Microsoft Zone Archive/Asheron's Call Handbook/Role-Playing in Dereth
Related topics: Role-Playing
Original Link (now dead) - http://classic.zone.msn.com/asheronscall/tips/ashetipsrolep.asp
When start a new character, you're completely anonymous, born into a new identity. That face you see in the mirror in the morning isn't what people see in Dereth. You've cast off all the real-world expectations people have of you, and a whole new attitude can go with your new appearance. When you enter Dereth, your world changes. Why shouldn't your role?
Nobody should feel bad about declining to role-play. It's not a requirement. It can, however, be surprisingly fun. Think of it as if it were a costume party. You don't have to wear a costume -- hopefully nobody will put you down for showing up in street clothes -- but you may enjoy the party more, and add to everyone else's fun, if you don that mask and outfit and let yourself be someone else for a little while.
Adopting a Fantasy Role
If you nail down a few simple ideas about your character, you'll have a much easier time presenting him or her in a consistent way. One popular way of approaching any character role is to determine your motivation. What do you want? Do you want friends? Do you want to help people or have them dote on you? Would you rather be admired for your wit, or your bravery?
The computer supplies all the trappings of this heroic fantasy world, but you won't really enter the setting until you assume the role of a native. Fortunately, that's not hard to do. Simply avoiding references to the real world and real-world slang will identify you as a citizen rather than a tourist.
Archaic Speech
You certainly do not have to use unusual speech to role-play effectively. You don't have to say "Hail!" to be a role-player -- just "Hello" can do nicely. ("Yo dudez!" may not paint you as a dedicated role-player.) However, some players find that an archaic speech style adds to the game ambiance. If you'd like to encourage archaic speech in your group, you might want to start by speaking in polite, curt English, and only gradually introduce a few archaic phrases. See which expressions your companions spontaneously pick up and start using, and abandon ones that don't seem popular.
If you're the monarch of an allegiance, you may even want to suggest some speech conventions in your contract, but understand that you'll alienate some players. No matter how willing your vassals are to join you in role-playing, don't be too high-handed about defining the way they should speak. Your group will evolve its own speech conventions, and its members will feel more valued if they can contribute.
A Footnote: Thou, Thee, Thy, and Thine
Those who know how to use these words will be pained if you use them not only constantly but constantly and incorrectly. First, be aware that "thou" and its other forms are second-person familiar -- that is, they're informal, not formal. Saying "thy majesty" to a king is an insult, implying you're buddies; even kings don't address each other this way. It's "your majesty" or it's the gibbet. On the other hand, if you're pretty sure you're not vastly outranked, using "thou" occasionally can be friendly, as it's chummier and less stilted than "you."
As far as the grammar goes, comparing the appearance of "thou" and "you" can be puzzling. You can say, "I gave it to you," but not "I gave it to thou." The correct grammar is "I gave it to thee."
- Subject of the sentence: Thou givest.
- An object in the sentence: I give thee money.
- Possessive: I ate thine apple and thy pear.
Notice that you use "thine" when the thing that's possessed starts with a vowel. You also use "thine" where you'd normally use "yours": "The apple is thine."
Deciding what form of a verb to use with "thou" is a little tricky. With most verbs you merely add "est" or "st" on the end, but "to be" and "to have" are irregular: "thou art" and "thou hast," for example.
You don't have to get it completely right to use the familiar address -- the idea that there's a correct way to speak is itself a fairly modern idea -- but if you don't show at least some awareness of the meaning and forms of your words, people will think you're ignorant, and that can dull the gleam of any heroic persona. Good luck with your alter egos; may they be both fun and enlightening!