Unique D&D Tips to Make Your Character a Hollywood Star
Giving your D&D character a voice can be challenging but these tips let your PC shine like a Hollywood Star! After countless hours studying races, classes, spells and equipment it would be easy to assume you’re ready to battle. Not so fast! All that Player’s Handbook jazz is fine and dandy but it’s only half the battle my friends.
Before you set off to defeat the first band of pesky goblins your character must have a personality! It’s called a ROLE-PLAYING game after all. By channeling Hollywood Stars and following these tips when creating a D&D character, your role-playing game will reach the next level before session one starts!
With the introduction of Critical Role came the assumption that everyone had to be expert voice actors in order to play Dungeons and Dragons. This isn’t true at all though! True; voices, accents, and a little passion add an extra level of enjoyment to your campaign, but it can also be distracting if it isn’t in your party’s wheelhouse.
No worries because there is a solution! When creating your character start by tapping into something familiar by adopting a movie star as your character’s Personality Avatar.
This is a simple role-playing hack because you don’t have to be a master impressionist to pull it off. The trick is to be consistent and true to the swagger and vibe in all your role-playing interactions. Here are a few tips and examples to help mold your D&D character into a shining Hollywood Stars.
D&D Character Tips: The Barbarian
It is easy to pigeonhole the Barbarian class as an illiterate meathead with minimal people skills. It fits the trope. But it doesn’t have to be that simple. As a matter of fact, a Barbarian with personality and wit can lead to many interesting Role Play moments around the table.
Imagine a Barbarian with southern charm and confidence that is as comfortable in a tavern as he is cleaving an orc in half. All you must do is set your personality avatar as Matthew McConaughey from the movie Reign of Fire. McConaughey plays an arrogant dragon hunter in the film and he is an absolute Bad Ass! The added plus is the many classic McConaughey quotes that you can sprinkle in while role playing. Trust me, its never a wrong time to channel Matty Mac!
“That’s what I love about Elves, Man. I get older and they stay the same age, Man. Alright, alright, alright.”
D&D Character Tips: The Monk
The Monk tends to be an underrated class. On paper it reads like a somewhat boring class compared to the other options. They’re just fast and punch things. Wrong! The Monk is like many things in life, they are as good as you make them. There is fun to be had playing as a monk especially if you go out on a limb and stay away from the same tired clichés that plague this class.
To Master Role Playing the Monk Character you can channel Hollywood Star JACK BLACK. Specifically, Jack Black from Nacho Libre. Stretchy pants and all. Add a spice of forbidden love and unorthodox but effective fighting skills to your backstory and your battle rounds will go from generic “pow pow” to “Oh Lord what is he gonna do now!” The Role Play magic that can be unleashed with a character whose heart is his strongest attribute is priceless!
“Why have you given me this desire to wrestle and then made me such a stinky warrior?”
D&D Character Tips: The Warlock
Its easy to fall prey to the same brooding and haunted cookie cutter build when playing a Warlock. The build isn’t exactly known for its rainbows and unicorns. It’s a dark build! But who says you can’t add a little fun and eccentricity to that darkness?
Nothing shouts eccentric louder than Christopher Walken. Prototype your Warlock after Walken from the The Prophesy and BOOM you have one Hell of a creepy, odd, and entertaining character. The best part is that even a terrible Christopher Walken impersonation is still a good Christopher Walken impersonation. Practice your monologues and let the good times roll. Have some fun with it but if some pesky NPC gets a little too close, give them the classic Walken menace!
“I’ve turned rivers into blood, kings into cripples, cities to salt – so I don’t think that I have to explain myself to you.”
D&D Character Tips: The Bard
It can be tricky to effectively play a Bard. On the surface it seems simple, you just flirt with everything that moves and cast viscous mockery at will. But to really bring your bard to life it takes a certain level of confidence and je ne sais quoi. If you’re a bit nervous about grabbing the spotlight, then a cool alternative is to embrace awkward ambivalence.
Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim Versus the World is a perfect example of an outside-the-box Bard. In Scott Pilgrim, Michael Cera plays an unassuming lady’s man, a kick-ass musician and he oozes enough snark to make role-playing a blast for everyone at the table. Cera is borderline adorable throughout the movie until it’s time to fight… that’s when he AND YOU can really rock!
“You cocky cock! You’ll pay for your crimes against humanity!”
D&D Character Tip: The Rogue
Rogues are my all-time favorite class to play in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. The possibilities with Role Play and the number of skills that a rogue can tap into outside of battle really set the stage for countless adventures. The trope is where many people get bogged down though. Sure, Rogues are sneaky, larcenous and tend to lean toward the shady side. But what If your rogue didn’t?
Squeeze into the scruffy yet sophisticated leather jacket and fedora of Harrison Ford from Indiana Jones. Bring a bit of that rugged bravado to any adventure and spice up the rogue role. Ford is the perfect example of a rogue that is gritty and gruff but cleans up nice when it’s time to rub elbows with the royalty.
“We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and “X” never, ever, marks the spot.”
The above 5 Tips to make your D&D Character a Hollywood Star should give you a starting place…
These are just a few examples of Hollywood templates that anyone can lean on to instantly give your character a fleshed-out voice. The cool thing is that the possibilities are limitless. Trust me, your party will get a kick out of it too! So, stop falling into tired tropes and give your PC life with these tips to turn your D&D character into a Hollywood star!
