Character mix-n-match

Doc’s Blog … Confessions of a Game Addict: Game Dream 3: Is it Me or is it Memorex?

Some people play RPGs to enjoy a viewpoint or way of acting that they just couldn’t do in real life. Others seem to play characters whose motivations are more their own. And some folks do all of the above and everything in between 🙂 What character of yours was most like you “in real life”? Which of your characters is the least like you? Which did you find more fun to play, and why?

Most Like:
Probably Gwydion, the pushy skald (nee bard/barbarian) turned Agent of the Crown from my stint in Living Greyhawk. Gwydion was loud, boisterous, enthusiastic, and charming (all probably moreso than me, but it was still me coming up with the lines :). Also, Gwydion was a complete geek for tech toys — I’ve got my Palm/Camera/MP3 player, Gwydion had any number of smallish, low-end magical devices that did off-the-wall stuff — my favorite was the silver raven statue that would fly home when I told it to and carry messages (handy for a spy), but there was lots more. Gwydion didn’t have much finesse in the fighting department… check.
And, of course, he wore a kilt.
It’s almost embarrasing how much I was just myself with him.
Most Unlike
Hmm. I GM a lot so (I’d like to think) that I play a lot of guys who aren’t like me all the time. I might say that Japteth-the-asshole-Egyptian-Priest was unlike me, but I think he was just me with all the social filters removed and a bit more arrogance.
Sad to say, but the farthest away from myself I think I’ve played was Bombshell for Dave’s supers game — as much as I was really into the idea of Miss Sarah Parker, grad student and part-time superhero, I just don’t think she clicked for me when trying to play her. She’s way angsty, very conflicted, very ‘follow your instructions’ and ‘by the book’. Not me.
Also, female, which I’ve had to acknowledge I don’t channel very well and always feel like a stereotyping ham when I try.
Runner up for Unlike Me is probably Sscraseetota’bobah (Bob) from the Living Force campaign. Bob speaks Basic only haltingly (which was occaisionally good for a laugh, but that’s about it) and is generally much quieter and introspective than me (another problem — playing someone who can’t talk well who’s actually smart) — the only time I really felt like I could relax playing Bob was during fights, which is probably why he was so good at them.