Roleplaying - What Goes Unsaid
This is the DM version of the article with the same name under Player Guides.Player: Ludger growls the soldiers that surround him, staring them each in the eye as he holds he flourishes his blade and clashes it against his shield, daring them to take another step closer.
DM: The soldiers continue to wait for Ludger to attack first.
Well that doesn't make for very compelling response, does it? Not exactly what you would call interesting storytelling, is it?
Let's try that again:
DM: The soldiers hesitate, exchanging nervous glances. Sweat glistens on their brow, and they heft their shields warily as they shift nervously in place.
Ah, now that's better, isn't it? Those are some interesting NPCs. Roleplaying isn't just about what characters say or how they say it -- it's also about what goes unsaid. Mannerisms bring life to your NPCs by painting a picture of them in action (or even in inaction.)
There's a classic scene in the movie The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, where three gunslingers have a showdown (you can watch it here on Youtube). In essence, the scene consists of five minutes where virtually nothing happens.
Described plainly, the three gunslingers stare each other down for a
while, until someone finally pulls the trigger. Yet those five minutes
of nothingness are charged with tension, energy, and excitement. Why?
Sure, the music helps. But the focus is on the mannerisms of the
characters: their facial expressions, their demeanor, even their
personalities can be inferred from nothing but the most discrete of
mannerisms.
As you watch that scene, imagine that you are describing it to your players. Fforce yourself to describe the gunslingers' actions or inactions. If someone is doing nothing but standing, inactive, how does he stand? Does he stand heroically, grim-faced, motionless, like a granite statue?
Take-home message: roleplaying your NPC's mannerisms can be even more powerful than roleplaying dialogue, and is more likely to leave a lasting impression on your players because it paints a visual image in the mind's eye.