How to Play the Arrogant Jerk WITHOUT Making Your Party Want to Kill You
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- Опубликовано: 3 дек 2021
- Playing an arrogant character in Dungeons and Dragons can be difficult... but it's not impossible! You just have to work to make yourself useful with your party.
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I have played an arrogant jerk a few times. They frequently get what's coming to them (somewhat with cooperation with the GM, but I strongly recommend dumping charisma just in case) and they are nevertheless 110% committed to the party's cause. Works every time.
MAN this is a point I should have put in the video! Focus and intensity on completing the parties goals, even if it's for a selfish reason, is crucial.
@@PlayYourRole Don't sleep on the charisma dump either. Have low charisma but play the character as though it's high - just be careful to choose the RIGHT people to piss off with your negatively modified rolls :P
This kind of archetype could even work very well with a class based on the Dark Knight from Final Fantasy (there's actually a fan-made companion guide that adds all of the races and Jobs from FF XIV and converts them into a D&D format, Dark Knight included), possibly even as part of their backstory, where they may not be cocky/arrogant by the time the campaign actually *starts* (or they are already in the slow process of "growing out of it"), because they used to be cocky/arrogant in the past, and that had somehow bit them (or perhaps even better for the character's growth, someone they cared deeply about) in the ass, and that leaves them with an immense feeling of guilt, shame, and self-loathing, as well as a drive to be better and ensure that they never make the same kind of mistake again.
Or, simply have them be so arrogant that they think they can beat anyone, so that they eventually challenge, say, the strongest warrior that they can find to a duel, only to just get their ass handed to them on a silver platter. Have them go through something that leaves them humbled, and their ego/confidence completely shattered. And that can also give the party a "hook" where they might find that they actually *miss* the character's old confidence, and that on some level, his/her confidence actually was a driving force for the rest of them to collectively stand strong, because they knew that he/she would be there holding the line. And with the arrogant character now shaken and doubting him/herself, it's the *party* who eventually pulls him/her out of their self-doubt and gives them something different to motivate them: the realization that the party that has relied on them (and that they in turn have on some level always relied on as well) still needs them, and they still need the party, and as long as they have each other, then they can do anything. Use it as a way to simply strengthen the party's bond with each other, instead of as something that might generate friction and conflict.
@@reloadpsi the whole low charisma thing can be okay I guess, but it's not necessary. Vegeta for example oozes charisma. Being charismatic doesn't mean you can't be an arrogant jerk.
Dragonborn paladin who used to be a dragon. The point of him was trying to roleplay the red dragon aspect. But also he knows he is going to need help getting revenge on his dragon brothers that did this to him so he reins it in and wants to make sure the party succeeds.
Also just sacrificed my "humility" for +7 str so uh... yknow...
I mean... +7 strength IS pretty tempting...
Nice video topic. Arrogant characters can work at the table as long as the players play it in a way where they still work well together and have fun with the personality dynamics. I played in a party with a Drow wizard whose “arrogance” came out in role play with his views on slavery/servants, lesser races (the rest of us), and other cultural issues. We, of course, we give the wiz pushback on all of that. But despite the superiority complex, the character’s actions in combat and exploration were always helpful. My character, a half-elf cleric, would encourage the Drow to follow the good elven gods and would also encourage the party to listen to him, because he was the smartest of us and his problem-solving approaches tended to be wise. I enjoyed having the character at the table.
'Arrogant' or 'antagonistic' characters can add some of the MOST rich roleplay to a table! So long as, of course, the rest of the table is in on the narrative that's being crafted
Agree. We had fun with the interactions as the characters poked at each other, but the key was the players weren’t jerks to each other and the characters worked as a team despite the personal “frictions.”
I remember when Team Four Star did and D&D podcast. They had a guest star play an arrogant High Elf wizard, which isn’t uncommon, what was uncommon was that he was an arrogant asshole who also happened to be a literally cursed dirty hobo. He was an extremely talented wizard who pissed off the patron of a Divination God by talking about how worthless Divination was. The God cursed him to be randomly teleported around the world every 12 hours with a magical list of things to find. He’s been I. His “Scavenger Hunt from Hell” for 10 years and has stopped caring, he’s also hilarious and a fan favorite.
I've only played the 'arrogant bastard' type of character once, but my intent was basically to play the prick with a hidden bleeding heart/good intentions
She was a monk/fighter, and out of everyone in the party (we had a party of 8 players -- and most people that my DM would throw at us) was legitimately one of the strongest people in the world (she had high strength, strength that matched even ancient dragons in the body of a little girl.)
She was this harsh and brash character who viewed things in a realistic way and didn't hold back her opinions much. She chafed with quite a few of the party characters until after enough time had passed that they realize that what she did and the advice she gave was actually helpful and that she was truly looking out for the party members, despite her delivery of them being mean.
I remember when one of the player's character was feeling down and feeling inadequate about their ability to contribute to the party, even though they *did* contribute a lot to the encounter they just recently *barely* overcame. My character basically tells them "if you don't think you're good enough to be here, take your ass home and stay home." She wasn't going to coddle and cater to them and try to cheer them up, she needed her party members to be mentally tough if they're going to trust each other's lives with one another to be adventuring out in the frontier. To survive, hesitation would put them and the other's character at much more risk of harm.
This of course did cause a big argument, but once things cooled down and others realized this, it made for such a satisfying moment of new found respect for both our characters, for their character to apologize to mine and for my character to feel pride in them for finding their inner strength.
My first major RP character was an arrogant type. In a party where everyone else was entirely lawful good. I made many newbie mistakes there, but shockingly, it went quite well. One thing I had, was a later joining player using an old character he'd used in a game I had used my same character in, where the game was cancelled after just about 3 sessions. So we altered the events of that failed game into a backstory that our two characters were childhood friends. His character was a huggable muffin, which made them a strange be needed friend to my total asshole. They created a great balance between their extremes. Next up, was my character, who is a pyromancer, getting a crush on another new party member, another pyromancer but that used science. This helped pull down my asshole's magic supremacy attitude and further ground him, and give him reasons to fight with the party, for the party. He had a bond he didn't want to lose, and one he wanted to make, and that was stronger than his assholery. Finally near the end, he bumped into another asshole, an NPC who was very arrogant and was, along with the rest of his team, causing problems. I dont remember the details, but I think these NPCs were tailor made for us. Hard to imagine it was coincidence. Because My guy getting tasksed with talking to the other ass was the real notable moment where I saw how my character had developed. Here he was essentially arguing with himself as he appeard at the start. And the difference was so big. But it also meant he could easily come up with arguments and reasons for why the NPC needed to change his ways, using his own experiences. I remember that moment so damn fondly. It was just such a clever way to show how far we'd come. Even if my guy was STILL an asshole. He at least had learned to give a damn. He'd learned to value his friends...
And so he married Mrs pyro, had a kid, and lived happily ever after. My first completed campaign, and the one that made me truly fall in love with RP. I am so thankful to my DM. I don't think many could have dealt with an arrogant PC played by a newbie. And I'd definitely never reccommend it to a newbie. It's a tough way to play.
I actually considered playing a Vegeta inspired Zealot Barbarian in a future game, them being fueled by zealotry for themselves instead of a deity
That's actually an incredibly fun concept, I support it!
I'm half tempted to try the broly from super as one, problems being the whole thing involving him getting stronger as he fights.
So, my DM likes to give us small boons depending on our chosen god, given that we pray in the morning (which involves a Religion check) or something similar. I'm playing a Monk who doesn't particularly believe that gods are 'Gods', but more of just powerful beings, so instead of praying to some god, or doing some morning ritual, the DM let me rehash it as something along the lines of hyping himself up, just believing in himself (he's an 'arrogant bastard' himself, given that he's the parties DPR character) which was REALLY cool to have for the character, so unless your DM is big on RAW, try to get things like that in for your character if possible.
"I AM THE HYPE!"
@@shadowsnake5133
Super or Z?
My favorite subtype of this archetype is the bored and sarcastic one. If you got the improv skills for it, its fantastic as a way to be arrogant to those they deem inferior to themselves without needing to be a combat heavyweight. Because they also tend to be more understated with that kind of boasting, they're way easier to stomach listening to. One of the characters I've played was a former kings advisor who got ousted and picked up by the party. Having had that position gives him an understandable reason to be pretty uninterested and sharp to plenty of people, especially the nobility, but understated and awkward to the party who were kind enough to pick him back up
Not only that, characters like this tend to be sarcastic and bored because, deep down, they have issues with themselves and project them onto others. Truthfully, I think these characters can be really deep and awesome!
Ah, yes, the bored and sarcastic type... Just great... What are you, a mirror?
I don't believe anyone in a table likes having sarcastic players. Even sarcastic players hate other sarcastic players, unless they have movie star's charisma and wits, ofcourse.
I suppose cynical would be a better description than sarcastic. Either way, It really depends on the frequency and target of that kind of behavior. Same with the other types of arrogant jerks, if what you're doing is constantly berrating and insulting party members or halting progress by doing the same to the wrong npcs, it's going to get terribly annoying without the right nuance.
@@naruconas2334 It's not the rudeness and cursing that bothers me, but getting ridiculed and laughed at by sarcastic player for no reason, but "roleplaying". Sarcasm is not an insult, but a passive aggressive way to tell other players, that their characters suck.
I feel I did an ok job playing an arrogant character. It was an Oath of Glory Paladin Half-Orc who thought he was slotted for greatness because his mother told him he was going to be a strong hero and leader. When half of his tribe was wiped out by a dragon they started doing more outright evil and he stood up to the tribe and was exiled. He believed he could kill that dragon to show them that he should be leader but he was smart enough to know he couldn’t do it alone. Then he found a group of others that he believed could aid in his cause. He was arrogant within the confines that his allies with him were unstoppable, but personally knew he could outperform most others in feats of strength and would occasionally condescend those who he deemed weak leaders. He did in fact kill that dragon (with the help of his allies) by putting it in a headlock and hitting with a dragonbane sword.
My hubby played one very well, He was so full of himself and the dice would only prove him right. But also his character was respectful to the party and others though we would have to keep him in check when he respectfully insulted someone while giving unasked for advice. He played an Echo Knight because he was so full of himself it made another him just to equal the world out.
Currently playing a jerk. Instead of feeling sad for the pixie now in a coma he decided to be blunt and tell the party they shouldnt have gone headfirst to save a giant stone creature who was at the brink of dying. Especially since the pixie was the one to instigate it.
He is an asshole but he brings up good points at times
I'm liking how you're making this series; I always wanted to know how to play difficult characters in a non-difficult way for the other people at the table. Actually, I think a video on roleplaying the personalities of characters in general would serve greatly. My table has been mostly a combat-jumping trip and I think that's because most of us just don't know how to engage and communicate what our characters are like despite wanting too.
Escanor from Seven Deadly Sins is a great example of an arrogant character done right. Sure, he's cocky as all hell, but he still cares about his friends, respects them, and is even willing to sacrifice himself for them.
Also, he has some of the most epic quotes of all time:
"No wonder it hurt, I'd expect nothing less from myself!"
"I have no reason to feel hatred towards those beneath me. All I feel towards them is pity."
"Apologize to me that you were born into my world."
"My attacks have no effect on you? Who decided that? Your darkness swallowed up my sun? Who decided that? I am the one who decides!"
"As a god of demons... how does it feel...? To be looked down on by a human?"
For my friend’s next campaign, I’m looking to make a fallen Aasimar Vengeance Paladin with this archetype in mind. It’s new waters for me but I really am dedicated and find this video helpful.
So glad it helped, I hope it all goes great!
For a masterclass in this archetype, see Brennan Lee Mulligan’s performance as Nikhil in the D&D liveplay Battle for Beyond. You won’t be disappointed.
Duly noted, I've gotta go watch!
For a fantastic example of this, watch Dimension 20. Specifically, Fantasy High.
Lou Wilson's character, Fabian, is cocky AF. He's not necessarily an asshole, not he DOES think that he's hot shit.
Until a certain moment in Fantasy High: Sophomore Year, at least. No spoilers, but you should definitely watch it.
Lou Wilson's Fabian Seacaster from Fantasy High is a perfect example of this
MAN I really need to get around to watching that series!
@@PlayYourRole Fantasy high was the first dnd show I ever watched after getting into dnd early this year, I’ve watched a few others since then but it’s still by far my favorite. The group dynamic in combination with Brennan’s DMing and the character development that occurs over the course of the show makes it nothing short of a masterpiece in my opinion.
@@PlayYourRole I would have watched the whole thing in a day if I didnt have to pay for that damned Dropout subscription fee! Oh well. Love the channel man, we will get you that 15k!!
Man, congrats on not getting dislikes in a little while! You’re killing it friend!
Yeah, basically I've won youtube. No big deal
Honestly, I think the most fun part about playing the asshole is backing it up and then getting hard humbled. D&D doesn't have the best systems to back it up when compared to Fate or PbtA, but it can still happen if worked out with others. Acknowledging another's strength or being challenged is fun as hell. Especially if there is another PC or nemesis that is straight up stronger or has a history of winning more.
Also, golden rule for playing anything problematic or unaligned character type, work things out with others of how this contributes to an engaging group and how to move forward.
And the silver rule, exceptions and grey areas are really fun. A character that is shy except when interacting with children, a powerful asshole with a soft spot toward caretakers, a local gentle sweetheart who will throw hands against fascists, etc.
Agreed, especially on that last part. Have an Uber powerful character, but doesn't want to use their power, because they're scared of the damage it could cause, and then they see someone killing innocent people, and they just go off on them.
@@xellanchaos5386 Primary issue is that D&D isn't the best system for a lot of these concepts of a badass with emotional issues to work through or grow through since relative balance and matching levels tends to be a thing, but if playing PbtA, Fate, or more narrative focused systems, playing the premise is sooooooo damn fun.
@@BestgirlJordanfish
PTU V1.05 is honestly a pretty good to use too.
The Vegeta reference is in full effect when he and Trunks get buff as shit to face Perfect Cell, but then they can’t even get a hand on them cause they weren’t fast enough. Arrogant training strategy almost cost the world… lucky Gohan’s daddy trained him right!
The father/son Kamehameha is one of my favorite moments in media ever
Trunks was the only one to go full on roid mode, Vegeta knew the limitations and stopped short. I mean, he was still pretty yoked, but he didn't go over the top like Trunks did lol.
The big Vegeta drawback, was that he WAS kicking ass, then let Cell power up to have more fun, only to get exhausted with his Final Attack, which almost worked.
My next character that I'm going to play is going to be a Cocky, Boastful, Arrogant character.
He's going to be a Ranger/Hunter.
I'm taking HEAVY inspiration from Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.
His goals are to become the best hunter that has ever been alive, and to gain lots of glory, for more popularity. (As he's already VERY popular from his home town.)
The character arc I want to throw him through, is that while Glory, and popularity is great, he should appreciate the smaller things, such as his friends, and loved ones.
Also, I want him to figure out that, instead of using his strength for popularity, he should learn to be humble, and help others with his strength.
And...that's the character I'm playing in the next campaign I'm gonna play in!
Never heard of you until now. Not even a minute in and you posted a TFS clip as part of your examples.
Instant Subscribe. I am now a fan.
Very nice! A simple solution to what happened like a really bad idea for any character in a coop game, Love it! Have a nice day Jay!
Your videos are great and these are very helpful guides and give me great ideas for characters in the future and ones I want to play. Keep it up man your video quality has really improved and it's awesome to see.
Comments like these are what keep me going. Thank you so much!
Oh, man, this was a great video. Reminds me of how I have this Kenku who is convinced that he's surrounded by incompetent people and rarely, if ever, relies on their help. It doesn't help that he is also a giant king that was transformed but several times he's been shown up in combat and had to rely on others more and more. That game is still happening but the archetype is actually really fun and it can even be for the other players. There are few things better than constantly showing someone who thinks they're right that they're really wrong and helping them to see that.
You had me sold when you quoted Team Four Star 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you so much. I had to crank the audio in my car to hear your videos before
I love this series! It gives me a lot of character inspiration. I personally want to see how to play a Leader archetype, since my character in one campaign has been thrust into that role. I don't know how hard that would be though,
One supporting point for playing an arrogant character is that any level 1 character is better than a commoner. They are a step above. And while they still might think they are "all that", the other party members are the only ones who might be able to keep up. Or not hold them back.
I once played with a wizard whose entire character was "I'm an arrogant narcissist who talks down to everyone around me" with none of the interesting aspects you talked about. Wish they had seen a video like this before I had to be subjected to that!
Love the new camera quality!
Ah, this was up in my feed and it fits. I played a Kobold Fighter who was "DA GRANDEST PATRIARCH OF DA BESTEST CLAN!" along with two other kobold players being his hype squad. Fearless, boastful, three feet tall, taunting and hurling insults at things that would likely (and on some occasions have) beat him to a pulp. It created an interesting dynamic while the trio worked alongside others on the road to rebuild out from exile to make their own clan with blackjacks and hooks in the search for the power of True Polymorph to make their glorious leader into a true dragon..
Sure, he could hit things and a kobold in armor and a shield dodge-wiggling in front of people before Sentinel jabbing them with a rapier when they tried to ignore him was effective, he was only an anchor through his personality since his 'underlings' were a warlock and sorcerer who had significant amount of power of their own. Though unmistakably Lawful Evil in most cases, his ego pretty much required him to put himself into harms way more than most which involved being ambushed by a Starspawn Mangler, running up and taunting a horde of Drider archers, being chewed on by an extra-large Grick but being constantly dying/stabilized by his amulet, being petrified by a Medusa in a somewhat heroic charging pose, and being one of the last standing in a brawl against an Ulitharid (somehow) so a lot of the time was him doing a lot of big talk, then throughout the adventures having to back himself up with the rest of his diminutive clan to the ones who were skeptical about the loud, little lizards.
I remember back when I played D&D3.5 during a campaign set in Mysteria one of the players played a arrogant jerk basically a Path of the Beast Totem Barbarian but did it to where he was the counterpart to my character a female Lupin Ranger and well it led to some humorous banter based around the fact he wanted to take on enemies without a plan by himself because he believed he was unstoppable and my character due to her Lupin nature actually preferred having some sort of a plan and fighting as a team or as she put it a pack, and when her and the others had to save him he would say something like "I was fine I was totally handling this guy on my own." and my character responding with "Yeah sure you were, and you're welcome by the way."
This is a nice video for me because my first ever D&D character was an arrogant bastard. Luckily though, I had the foresight to make him a bit older and already have a family and stuff like that in order to get him to mellow out a bit but I had a lot of fun with that character! And watching this video just makes me want to play that character again someday, but try something a bit new.
Wow so this is really awesome and informative, but can I give you a suggestion for your next video?
Can you teach us how to play… a leader? Someone who gives the orders and leads their team as well as inspire them? Many players on DND, including myself, are oftentimes shy but still wish to play such great roles.
I recommended this in a prior video, and it can be confused for potentially a few other archetypes, the "Coward" archetype. Now, I haven't played with anyone playing a Coward type character, but I have talked with some people who did play a Coward type character and they have mentioned how other players find this sort of cowardly character annoying, I was even told about one case someone left the game because of the fact the person I was talking to about this had been playing a Coward type character. So, Cowardly characters have the ability to get on the nerves of other people at the table really fast, and I think talking about how to play that sort of character at the table without potentially irking players at the table would be a good time investment. Although, I think a good way to do that would probably just tell everyone at the table what sort of character archetype you are playing so they can adjust their expectations and responses accordingly, and I think that's something you need to do with almost every annoying character archetype anyway, and this series about doing a bit more than that.
A friend of mine recently wanted to do a homebrew campaign based on anime, using anime characters. I chose Vegeta as my character 😎. He based his character mainly on a monk type, who dont get ki until level 2. I chose to lean into this, and have been roleplaying him as though he suddenly finds himself unable to fly, or use ki blasts, and is so much slower than normal. I am using that as a way of humbling him, so he has to rely on the help of others. For some reason, Vegeta is the only one so far who has recognized he is weaker than normal (the group doesn't really roleplay much).
Damn, I did something pretty similar to this. We even had Qrow Branwen in the party.
I would love to play a Vegeta type, for the sole purpose of getting the absolute shit beat out of me in a game. I wanna be so close to death you start digging the hole.
Make me pay for my arrogance.
And then come back even stronger for it.
I love that the first clip you showed was from TFS lol.
My very first character was an arrogant jerk. I basically based him off of Gaston, he always introduced the party as his sidekicks. Eventually, after dying and coming back he realized that he's not hot shit and when his father came to try and convince him to come back home to inherit the family fortune he refused and decided to help fight off the demon invasion. It was a very big moment for him because that was all he wanted at first, his whole reason for becoming an adventurer was to prove to his family that he was responsible and deserved to inherit the land and money his family owned.
I think that was what has kept me coming back to dnd, seeing my first character go through his arc and ultimately develop as a person.
Grog Strongjaw (Goliath Barbarian) v Vax'uldan (Half-Elf Rogue), Critical Role, campaign one
Grog believed that he was in a competition with Vax, and was constantly trying to antagonize Vax. Vax just thought it was a friendly pranks and banter. It wasn't until the end of the campaign, during a wrap-up session that Grog's player, Travis Willingham, admitted how his character felt and Vax's player, Liam O'Brien, was shocked by the realization that he could have played their relationship totally differently.
Love this archetype, if done right it has a lot of depth, for long term play I'd argue that if you do it wrong and fail at everything but one thing that the party needs... Then as long as you as a player have a good sense of humor then you transcend the arrogant bastard and become the under dog hero everyone loves.
I LOVE playing evil or jerk type characters. One of my favorite characters I've ever played (and I've played them a few times) was a LE Devil, a Sorcerer-Paladin (going for a hell knight), Almost every single time, he would realize that with his party he could accomplish his goals far easier and quicker, than he could alone, and for whatever reason, not by planning, but there was always an angelic PC in the party who ended up being his foil (and lover in one case)
I'd strongly suggest anyone into this to also try watching Trope Talk's episode on 'The Lancer' for an examination of this archetype all the more; it fits not just due to some of the examples you give being one in their own narrative, but due to this archetype ALSO being a lancer just because...in D&D? The story isn't about just your character. It's about the story you made together with others itself. The foil/personal investment advice here is good advice for playing Evil aligned characters as well, where it's important as a player to ask yourself why your character values/cherishes the other player's characters.
I hope you do a video on Suicidal characters. They’re my favorites to play, for the simple reason that I once played a Warrior whom much like Darkness from Konosuba, their every action was an attempt at being self defeating but ends up being incredibly helpful in the process.
Basically my rolls were inversed. I was constantly aiming for low roles to ensure my attempted action would fail and succeed in doing something epic or heroic for the party.
For example:
My character quiet literally throw themselves into a death trap filled hallway of death. Fully intending to get an Indiana jones style execution. Rolled a critics failure and instead stumbled my way to the complete otherwise of the gauntlet completely unharmed, from which my character stood up sighed in disappointment and deactivated the traps for the rest of the party.
Through Z and Super Vegeta has definitely swung more and more from arrogant to cocky or proud. Even acknowledging his flaw as a weakness but also strength when focused on a good cause. He is also less onenote than casual fans realized. The android and cell saga have become the widespread version of how people see Vegeta.
My character is cocky, but also incredibly kind and caring. She believes that those blessed with magic are fundamentally more capable in every way, and as such, it is her duty to be a servant to those that are weaker then her, and that that is the responsibility of all casters
The first 1.5 minutes explains PERFECTLY the difference between Vegeta and Draco fucking Malfoy!
Oh man, that audio quality boost thank the gods
Arrogant just means you act as if you're better than everything else.
Did this in a oneshot yesterday, my characyer cared about the party and would give his life to protect them, even though hslf the time they were in danger because of him.
He also trusted that they coyld handle themselves, so as one of them handled a lamp true polymorphed into a bear, he followed the orc that had set it loose.
He also openly talked about "adopting" the orc ehen it first appeared, and was going to myrder it in the middle of town.
That was quite shallow, both Vegeta and Bakugo are the embodiment of pride they are good and what they do and have pride of it, but only start as a frog in a well, they soon realize that there is someone stronger, more capable, and that hurts their pride, 5 stages of grief and so on, but they soon aknowloge that they aren't the strongest anymore and that they have a goal to beat, and that is the new focus of what they are, they'll still bet the strongest aside from the MC, but they'll give their all to beat that obstacle and be at the top once again. Once the Lancer (the traditional name of this archetype) is humbled, he is the most self aware and grounded character of the party, he knows everyone's strengths and weaknesses, often it surprises everyone being a brilliant tactician because of that, it just so happen that there's only one person above him, and when this happens, he will work the hardest to beat that, and being self aware when you work harder than everyone else e is stronger than everyone else, you take your place and embrace the responsability that comes from it.
I enjoyed this video! I played this archetype at a LARP and I agree there's a little bit of power fantasy going on, as a lot of us gamers are socially anxious individuals who would delight in being able to be more confident in ourselves and our abilities.
I think a trap that comes from playing this archetype is people sometimes go into it wanting to *act* the badass but also *be* the badass and basically never get challenged/beaten. But that, as you pointed out, defeats a lot of the point of the character and makes them stagnant, boring, even infuriating. It's actually more fun to watch an arrogant character struggle, to watch them grow, and yes, to watch them fail at times, and so the player themselves needs to have humility and detachment from their character and be willing to roll with the consequences of their character's cockiness (this is true for pretty much all characters but even more so with an arrogant/cocky one).
If I was to add one related item to your points, I think it's also important to try and find the humor in playing the arrogant jerk. The humor could come from them occasionally getting their ass kicked, or it could come from them having a peculiar flaw, or a singular weakness that doesn't make sense to the others (like a fear or something weak/ordinary, or perhaps they struggle to comprehend really basic task) -- but the party will appreciate having something to laugh about as a departure from said character talking mad smack (and then actually backing it up with mad skills).
Well said, I agree! It's important to flaw the arrogant archetype because that is precisely what makes them human. It's also what makes them fun, because there is development in there and the character can grow and learn from it.
I love your channel.
OOOOO man, thanks for this, my mind blow
I had one of those on my campaign, the moment he was becoming tolerable he got himself killed.
But it was very annoying dealing with him sometimes, he threatened even the most innocent people of town "in the name of his goddess".
1 year after his death, the party is still dealing with the consequences.
The best way to play this archetype imo is when the whole party serves as the character's foil. If you have a cohesive party it's totally acceptable to have a Rogue who constantly brags about how skilled and deadly they are, or a Sorcerer who boasts about their mastery of the arcane, or a Barbarian who can never be told that they aren't the strongest. But when these characters are constantly humbled by the skills of the other party it creates a great dynamic amongst them. When you have a Bakkugo or Vegeta surrounded by people who are humble while not necessarily being _better_ than them but still being able to *best* them it ends up forming a lot of their personality imo. And the best part is that this ends up making the character reflect the whole party, as opposed to them just trying to constantly best one other player (who might feel like they're getting unfair attention.)
A fantastic example of this character done right is Dante from Devil may cry 3 an onward. I would love to nail this kind of character down and achieve something similar in d&d
One thing that would make playing the arrogant character work better is have a sort of hidden agreement with the DM that every now and then, they're allowed to rig rolls for or against you so that your character is placed into situations where they ARE as good as they say, or in situations where they're gonna be given a reality check. Because the issue with DnD is that because of how luck of the dice works, that's not always gonna pan out and sometimes a bit of fudge is required.
I played an arrogant jerk for one quest, and I earned a lot of inspiration points for making in-character decisions over making smart decisions, but the rest of my party hated me. Me and the DM actually used this to make me steal the main plot macguffin after beating the final boss and make my character the true final boss, but he didn’t upgrade my stats from normal and I had the worst stats out of the party by far (especially health) so after one of the characters used counter spell against my invincibility, I just died in two hits. That was an interesting time.
I think another fun way to approach this character is to make them believe that they’re superior, but show that they’re not in a very easily definable way.
I play a classic high elf noble knightly character who will subtly put down the poors at every opportunity. What he doesn’t want the party to know is he’s made a horrible mistake in the past, and went pretty much bankrupt as a result. He’s the last living heir to the family’s wealth, and is ashamed that he effectively ended their noble line. So he’ll say that he’s better than you, but very much knows that he isn’t.
My favorite arrogant bastard I've played was Berg, my swashbuckler/samurai with sword and board. Every fight, nearly every attack he would shout, "I'm the greatest swordsman in the world!" The best part is it became a comedic gag with the party and NPCs we've encountered. My inspiration for it was Artie from a old show called, "The adventures of Pete and Pete" and Black Star from Soul Eater.
For the next one, can you do the crazy character, I like role playing characters that are crazy or insane and is like to see your take on it.
Man, knowing these people in real life is rough.
Yeah, funny thing about exaggerated characters: no one wants to be around them if they're real
i am currently playing a dwarven bard that is very much this type. hes an intimidation based bard, not seduction. he really shined in a scene after a fight where he single handedly broke an enemy npc during an interrogation scene. a couple of the players were horrified at my tactics, while the more seasoned players were impressed at the in character antics. the best part about my dwarf is that he is VERY part of the team, his actions are focused on the teams goals, even if it means centering a shatter spell on himself and the thief to kill a grey dwarf or two.
they key i think to this character type is knowing when to be harsh. I have had harsh moments interacting with the thief, but the player and I know one another well enough (especially when we use a different voice to set the characters and ourselves apart when trash talking) that its all only in character. "i just did what my character would do" comes into play, but it really IS a fine line between being that prick of a player and roleplaying a fun, but aggressive character.
I have a friend who is playing an arrogant, but it's the funniest thing. The thing is that it's a Jack of All trades, who doesn't shine in any case (except disabling traps), who has GREAT plans in difficult fights which always work but so badly he dies or almost does. A character proud of being different and being "amazing" in their own way. In the beginning he was like "I'm the absolute best, I'm going to leave a mark in this world" but after a while and the death of their most beloved friend (a feywild creature) to save his live, he changed alignment, is still dumb, but is much more interesting and, somehow, wholesome even if he still brags a fricking lot.
One of my all time favorite characters to play was a human Paladin that believed he was the physical embodiment of the concept of "heroism" but was actually just a massive narcissist. He even changed his name to "Benevolent Glories Incarnate, the Paragon of Heroic Perfection." Though everybody in the party just shortened it to "Ben".
Step 1: dump into charisma
Problem I have is I like the archetype of the lawful good lawbringing paliden and find it so hard to not pk those players especially at early lvls when I can 1 hit them
There is another player whose Drow Bard fits this archetype. The humbling experience is when he said his height was 6' 7" (201 cm), then we pointed out that was way outside the range in the phb. He rolled snake eyes for height, so now he is 4' 9" (145 cm)
I think great examples of this done right are Bertrand Bell from Critical Role and Cam Buckland from high roller
For an analysis of Vegeta specifically, watch the last segment of Super Eyepatch Wolf’s video “The Impact of Dragon Ball Z”.
When I got recommended this, I thought this was gonna be a guide for Base Vegeta in Dragon Ball FighterZ.
That character is really annoying lol.
I think an important thing to remember when roleplaying arrogant characters is that their apparent confidence, whether or not it's earned, is often a bit of a false front. These characters are usually deeply insecure at their core, constantly feeling the need to prove that they're the best because they're afraid that they're worthless otherwise. This is why their personalities are so abrasive - they have very fragile egos that are either provoked at the slightest hint of criticism or protected by walls of disdain and emotional distance. Character development for them often means realizing not just that they aren't and can never be the best at everything, but that that's okay, and the people around them will love them regardless.
So I played a Warlock, Lawful Evil, definition of "Confident Pious Bastard", the problem wasn't with my character I found out and, in spite of the players disagreeing, both DMs actually agreed with:
The party refused to play to their alignments, and basically (with the exception of 2 players out of the 6, one of which I foiled off of somewhat), I had nobody TO Foil off of.
Granted, from this, I switched to a Lawful Neutral style and ended up doing more good for the party and the world as the ONLY EVIL PLAYER than 90% of the party.
Except for the Butler Bard, he was basically 100% pacifist wholesome man, and we love him for it. Played well of his character as a semi-foil.
Thanks
One time i played with someone who was playing an arrogant jerk character, and i did like how they played it honestly, because he was basically confident/arrogant in everyone else's behalf. Which, in a party that contained a character who was way overly strategic, and a character with confidence issues as their main struggle, was nice, y'know, to have a character that'd know when to just dive head on and face trouble
I'm stuck in a party of three with 2 arrogant egotist characters. I find those characters so draining to interact with. It's fun but I just dont fit or bounce off them in fun ways.
Arrogant assholes are also a really fun tool for DMs as well. I like having a vital NPC with a lot of pride and ego that occasionally shows up. Even if they start as the player’s enemy, they eventually begin to begrudgingly acknowledge the party’s strength (if they survive the horde of murder hobos long enough to realize this). I remembered how cathartic Vegeta’s speech about how Goku is truly number one while he’s fighting Buu. That moment was built up so well because of Vegeta’s history of denial. A reoccurring NPC that has that same denial while constantly pursuing the party could be annoying, but it’s worth it to have the catharsis of that character realizing and reaffirming the party’s strength. Picture your party a few days from the fight with the BBEG when Prideful Steve comes out of the woodwork. The party gets ready for a fight but he simply states that the party is better than him, that they are the best, and that they are the only ones who can defeat the BBEG. The party would likely be perplexed, but if you write it correctly, the seeds for this realization should’ve been planted long ago. The party’s victory isn’t defeating a person, but an ego. Through their strength they make this man realize that pride is only a path to shame, and humility is how you truly become stronger. It’s a way to make your party feel good without murder.
Love that the intro is halfway into the video lmao
Not hating, just think it's funny.
if you're taking requests- 👀
I'm planning on playing a character similar to this archetype but not quite, more pretentious rather than arrogant?
the plan is to be kinda like a sheltered rich kid with no common sense, and has plenty of intelligence but no street smarts/experience to back it up, and basically got told to join an adventuring party for the sake of getting life skills (*cough character development cough*)
would said character development be like this in that he needs to get his butt kicked to learn?
I've only seen two of your vids but I'm already enjoying your content!
this video is straight up just character writing advice xD
I want to explore this topic a lot more because I’m trying to write an arrogant protagonist.
Great video as usual! Though uh, as a note it was a bit jarring when the play your role "intro" played 5 minutes into the video rather than at the start.
Yup, you can chalk that up to bad editing. I had intended on cutting out a lot of the beginning and using some more talking points I made at the end, but I just ultimately decided the beginning part played better into the overall structure. I'll make sure to fix it in the future, I appreciate the constructive criticism!
@@PlayYourRole No sweat! Was very delighted to see this video come up since I just recently made this somewhat arrogant Half-Orc Alchemist with protagonist syndrome so this was super relevant.
I am planning on playing an arogant character next. A swashbuckler/hexblade with a goal of becoming the greatest hero that children will sing about in 2000 years.
The kind of character that would say his name multiple times and actively use Cape of Billowing.
And the way I plan it is that he would boast loudly that he is the best and would attack baddies but not because he belives it but because he wants people to believe he is.
The "symbol of hope" kind of a deal.
We will see how it will go, as for now I am a humble and shy cleric of Moradin :P
so, kamina from gurren laggan, but to motivate himself instead of the others?
@@ignacioperez5479 I don't really remember that character. I was thinking more of the Allmight vibe but with less of a "pure hearted indestructible hero".
Oddly enough this gives very strong Bertrand Bell vibes from Critical Role
@@PlayYourRole I know Bell only from C3, so have not seen young Bertrand yet. Add to that Tabaxi with gladiator background who went adventuring after he shockingly discovered that beside the local fans actually nobody knows who he is. Hmm... Yea... Kinda Sir Bertrand Vibe :P
I played the arrogant once. But who could admit his loss as he was a chivalry zealot. Believing himself better than the peasants, but as their protector who must save those same weak defenceless peasants. Though careful and calculating his chances in battle.
He was also a support type of character for the party. Playing a full on aid centered fighter. Stay within 5ft. Of me and ill make sure you wont be hit.
I played an intellectual version of this trope. He was an artificer that KNEW he was the smartest person in the party and wasn’t afraid to show it but, he was always a team player. He followed the team leaders commands and even when he didn’t it was in service to her ultimate goal for a situation. He knew his limitations, he was physically weak and never challenged people stronger than him if he felt there was a chance things could get physical. He was useful and a powerful ally even if interacting with him was annoying for the characters. He was also crazy and self described as crazy so his arrogance seemed like a symptom of it (even though it wasn’t).
Tannis?
Nope, sorry :)
The character’s name is Miglean :)
What song is playing in the back half I know it but I don’t have a name
what about playing one for comedy? like constantly talking about going off on your own but never actually doing it, or talking with the dm so whenever you do storm off, something funny happens to keep you in line like slipping on a banana peel or something.
Gimli with Legolas is my favorite example
TLDR: gotta have a character arc.
Tbh, good advice for most characters you play
I feel like 2 good foils for each other could be the Rogue and the Artificer. The Rogue is known as the swift skill monkey who picks locks and steals loot, usually being decent to good at everything. Then you have the Artificer, the giga-brained gadgeteer with more tools than they know what to do with and a slough of support abilities. With a focus on Intelligence, always being prepared, and Tool Expertise, they can be better looters, planners, and infiltrators than even the Rogue. So when the time comes to heist, scout, and treasure hunt, the Rogue and Artificer begin to unwittingly compete with one another. But over time, they learn from each other and begin to show some humility. Maybe the Rogue picks up guns to use in combat or learns some Artificer tricks themselves. It's very meta, but I find it a novel concept.
Great concepts!! Wished I watched Dragonball z when I was younger 😆
It's a great show when you're younger!... It doesn't super hold up today sadly
@@PlayYourRole Objection:
Vegeta's charecter in dbz is entirely worth it to watch it. I veguely remember watching dbz as 3 year old, but I remember one thing. Buu saga: Vegeta's sacrafice. A 3 year old was so awestruck with how well it was done. That he still remembers it to this day almost 14 years later. Vegeta's charecter arc is in my top 3 of favourite charecter arcs in the entirety of fiction. Also dbz deals with finales really well. Goku vs frieza. Gohan vs Cell. And Goku and Vegeta against buu. Is still in my top a hundred fights in anime. And thats saying something considering the fact I am nearing completing my 478th anime.
I generally love playing the silly idiot who knows more than he lets on. Never really serious but will try to resolve situations kindly, if that does not work let's try smashing.
Heh, heheh “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” *guess what book THATS from. I DARE YOU.*
Sir/madame/whathaveyou I have made whole videos regarding my religious trauma, OF COURSE I know where it's from
@@PlayYourRole I had not previously known this, I hope I did not offend at all, and now feel I should watch those videos you mentioned for complete context.
I'm playing an arrogant jerk Paladin who's a essentially a softie inside. He acts arrogant and serious when in speech, but his gestures towards others and the party are often generous and kind. He also goes into frenzied rages if any of the party hits 0 HP.
Playing a Eladrin that has different personalities for each season:
Spring=excited/curious/talkative/bubbly,
Summer=proud/short tempered/arrogant/extroverted/loud,
Autumn=nurturing/introspective/motivated/reliable/loyal,
Winter=self serving/introverted/polite/pragmatic/logical
She’s basically acting as her own foil!
I remember in a short dnd session I kinda played this type character.
I played a paladin and after working with the DM I was allowed to have him worship himself as a god, he spoke broken celestial and claimed that his parents were gods and was mostly the comic relief of the group
But there was ONE TIME I rolled like, 4 nat 20s in a row in a fight and then got a nat 20 charisma check and managed to -at least for a bit- fool all of them lol.
I've also done this archetype as a sort of joke character. You still have the same issue. You don't want to make your presence annoying by always getting the party into trouble, but essentially playing Gaston from Beauty and the Beast can be pretty hilarious if you know what you're doing. Honestly, you can play any character archetype if you understand how your audience (your party) will see your actions, whether they'll be entertaining, compelling, interesting, or just annoying.
I played a character like this but any time the players weren’t there with me I’d do everything I could to help them.
I'm considering a shy character who doubts their skills, but I'm worried that would be annoying for similar reasons..... any thoughts?
I frequently play these types of characters. I've learned a great way to balance them is either make them dumb or find ways for them to be humbled in the game. If I roll a Nat 1 my character realizes that he's in over his head and makes that clear. Or better yet a character like drax. Very strong and arrogant, and definitely can back up what he says he can do. But he's a freaking idiot.