaning. Aeili comes off as a pretty complete Mystran priestess to me. Sorry I can't be more helpful. :/

I should be asking you guys how I could improve my RP. But because I am a wimp, I won't. >_>;

. . . Ah, what the heck, I'll ask anyways. I play Charraj and Maria. They're pretty different in terms of personality. Here's what I am trying to convey with both of them:

I think Charraj used to be quite whimsical, but he has made mistakes that have made him much more careful, hesitant, and uptight. Several brushes with death have scared him away from adventuring, as well. However, he is still Chaotic Good on his character sheet, and I try to have that show through somehow, usually in his interactions and conversations with people. When it comes to things unrelated to magic, I think he would still be willing to break the rules. However, his adherence to his interpretation of Mystra's dogma strikes me as Lawful behavior. Not sure how to keep up being Chaotic while following a deity's Mystra's dogma. Advice would be appreciated.

Maria is kind of a typical bodyguard searching for work. She's pretty no-nonsense and business-like. She distrusts magic, but has been working to improve her abilities to cope with magic. My concern with RPing her is that she comes off as pretty bland. But that might just be her personality, something that can't be helped.

If you guys can think of anything else I could work on, please let me know. Again, I know I am not the strongest RPer. Let me have it!

[Nomster]

Darkcloud777 - I think Arakes99 wrote very well. I have always thought the guilds you have been part in leading have been very good for the server, as you welcome a quite random array of characters and players. It also has seemed to me that you are good with getting new players involved.

Aeili - I love your cleric-wizard RP! I always enjoy encountering well played priests. The amount of work you have done for the books related to Mystra... Aeili has been a very important character for my own, in counselling and just being there. I think Aeili is still leaning quite heavily towards "good". I just may not have noticed the neutral things? I like that Aeili has a bit of an emotional side. To me, it seems to fight a bit with her usual composure and that struggle is interesting.

Charraj - I have unfortunately not interacted much with your characters but when it comes to chaotic alignments and following dogmas, there ARE chaotic deities with chaotic followers! Their priests still have to follow the dogmas. So a chaotic character most certainly -can- follow a dogma. A chaotic alignment does not have to mean chaotic in everything. Not sure how you let Charraj's chaotic nature show but it can just be some unpredictability in his actions. My own character is neutral with chaotic tendencies. She strives to follow Mystra's teachings but sometimes her emotions and temper gets the better of her. And sometimes, she just likes to show off with magic...

[MopKnight]

Further to what was said earlier and further to a discussion I had with Sveta

I decided to codify Reine's understanding of what she knows in her biography. I always had it in my head that I was playing a reasonably smart character, but wanted to make it clear what it is she knows and what her reasons for knowing it are. Hopefully this will help people understand why she says some of the things she does.

I also want to play up some of her more blonde moments. Especially seeing as she nearly fell asleep at the meeting last night.

[ladyawesome]

As I said today, I do think that Terri is my favourite enemy. And that we have managed to keep this carried on hate for one another this long amazes me too! But I agree about the weakNess thing, it does employ some humanity about a character.

Aeili, I think she is a very stubborn character, that could be from her history. But I guess vali seen the stubborn side and Tegan saw the friendly side of her. It was always been wonderful and I can't wait to come back I a year and see how much different she will be.

Does anyone want to give me some advice on Vali and or Tegan, I'll stock pile it for my next character haha.

[Tsidkenu]

Thank you for the valuable feedback. It is encouraging to know that one's character is more or less on track as to how I want her portrayed.

Charraj: nothing needs to be said. Charraj is Charraj and that does not need comment, criticism or change! It has been interesting to watch his slowly changing attitude towards magic over the last year or so, but I think you nail CG (with neutral tendencies) with Charraj's drag-his-feet-through-the-mud-before-i-help-you-but-dont-ask-me-to-cast-spells-oh-crap-run-to-Kara-Tur-before-we-all-perish attitude.

I don't know Maria well enough to make any judgement there, and same for Vali and Tegan (I blame time zone differences).

[Killington]

I've met Vali and Tegan a few times, though I don't know Vali that well. Tegan seems like a nice and genuine good person, and I think you player her very well. She's pretty memorable, I remember a few months ago she offered a flower to my dour Doombringer, it was touching.

I've tried to start writing a daily journal entry about what RP Cromis has had, and writing more chapters to his biography to solidify his backstory. Does anyone that's taken the time to read them have criticism to offer?

[Hitman Hard]

Vali is a nice lady.. who has come into contact with rude cheating men. My only criticism of Cromis... from the times I've seen him is action is he scowls too much. It's kind of annoying. I have nothing more.

[Charraj]

Not sure how you let Charraj's chaotic nature show but it can just be some unpredictability in his actions.

I was thinking of this advice when I decided to bring out the Masked Fisherman. Did it work?

[arakes99]

I would actually like a commentary on Arakes now that I have been reading this thread, if anyone would care to give one.

I don't have an official bio written on him but I keep one in my head and he's got years of backstory but I will give a brief overview here. He was born in Athkatla to a poor dock worker who was often involved in less than legal side jobs to put food on the table.

He lived a pretty rough childhood with his brother and provided for himself through bardic talents he developed on his own or picked up from others and through petty crimes. When he was older he began working as a mercenary and had proper military training during this time, though he used his existing bardic talents to make up for the fact that he had not trained long, which made him rather successful at the business.

It was during this time that he came to the Baldur's Gate area getting involved down in Nashkel as a mercenary with pretty loose morals. He's Chaotic Neutral and self serving by nature with a quick temper and in his earlier years on the coast this showed. It wasn't long before he and his brother got himself into trouble because of their shady and violent activities and Arakes ended up leaving the coast in disgrace for many years. During this time he drank himself into oblivion along the edge of the Anauroch desert where his remaining coin would stretch a bit further and where he would run into no one from his past.

During his time in the desert he completely neglected his skills as a bard and lost much of his prior talent, but one day he ended up picking a fight with a bedoiun swordsman, a dervish, who beat him so badly that it caused him to throw his shield to the ground and leave it there and to follow the bedoiun, begging the man to train him in exchange for items and money. Arakes spent years training as a swordsmaster and dervish after this and completely left behind his magical talents in favor of working on his martial skills though he is still a talented performer in his own right. After a few years of training and sobriety he decided to come back to the coast to try and pick up the pieces of the life he had lost. He's older now, 37 and calmer, having lost much of his previous temper. He has also developed a strong sense of regret and morality, though his sense of morality is probably not common in its standards. He does his best to make up for whatever crimes he had commited in the past, although he feels slighted and deeply wronged by the events that led to his exile, he still acknowledges that he has done wrong and must strive to right.

Hopefully this brings some understanding to the character if you have interacted with him. Although I have intentionally left things vague as I don't like to spoil some of his better stories for those of you that might hear them in game.

[kleomenes]

Not sure how you let Charraj's chaotic nature show but it can just be some unpredictability in his actions.

I was thinking of this advice when I decided to bring out the Masked Fisherman. Did it work?

It was hilarious, is what it was

[tongclub62]

Great. This topic is uesful, thank for sharing.

[tongclub62]

why this topic is silent ?

[Nomster]

Because no one has asked for critique etc as of late..?

[Killington]

Because no one has asked for critique etc as of late..?

Can someone criticize Cromis?

He has stopped scowling so much, so I am getting a bit better!

[Hitman Hard]

The problem with critiquing is paradoxical you don't want to come off as as rude (so it's best served cold through PMs). Usually a perfect way for someone to improve is to be as harshly constructive as possible in critiquing without coming off as a confidence killing coach (especially a baseball coach man those are the biggest jerks).