Kismet's Guide to Character Voices in Tabletop Games
"Dawn Evangel" by Dopaprime (original) is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Playing with Your Voice
An Example
When I made Kano Valgon as an NPC for our evil campaign, I wanted him to stand out from the rest of his family. As the cousin of our first batch of PCs, he was raised in the family estate, so he's enjoyed more luxury than most Thayans. But Kano wasn't born in line for any title and isn't the brightest tool in the shed, so less has been expected of him. This means he's enjoyed more fun and freedom than many Thayan nobles, and his affable temperament has survived.
I chose his vocal traits with all of this in mind, and the players got a kick out of him. If I'd had this sheet to fill out back then, I would have done so like this:
Kano Valgon's Voice |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
Speed |
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Slowest |
Slower |
Average |
Faster |
Fastest |
X |
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Notes: He's usually Just a little slower. When interacting with authority figures who aren't his mother, he speeds up to average. |
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| foot1 | foot2 | foot3 | foot4 | cell4_1 |
Advanced Elements
Words
A number of articles suggest coming up with a catch phrase for a TTRPG character, and it isn't a bad idea. Knowing some words or phrases your character commonly uses can be helpful, especially for games that only last a few sessions. But on a longer timeline, repeating the same phrases can become dull and irritating, if not to you then to others. That's why I suggest you consider a character's vocabulary and the complexity of their sentences before long.
Words that refer to pace include: brisk, fast, leisurely, lilting, monotone, musical, rapid, singsong, slow, and stammering.
Words that refer to volume include: deafening, faint, hushed, loud, lowered, roaring, soft, quiet, and raised.
Words that refer to pitch include: breaking, deep, high, low, piercing, squeaky, and tremulous.
Words that reflect resonance include: faint, full, hollow, muted, penetrating, resonant, rich, ringing, resounding, strong, thin, vibrant, and weak.
Words that relate to tone include: brittle, clear, coarse, croaky, gravelly, growly, guttural, hoarse, mellow, purring, raspy, rough, scratchy, and smooth.
Words that refer to the weight of voices include: airy, breathy, feathery, soft, thin, and weak.
Sentences
Does your character tend to speak in simple sentences? Perhaps they usually rely on slightly longer statements, with brief clauses for extra information. Or do lengthy, complicated sentences unspool from their mouths - seemingly without much forethought - to the point that listeners must pay close attention or lose much of the meaning, and some of the emotional content, of any given thing they say?
While characters can (and will) vary the complexity and length of their sentences, they can be distinguished by the types they usually use. And you can train yourself to speak in such a way, even if it's different from your norm. One way you can do this is to listen to speakers who model that kind of language. Watch a television show, listen to a podcast, or talk with a friend and listen. Another fine method is to read characters or works written in a similar fashion. With time, you'll start to absorb that flow and become able to reproduce it.
Vocabulary
The words we use can make us stand out. Whether common, rare, or archaic, characters will favor terms they understand and are comfortable with. Many experiences lead us to learn and use certain terms, not just formal education. We also adjust how we speak when acting in different roles, joining particular groups, or visiting special locations.
It doesn't have to be difficult to find terms your character uses more than you do. Have a gander at their character sheet and brainstorm words related to their skills and profession. Consider their cultural background and where they live. Start with a handful of words, and see if you can slip them into your performance. If you like the results and want to take it further, you can add more.
If you're portraying a character with a much more advanced vocabulary than yours, start reading now. Find materials that sound like they do and devour them. Look up words you don't understand as you go, and add ones you like to the list for your character. Then type some original sentences with them in a word processing app and use its grammar checker to see if you used it correctly. That way, you have better chances of using it well come game time.
