As a DM I always try my best to include unique characters in my adventures. I wanted to use a lunatic character who has completely lost his mind as a sort of minor plot hook to introduce the players to a new part of the world. How do you think I could make the NPC believable, without revealing much about the mysterious place that he is from? What are some tips for role playing a character like this? What sort of voices could I use so that it is obvious to the party that he is insane?
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1\$\begingroup\$ @AverageUnknown Preventing new answers is what closing is for. Your answer in a comment has been removed. \$\endgroup\$– SevenSidedDieDec 30, 2015 at 20:40
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3\$\begingroup\$ Heaven forbid we have interesting questions. Why is this opinion-based, while How do I role-play as a dragon? is not? (Also How do I roleplay getting used to violence? How do I roleplay someone more intelligent than I am? How can I play dumb? Why are those all allowed to be exist but this not? \$\endgroup\$– DronzDec 30, 2015 at 22:55
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\$\begingroup\$ Do you mean that the character appears insane, or that the character has an actual mental illness? \$\endgroup\$– ShalvenayDec 30, 2015 at 23:17
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1\$\begingroup\$ @Dronz let me help you with that... Roleplaying a Dragon Better, How do I roleplay getting used to violence?, How do I roleplay a character more intelligent than I am?, How can I play dumb?. \$\endgroup\$– daze413Dec 30, 2015 at 23:59
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1\$\begingroup\$ Yeah, I'm afraid this isn't answerable in its current state, especially since "I want to act like a madman" is clearly not linked to any real mental disorder and is instead a generic "pretend to be all fish-kissing wacky like they do in them B movies and games". \$\endgroup\$– mxyzplkJan 1, 2016 at 6:57
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I've had to do this before and have found it very difficult. As a result, instead of role playing the NPC, I've just described the NPC like, "While talking to you, he tends to frequently stray off-topic, speaking in several different languages, and referencing people and things that are not nearby. After a few minutes, it is obvious to all of you that this man is utterly insane. While it is difficult to decipher his train of thought, you hear him utter the phrase "[insert mysterious place's name]" several times."
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1\$\begingroup\$ That is probably the best way of playing the character. I do have some important phrases written out that I could insert into a description like that. That way the players wouldn't be able to communicate much with him either, and I only have to pull off a ridiculous voice very briefly. Thank you! \$\endgroup\$ Dec 30, 2015 at 19:31
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2\$\begingroup\$ I'd say this is reasonable if the GM doesn't feel up to roleplaying the madman, say if his understanding of the nature of his character's insanity, or his roleplaying skills seem inadequate. However I think it can be much more interesting when a skilled GM has an idea of what way the character is insane, and roleplays appropriately. \$\endgroup\$– DronzDec 31, 2015 at 0:20