Forums » RP Discussion » Accents and your muses

I have returned! So, them accents?

DO you have accents for the characters you play as? In my opinion,a character speaking in an accent gives them some flare and zest. Plus, if pulled off well and had research to back it up.

For Akira and Matsu, I have given them a Brooklyn type accent.

Can an accent bring more life in a character?

Everyone has an accent. I've found the key is in conveying it adequately. Generally, there are two options--altering the spelling of words to reflect the accent (like from'a Brooklyn, a guy might'a talk like dis-here, y'know), or altering the choice of words and relying on one's partner(s) to remember that the character should have an accent (like where a lower-class individual may say something like, "I'd love to go along, yeah, thanks", someone higher-class might say something like, "I would be truly delighted to go with you, yes. Thank you so much.").

I generally edge near the latter attempt, as I've seen--and, in full confession, committed--truly horrible linguistic atrocities in the name of attempting to convey accents through spelling. I find that it generally works, though I also admit that's one of my weaker elements, as a role-player. (I also tend to get caught up in monologues or soliloquies, which further edges my characters toward all having the same "voice".)

I have one character that I use an accent for. She is an adventurer in a Warhammer-Fantasy story. Whenever I play in such a setting, all of the characters speak in a cockney accent to me, as that is how I and the other local gamers have perceived the language to be. But since it is a forum adventure, I also cheat, and use a dialceter to translate for me. Though it is a very thick accent.

The translator can be found here: Translator