Have you ever seriously played a foreigner in a game set in the real world? By foreigner I mean someone from a place or culture that is distinctly different from your own, neighbours or those who are constantly on TV don't really count. How difficult it was for you to play the character without resorting to stereotypes?
The next game I'm gonna play is gonna be set in "Africa" (no specific country mentioned) during the 70s. The DM allows us any nationality as long as it's african. Since I'm not very interested in most of modern Africa but I've read some about Aksum, I thought that playing an Ethiopian could be pretty cool. Problem is that I know almost nothing about modern Ethiopia. Does someone in Veeky Forums have the knowledge to give some advice? How religious is the people and what are some important differences between western and ethiopian christianity? Are Kaleb or Tafari normal and acceptable names for a character or is it like calling yourself Charlemagne?
And since this is not my blog, let's use this thread so everyone can ask for tips on how to play a character of any nationality or ethnicity he wants to play.
Xavier Morales
Bump
Andrew Cooper
>during the 70s
Rhodesian or South African
Jace Hall
>The next game I'm gonna play is gonna be set in "Africa" (no specific country mentioned) during the 70s. Well, I have a feeling all of his "africans" will be just a bunch of american blacks. And given the time, it's going to be blaxploitation but in "Africa"
Eli Long
You could go to /int/ and maybe ask there. You'll probably get memes and such, but still.
The only time I played a character in a modern setting that wasn't from where I'm from was when I played Karl Borg, terrified and confused German backpacker, during a CoC one shot.
Brody Watson
The pattern on that dress? Absolutely fabulous. Like, damn that's nice looking. Don't care much for the girl but love the dress.
Luis Lopez
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Juan Lewis
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Ian Brooks
Does Shadowrun count? We've been to China, South America, Europe...
Liam Gray
>You could go to /int/ and maybe ask there.
I used to be a regular on /int/ and, to be honest, I'll rather not return there.
I had this idea but it will automatically make me That Guy when the rest of the group are blacks. Also I want to make a Sneaky McSneak kind of dude and a white dude attracts too much attention.
Luckily none of us is from the USA.
Zachary Cruz
Yep. The game was themed towards Norse Mythology, and I played as a Goatherder from the not!Sub-Saharan region of not!Africa. He fought with his herding staff, and otherwise acted as the party's intermediary person despite him being naive about gold based currency and the cold.
My advice would be to talk to the DM and see what's ok and what isn't. Throw some ideas around. Help your DM develop that part of the world if they're ok with it. That way, you both can set the tone of your foreign character.
Then when you encounter the world being played in, you can contrast what's going around in the game world to the far away land your character originated from. Maybe there's a game that is played in the area that everyone knows about but your character. Let your character learn as a child. Maybe your character doesn't know some words? Make them up, and then ask what that word means. Write down those words that you made up.
If you've ever travelled to another country, have you ever felt culture shock? Convey that culture shock into your character being in this new place.
I might be able to answer this question better if I have specific examples though.
Julian Sullivan
Tried to get into a shadowrun game.
Wanted to play as an Indian Transhuman who was a runaway corporate baby.
Sebastian Lewis
In my case it would be oWoD so yeah Shadowrun counts I guess.
Jack Fisher
Black people existed in 70's Rhodesia and South Africa.
Daniel Kelly
Well, I've played a Chinese guy, and it was honestly hard. Despite knowing a bit about Chinese history and having a few Chinese people in my life, it's not like I know any of the language or could do a non-racist accent. Half of the time I was just treating them like a more familiar figure with some vague Chinese themes.
Lucas Hughes
>black gf/wife would be nice >remember that I'm worried she would try to make me check my privilege or call me racist or something >don't go through with it
Julian Cooper
Why would I want to be a black from Rhodesia or South Africa if I don't wanna be a black from let's say Kenya or Mali?
The whole continent seems pretty boring to me except the North and the East. Animals and shit are cool as fuck, but the people is pretty meh.
Sebastian Roberts
Not that hard to play a chinese, just act a bit autistic.
James Campbell
If that's what you're worried about, she'll do that long before your her gf. And if she is your gf, she won't do that.
Jeremiah Hill
Just marry a black lady who isn't from the states then
Jaxon Jones
It's probably best for him not to marry anyone ever and not to have children.
Gabriel Harris
Interesting. Do you have any similar pictures? Ethiopian artwork?
Ian Brown
Why
Austin Miller
Play an Igbo or Habesha like you would play a stereotypical Jew or Chinese and you'd be pretty much spot on.
>realistic names Look up a list of their athletes or something on Wiki and choose any name that sounds cool.
Sebastian Brooks
Err, I should note that Igbo are from West Africa not Ethiopia.
Gavin Jenkins
Tell me more.
Due to the character build, he's not super smart or educated and I planned him to be a model or a player in some sport. Bit hard to jew that... or not?
Although I guess I can make him a turbojew businessmen that charms people to give him money with his social skills but never makes actual profit with the business.
William Fisher
Because if his idea of interacting with a black woman is privilege checking, this means he's too autistic to function outside the internet.
Kevin Adams
Kek you aren't far off my friend. Memes have consumed my life
Elijah Bennett
Brought a Turkish-speaking Arab from Afghanistan to a WoD game. He got mindraped and I fucked off.
