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Urban Spaceman
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 13 Sep 2010
Posts: 194
Location: UK
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 Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:01 am Post subject: Where are you from....originally? |
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Whilst running a games recently, I found myself voicing a Devaronian NPC by using a distinctly Eastern European accent.
That NPC became a recurring character, and so the players are used to hearing his voice.
An upcoming adventure will feature another Devaronian NPC. So, to keep things consistant, I'll be using a similar accent.
This got me thinking about how/if you guys characterise certain species voices, accents etc. Anyone got any to share?
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Fallon Kell
Commodore
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: Tacoma, WA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:45 am Post subject: |
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Well, not so much by species, but many of my planets have not only unique accents, but dialects and mannerisms too. Fall City, the main spaceport on Westfall where my player's captain hails from, has a southern accent (taken from Firefly.) The costal regions of Westfall have a different, more nautical accent. Skylairen, Westfall's trading partner has mixed gaelic accents. Ashen, a world in constant intercontinental warfare, may end up with a hungarian-influenced accent. I may toss in a Midwestern/Canadian sound for another world just for kicks.
While it's not really an accent, two of my races do sound different from humans. The Saar, a race of photosynthesizing animals, speak resonantly and musically. I partially sing their lines when I narrate.
Malibar, my ship's telepathic doctor/cook, speaks slowly and ponderously. If there is someon in discomfort nearby, he bhegins ahdding the lhetter H ihnto each whord. Also whenever I write up his dialogue, I color it brown.
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Hellcat
Grand Moff
Joined: 29 Jul 2004
Posts: 11921
Location: New England
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:59 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | "I'm Peter. Where you from? Originally."
"Shhhhh." |
Sorry, couldn't help myself.
To be perfectly honest I've never really thought of accents very much. In fact I've never even thought very much of planet of origin with most of my characters. The closest I've come to an accent is trying to make a character's speech sound slurred so it sounds like their drunk.
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Gamer
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 20 May 2010
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 4:38 am Post subject: |
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I don't try to think about it really I don't.
As I've been told when I gm'd and did wookies I was told that they sounded like baby seals getting molested.
Laugh all you want guys but it's the truth I'm no actor and will never claim to be one.
Now when I end up playing droid characters in starwars or other games I do have a voice synth that makes me sound like a cylon when I talk. |
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Bren
Vice Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2010
Posts: 3868
Location: Maryland, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:21 am Post subject: |
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My wife runs a human smuggler character with a consistent and distinct accent that sounds vaguely European. Her copilot and pal is a Sallustan nicknamed Mouse. He is run by another player. Mouse doesn't speak basic, instead making a "mee me me me mee" sort of sound. The amazing part is when the two of them are really in a good roleplaying space, Mouse can do the "me me mee" thing and my wife interprets what he said without a waiting for an actual translation. More than once they have carried on an extensive back and forth conversation. Quite fun.
The Coynite PC always speaks with a very deliberate, lower register, gravelly voice that almost rolls the "r"s.
Those three are the Star Wars characters that have the most recognizable voices. In other games we play with Earth-based characters we typically use accents for characters from other regions e.g. German, British, French, Chinese, and various American regional accents. |
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Bobmalooga
Commander
Joined: 13 Sep 2010
Posts: 367
Location: The south...
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| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:18 am Post subject: |
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After watching 'Tombstone' I played 2 different gamblers (one male and the other female...) that used the aristocratic southern accent that Doc Holiday had in the movie. I'm fond of using Irish/Scottish accents as well but can't think of a specific reference for that one...
Keith...who is not your huckleberry.
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Bren
Vice Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2010
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Location: Maryland, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:53 am Post subject: |
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| Bobmalooga wrote: | | After watching 'Tombstone' I played 2 different gamblers (one male and the other female...) that used the aristocratic southern accent that Doc Holiday had in the movie... |
I did something similar with an NPC gunfighter/gambler named Vaun Kleef - he was sort of a cross between the gunfighter Robert Vaun played in the Magnificent Seven and the characters Lee Van Kleef played in the Spaghetti Westerns. He was always exceedingly polite and spoke with a southern accent. I think it worked making him seem both refined and menacing. |
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 10395
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:34 am Post subject: |
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| Urban Spaceman wrote: | | This got me thinking about how/if you guys characterise certain species voices, accents etc. Anyone got any to share? |
I try to do as much of that as I can. I'm an armchair linguist and even try to speak alien languages sometimes. I'm not that skilled and can only do a handful of voices and accents without sounding too cliche and cheesy. Some players I've gamed with are very talented at that.
| Urban Spaceman wrote: | Whilst running a games recently, I found myself voicing a Devaronian NPC by using a distinctly Eastern European accent.
That NPC became a recurring character, and so the players are used to hearing his voice.
An upcoming adventure will feature another Devaronian NPC. So, to keep things consistant, I'll be using a similar accent. |
Great idea.
| Fallon Kell wrote: | Well, not so much by species, but many of my planets have not only unique accents, but dialects and mannerisms too...
While it's not really an accent, two of my races do sound different from humans. The Saar, a race of photosynthesizing animals, speak resonantly and musically. I partially sing their lines when I narrate.
Malibar, my ship's telepathic doctor/cook, speaks slowly and ponderously. If there is someon in discomfort nearby, he bhegins ahdding the lhetter H ihnto each whord. Also whenever I write up his dialogue, I color it brown. |
Good ideas.
| Gamer wrote: | | As I've been told when I gm'd and did wookies I was told that they sounded like baby seals getting molested. |
That shouldn't be funny but is... Wookiees rarely appear as NPCs in my game for that same reason (among others). I guess I can do a sickly and dying Wookiee ok. To be fair I should add that Wookiee PCs are also rare in my game for the same reason (among others). In one of the editions it is even RAW that Wookiee players be able to convincingly sound something like Chewbacca, and I took that rule to heart. Nothing is more annoying than someone trying to sound like a Wookiee who can't. If you can't do it than you can't play a Wookiee. I've only had a handful of Wookiee PCs over the years.
| Gamer wrote: | | Now when I end up playing droid characters in starwars or other games I do have a voice synth that makes me sound like a cylon when I talk. |
Genius!
| Bobmalooga wrote: | After watching 'Tombstone' I played 2 different gamblers (one male and the other female...) that used the aristocratic southern accent that Doc Holiday had in the movie. I'm fond of using Irish/Scottish accents as well but can't think of a specific reference for that one...
Keith...who is not your huckleberry. |
I'm your huckleberry. Keith, you have so many cool movie ideas. I have done Doc Holiday type of characters too.
| Bren wrote: | | I did something similar with an NPC gunfighter/gambler named Vaun Kleef - he was sort of a cross between the gunfighter Robert Vaun played in the Magnificent Seven and the characters Lee Van Kleef played in the Spaghetti Westerns. He was always exceedingly polite and spoke with a southern accent. I think it worked making him seem both refined and menacing. |
Cool idea.
| Bren wrote: | | My wife runs a human smuggler character with a consistent and distinct accent that sounds vaguely European. Her copilot and pal is a Sallustan nicknamed Mouse. He is run by another player. Mouse doesn't speak basic, instead making a "mee me me me mee" sort of sound. The amazing part is when the two of them are really in a good roleplaying space, Mouse can do the "me me mee" thing and my wife interprets what he said without a waiting for an actual translation. More than once they have carried on an extensive back and forth conversation. Quite fun. |
In RotJ, Nien Nunb's dialogue was based on an African language. What dialect of Sullustan is Mouse's? Just kidding. That is so cool that she can translate that.
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Bren
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Joined: 19 Aug 2010
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Location: Maryland, USA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:03 am Post subject: |
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| Whill wrote: | | Bren wrote: | | My wife runs a human smuggler character with a consistent and distinct accent that sounds vaguely European. Her copilot and pal is a Sallustan nicknamed Mouse. He is run by another player. Mouse doesn't speak basic, instead making a "mee me me me mee" sort of sound. The amazing part is when the two of them are really in a good roleplaying space, Mouse can do the "me me mee" thing and my wife interprets what he said without a waiting for an actual translation. More than once they have carried on an extensive back and forth conversation. Quite fun. |
In RotJ, Nien Nunb's dialogue was based on an African language. What dialect of Sullustan is Mouse's? Just kidding. That is so cool that she can translate that. |
It is pretty impressive when it works well. 8) Not sure what the dialect is. I just know that Mouse - whose Sullustan name is Nien Mutik is from a different part of Sullust from Nien Nunb. |
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Urban Spaceman
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 13 Sep 2010
Posts: 194
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:53 am Post subject: |
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Nice!
Thanks for the replies. I guess as an onld drama student, I like playing the NPC's, and try to make certain ones stand out a bit (especially when I know they will be a recurring character).
One thing I will say is that I have noticed that when I throw myself in to an NPC (strange accent or not), the players really respond well. It seems to help one or two of the less experienced roleplayers open up at a bit and get in to the flow of the game.
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Bren
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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I think you meant to say, "as an experienced thespian..." 
Sometimes I wish I were a better actor. I find running a lot of different NPCs in succession is tiring. Actually it is easier for me to plot and run a large, muti-side battle than a string of colorful NPCs. Sadly, the NPCs are far more fun for my players than the big battle, so I guess I am doomed to GM challenges.  |
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
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Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Whill wrote: | | In RotJ, Nien Nunb's dialogue was based on an African language. What dialect of Sullustan is Mouse's? Just kidding. That is so cool that she can translate that. |
I believe it's Ethiopian. My cousins were living in LA when ROTJ was released. They told me that they were in the same theater as a group of men from East Africa who laughed hysterically every time Nien Nunb spoke. Would've been fun to be in on the joke...
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Urban Spaceman
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 13 Sep 2010
Posts: 194
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Bren wrote: | | I think you meant to say, "as an experienced thespian..." |
One doesn't like to boast, but my Lear is quite well known in certain circles
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Bren
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Urban Spaceman wrote: | | Bren wrote: | | I think you meant to say, "as an experienced thespian..." |
One doesn't like to boast, but my Lear is quite well known in certain circles |
See now, that's the trouble with English. Those pesky homonyms. I thought I heard that your leer was famous. Gosh, I'm glad you clarified that. |
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schnarre
Commander
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Posts: 333
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| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Hellcat"] | Quote: | "I'm Peter. Where you from? Originally."
"Shhhhh." |
Sorry, couldn't help myself.
...Who ya gonna call? Gotta love the classics!
...Accents can be a good RP tool for adding depth to the character. Just don't overdue it!
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