I think when you said "stereotypes", what you meant is "tropes". A Scottish-accented dwarf is a trope; a thieving Romani is a stereotype. And the latter is something you really DO want to avoid, consciously and actively. I kind of recoiled a bit when I heard you say that, but stuck it out and realized that wasn't your intention. Nevertheless it's a pretty important distinction. Encouraging players not to be afraid of stereotypes is not the message you want to send.
@@IcarusGamesThanks for considerately accepting the critique! Hopefully you can clarify that in a comment or the description. I should add that I'm fairly certain you're the reason I started using OneNote for my session and campaign planning, so I have a LOT of gratitude to you for introducing me to that absolute lifesaver of a tool. With my ADHD, more complex systems like WorldAnvil etc are way too distracting and busy. OneNote allows me to make my own system from the ground up, and I can't tell you how much that's helped me. So critique aside, thank you.
You said it perfectly, so providing it's OK with you, I will pin the comment so that folks know I didn't just pluck the clarification out of thin air and it came from engaging with you :)
not to be that guy but this is absolutely false. what you have done is actually a perfect example of what a stereotype is. what you have done is stereotyped the concept of stereotypes, because a lot of stereotypes can be harmful, you have generalised and oversimplified the wide concept of stereotypes as being exclusively harmful, and that they should be avoided at all costs. a trope is a reoccurring motif of a specific genre, such as the 'mad scientist' trope of horror or 'once upon a time' as an opening to a fairytale.
I've found the tip of "casting" the NPCs as specific actors very helpful - it's much quicker and easier to note down, and even if your impression isn't accurate, attempting to do the same impression each time will at least make it consistent. Great tips.
The tip about casting your NPCs as other characters/actors is gold, if only to help you imagine the NPC. When I started running Lost Mine of Phandelver, I decided to cast Sildar Hallwinter as Sean Bean (combining LOTR, Sharpe and Game of Thrones performances). I don't consciously try to copy his accent, but just keeping the actor in mind really helps me find the character's voice, in terms of speech patterns and choice of words, that really helps bring the character to life for me. On the other hand, my players have dubbed my scottish accent a "hate crime", so pobody's nerfect.
It's not really a great use of the word, as technically it means similar in structure and/or origin, but when referring to groups of people that there's not much diversity in the group, and because the voice you've associated with a type of character is kind of an in-group thing it might make others who want to join the group feel lost or excluded. I don't really agree with his point, but that seems to be what he was trying to say.
I think when you said "stereotypes", what you meant is "tropes". A Scottish-accented dwarf is a trope; a thieving Romani is a stereotype. And the latter is something you really DO want to avoid, consciously and actively. I kind of recoiled a bit when I heard you say that, but stuck it out and realized that wasn't your intention. Nevertheless it's a pretty important distinction. Encouraging players not to be afraid of stereotypes is not the message you want to send.
That's a great distinction, and a point well made!
@@IcarusGamesThanks for considerately accepting the critique! Hopefully you can clarify that in a comment or the description. I should add that I'm fairly certain you're the reason I started using OneNote for my session and campaign planning, so I have a LOT of gratitude to you for introducing me to that absolute lifesaver of a tool. With my ADHD, more complex systems like WorldAnvil etc are way too distracting and busy. OneNote allows me to make my own system from the ground up, and I can't tell you how much that's helped me. So critique aside, thank you.
You said it perfectly, so providing it's OK with you, I will pin the comment so that folks know I didn't just pluck the clarification out of thin air and it came from engaging with you :)
@@IcarusGames Fine with me!
not to be that guy but this is absolutely false. what you have done is actually a perfect example of what a stereotype is.
what you have done is stereotyped the concept of stereotypes, because a lot of stereotypes can be harmful, you have generalised and oversimplified the wide concept of stereotypes as being exclusively harmful, and that they should be avoided at all costs. a trope is a reoccurring motif of a specific genre, such as the 'mad scientist' trope of horror or 'once upon a time' as an opening to a fairytale.
Finally I won't have to use the same slightly deeper voice for every NPC my players talk to.
Hahahha im not alone!
I've found the tip of "casting" the NPCs as specific actors very helpful - it's much quicker and easier to note down, and even if your impression isn't accurate, attempting to do the same impression each time will at least make it consistent. Great tips.
Exactly! Approaching it like a casting director is a great approach.
A really useful keystone for character voices is a catchphrase.
The tip about casting your NPCs as other characters/actors is gold, if only to help you imagine the NPC. When I started running Lost Mine of Phandelver, I decided to cast Sildar Hallwinter as Sean Bean (combining LOTR, Sharpe and Game of Thrones performances). I don't consciously try to copy his accent, but just keeping the actor in mind really helps me find the character's voice, in terms of speech patterns and choice of words, that really helps bring the character to life for me.
On the other hand, my players have dubbed my scottish accent a "hate crime", so pobody's nerfect.
At least every time you deploy tour "Scottish" accent it will be memorable 🤣
So many great tips! This was a joy to edit thanks to those excellent accents 😂
Excellent is very generous 😂
That last one was hilarious! Deputy Dawg...
I'm about to DM for the first time ever for season 2 of the podcast I'm on and I need this so badly. Thanks for the excellent tips!
Thank you! XD
Nice.
Bruh my small smooth brained doesn't know what homogenised means
It's not really a great use of the word, as technically it means similar in structure and/or origin, but when referring to groups of people that there's not much diversity in the group, and because the voice you've associated with a type of character is kind of an in-group thing it might make others who want to join the group feel lost or excluded. I don't really agree with his point, but that seems to be what he was trying to say.
heil the algorithm
Blessed be!