Bringing event characters into RPGs
If you’re looking to switch up your roleplay, we should all know how beneficial it is going outside of our usual clique and trying to create roleplay with players we haven’t interacted with before. Today, I challenge you to take it a step even farther. Bring in a player to play a supporting character for you.
I’ve done this thrice and each time has been an absolute treat.
I play GTA V on a roleplay server called TheCrewRP. My main character is Veronica Miaoulis, a sassy Greek mechanic with big hoops and even bigger insecurities. I’ve brought on actors to play Veronica’s husband, her ex-boyfriend, and a biker gang member who threatened her love interest Ozzy.
No matter what kind of RPG you’re playing, bringing in an additional actor for special events can be just what your story needs! Let’s explore how this aids you as players and how to undertake such a task.
Benefits
For you:
a. Breaks up your usual circle of roleplay partners by letting you interact with someone new
i. I asked someone I hardly knew to play a character for me. Now we’re really good friends and we talk all the time!
b. Moving your story along
i. You might need to stir things up with your current story. If things are getting monotonous, why not throw a wrench in your routine? Introducing a new character could drastically change something about your character’s life.
ii. Veronica needed characters from her past to appear, so they could affect her future. For example, something needed to happen with her awful husband to make way for a new relationship with Ozzy.
c. Lasting effects on your roleplay
i. Just a few hours of roleplay gave me and my usual partners months more of content through reflection on what had happened.
ii. Bringing in a recurring character allowed for an interesting plot point to occur when there were lulls in our story (like Veronica’s ex-boyfriend showing up to stir up drama when things were too happy for too long with her current boyfriend).
d. Helping you round out your story
i. This new character is going to help you explore your character’s past or provide you with a direction in the future. It’ll shake up your current roleplay and solidify things about your character you may not have known.
For the player you bring in:
a. Taking a break from their main character
b. Exploring a different type of character from what they’re used to
i. A whitehat (lawful)character playing a criminal
ii. A criminal playing a civilian, etc
c. Having the opportunity to play with new people (which is also a benefit for you!)
How to go about it
Choosing your actor
What are you looking for in this new character?
a. Does your server have an event team? Consider contacting them.
i. The Crew RP has a team that specializes in helping you tell your story through events like weddings, rallies, parties, or, in my case, a messy, evil demand for a divorce. An actor was assigned to play Veronica’s husband and he absolutely knocked it out of the park in just a few hours’ roleplay.
b. Consider asking people you haven’t roleplayed with before.
i. Branching out and inviting an unfamiliar face into your roleplay circle could be just what your roleplay needed.
ii. You could make a great new friend out of character too!
iii. A player called Wolf stopped by my stream a few times. I’d met his main character in-game before but we didn’t interact much. Only one day after doing some private messaging, I thought I’d ask Wolf to play Veronica’s ex-boyfriend Loukas. Another home run. He nailed it.
c. Maybe you have a friend who’s the perfect fit!
i. I still recommend you seeking out roleplayers with whom you don’t often interact, but if you know a friend of yours was born to play this character, ask away!
ii. I asked my long-time friend Wade to play a member of a biker gang. I knew he could pull off an aged, threatening voice that would instill fear into Veronica’s love interest Ozzy. Again, a great performance.
Timeline
Is this a one-shot character for a single day or weekend? Do you want this to be a recurring character?
a. One-time characters
i. These characters are designed to fulfill a specific event. Maybe your character’s parent is in town for their wedding. Maybe a sibling comes to visit and scam you with their pyramid scheme before your character kicks them out of your life. Maybe someone comes to challenge your mafia boss character to a duel, loses, and must leave town forever.
ii. Whatever the case, these characters are excellent for revealing a specific part of your character’s past, or helping them build a unique future you couldn’t have shaped without them.
b. Recurring characters
i. These characters are made to show up multiple times. How frequently they appear is up to you.
ii. You might consider having the new character’s first session with you end in a good place just in case the new player doesn’t want to reprise the role.
You know what buttons to press. Have fun with it.
a. You know your usual roleplay partner so well at this point, and now you’re adding in a new character. Test their reactions. Get a rise out of them. You know how to do this best.
i. I brought in a player named Wolf to be Veronica’s ex-boyfriend from high school. I told Wolf to make crude, snarky comments about times he and Veronica were physical. I knew that’d get such a good, visceral reaction out of Ozzy’s actor. Check out this smooth, underhanded genius at work, making snide comments in front of Veronica’s current boyfriend who was driving.
This isn’t your character.
a. Put faith in the actor (or make sure you choose someone you trust) to have your story’s best interest at heart.
i. Just like real life, you can’t predict or control what will happen.
ii. People die, people change, people can be persuaded. You’re in the head space of your character. The other actor is in the head space of theirs. They feel their character and have to make roleplay decisions based on what they feel their character would do. You can’t control every aspect of this script. If you want things to go exactly according to plan, go write a book.
iii. If you have plans for this character in the future, let the actor know.
iv. Initially, these characters were made to give roleplay to my fellow players. However, when the actors went off-script, it created roleplay for me as well. The actor behind Veronica’s husband decided to kill him off!! I was shocked but it ended up giving me months of excellent content to work with.
Be cautious of sensitive subjects.
a. If your story involves serious subjects like abusive relationships, drugs, suicide, self harm, etc, be mindful of other players. Consider keeping this story contained between you and the people immediately involved.
i. Veronica’s backstory involves domestic violence. I was sure that the people involved (including the actor I brought on) were comfortable with this subject, and that we all gave it the respect it demanded.
ii. If someone is uncomfortable with a certain topic, don’t pressure them. Let them walk away. They aren’t obligated to help you tell this serious story in a game.
b. Beware of bleed.
i. If you feel like a scene is too much on your psyche, excuse yourself. Use a code phrase like, “I need some air,” or send a quick message to your roleplay partner that you need to stop.
ii. I’m going to share a previously super secret clip of Veronica’s husband being emotionally abusive. Trigger warning. You can click here to watch it. That’s me crying. It ain’t pretty. But I really got into the moment because of this actor’s incredible portrayal of a monster. V was absolutely wasted and sobbing, and I was crying all over myself behind the mic. The second that call ended, I took a deep breath and had a big smile on my face. What a triumph of acting from everyone involved — just to be a part of something so strong and emotional. So while that was a rewarding experience, some people don’t walk away thankful for it. If you need to stop, it’s okay to excuse yourself.
Don’t plan too much.
a. You don’t need to write everything down to the exact quote.
i. Script the overarching idea of the new character’s personality, looks, attitude, and backstory.
ii. Provide pictures for references, like photos of actors the characters might be modeled after, or pictures of clothing options that character would wear.
iii. Discuss what voice the actor might use.
- How old is this character? What is their general attitude? Do they have a deep or high voice?
- Not everyone has a huge range of voices in their arsenal. Sometimes a different accent may suit an actor better than a different pitch.
- In the end, if the actor sounds like their other characters, suspend your disbelief and do your best to forget their main character.
iv. Are there some exact phrases or quotes you’d like the new character to use?
- Does the character have a catchphrase, or a reference they make a lot?
- Are there some cutting words your character could use (going back to pushing buttons) that could trigger specific reactions from other players involved? I asked Veronica’s ex-boyfriend to be just awful. I asked him to say things like, “Veronica sure is a handful. You’d be better off with someone else,” or, “I wish I could find a girl like you,” right in front of Veronica’s current boyfriend Ozzy. I knew what would get a rise out of my usual roleplay partner and asking the new player to say specific lines like this was great for the story.
Final thoughts
Bringing in a new character, whether recurring or one-time, is an excellent way to introduce a new story line or showcase a part of your character’s past. Find the perfect actor, prepare some guidelines for their new character, and enjoy the insertion of a new player and plot into your story!
If you’re interested in going a GTA V roleplay server, check out The Crew RP! http://www.thecrewrp.net/thecrewrpedia/quick-start/how-to-join
