How To Do DnD Character Voices When You're Bad At That

[@BryanWasHere89]

Great vid. That common phrase trick also helps when you’re trying to get back into the voice. My southern demigod says “Aww hell” a lot

[@eos_aurora]

My phrase is always the character name

[@larostern]

Definitely coming back to this video everytime I need a new character voice :) Also it's not a Whipjack video without the Hermes cameo.

[@kappascrolls6495]

I have 3 thoughts about this video and all of them are positive 1: I feel like I just took part in a super chaotic therapy session that still helped and felt satisfying, maybe because is was so chaotic 2: The Video itself is actually super helpful and the way you presented it was easy to understand. I always think about voices but im like "my brain will burn to a crisp when im thinking about words" 3: I just find you super sympathetic and I just recently found your channel, watching this made me super glad I found you! So hey there, you are a good subscribtion!

[@dndeadly6883]

But is nervous to give it to- hello? Are you committing crimes? On CaMeRa?!?

[@mirandamay668]

Highly recommend trying the breathiness + gravelly combo for villains. Also, Haley you're wonderful!

[@arose0601]

Hermes didn't wanna give you that free cat clout. Definitely love the advice given here, I think you did really well in delivering it and the pacing of the video was great!

[@maubeerbluffin4552]

i started doing a character voice for the first time with a big campaign I'm still participating in. I'm playing a character who only speaks very broken common, which is perfect for me because it means he speaks quite slowly and needs to think about his words a lot, at first, which make sit really easy to remember to use his voice and gives me an opportunity to concentrate on it, because my character needs to concentrate on speaking, too.

[@kiara7877]

This is very helpful! Accents aren’t really an option for my group because we are an American, a German, and two Brits. So trying to change my voice with some affectations is a good place to start I hope!!

[@HighlyMeadow]

this is literally the best tutorial on voices I've ever watched, so far I've only run into way over complicated narrations but THIS. This video ACTUALLY helped me!!!

[@terrierboy18]

Hi Hermes and Haley! Thank you for helping me figure out how to do voices! Can’t wait to use them!

[@me.caudew]

One of the best videos I've seen. I've got ADHD but was engaged in what you were saying, you explained everything really well and I love that you still brought up that it doesn't have to be done :))

[@nikkiorr7088]

after watching this, I think I had my first successful attempt at keeping a voice

[@salmonellamuffin]

On having bad accents being comedic it really works sometimes! Even if it's one you can't hold onto very well. One of the pcs that my friends still talk about today was a desert guide who I gave an awful australian accent. It was so bad and often would end up changing into a different accent but I kept rolling with it and it became like a trait of his that he was terribly faking his accent. Everyone loved it and it was probably one of the funniest sessions I've ever ran.

[@rotisseriepossum]

smth that’s helped me is text-to-speech. i usually get too nervous to speak, so my sci-fi character has selective mutism and has TTS software in her spacesuit and mech (and an emotional support AI, whose goofy voice/comic relief personality is way easier for me to play out loud). the monotony of her lines has made for some rly funny moments, and even helped me speak as her more often. which is great bc it’s like she’s getting comfortable w the other characters and opening up

[@stephgratiano9017]

I love this! I know you’ve moved away from it but I would love more of these shorter advice videos

[@dougantelope5013]

Nice vid! I already do affectations a little, there’s a table called box quirks in the dmg that helps with that. Also I def had a light bulb moment on the visualize tip, conceptually that makes sense to me. You have fun energy, I hope your channel gets bigger 😊

[@flamingfurret3037]

Putting this video in my bookmarks to rewatch many times. this has been SUPER helpful

[@woopsforgotadam7322]

such a comforting video tbh!! thank you :D

[@christinem7641]

This helped me so much! Thank you! Glad you started a KZbin and looking forward to seeing content on here!

[@djwilson1993]

“Listen to Unprepared Casters, I guess…” No, but seriously *LISTEN TO UNPREPARED CASTERS* _pwease_

[@Weirwoodchronicler]

love the lotr and asoif posters! thanks for the content. Voices aren't necessary but they I really want to get better at it!

[@cityfey]

im very excited for this i struggle w voices a lot an i wanna start gming! and i find them suuuuuuuper helpful to get into character and distinguish ooc chat.

[@cityfey]

physicality is SOOO good for in person tables. bc also people will get stuff from ur posture!

[@meganvolkert8479]

Wow this is incredibly helpful I’m gonna go reference this when coming up with character voices

[@plushdragonteddy]

first of all, as a voice actor, i approve of these tips, but secondly and more importantly, the section on "um"s made me desperately want to run a campaign involving a character with the exact awful mannerisms of bella swan

[@Remmo_Uk]

Thank you! I’m about to play dnd for the first time and the group is established so I feel quite nervous . More so, as my character is female (I’m male) and I really want to bring her to life and have fun in role. I love and will use your list. Something you also accidentally inspired in me is to speak with my hands in an exaggerated way to help differentiate when I’m in character! She’s a bard after all so it fits well😁

[@dragonlemur3271]

I love this!!!! I’m definitely gonna use this for my next NPCs

[@billbishop6109]

Great video! I usually try to do voices but I find after a few sentences my accents tend to travel, like I’ll start with a basic English accent then find myself going Scottish or Irish for some reason.

[@TheMariosack]

This was actually pretty helpful. Thank you!

[@felixreyes6751]

I did a very horrible BMO imitation for my tiny warforged bard (cause I started w BMO for the vibes for his character) and it helped me get into character a lot it was fun

[@felixreyes6751]

I actually got surprised by how much bloodlust he experienced in the heat of battle

[@Supahdave1000]

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's BMO!!! ^__^

[@DJcs187]

This was a very helpful video, thank you.

[@syedyousafbukhari2213]

nice, thanks! not a dnd player but interested in voice acting and hopefully this helps :D

[@KevinPally]

Maybe a nerdy comment but this fits the vibe of how Dee Bradley Baker comes up with the different voices for the clones in Clone Wars.

[@kenthawkins9444]

I like the new setup. It feels more casual, like we're just chatting

[@starlight777]

I'm 3:29 min into the video, have never seen any of your stuff before but I already love your vibe

[@Blandco]

The part about adding specific phrases or words for characters is a very good tip! I really never considered that but that would be a very easy way to deal with the random NPC that the PCs choose to interact with but I never planned out at all. (Also the cat snoozing was very excellent.)

[@bigdream_dreambig]

I will second the recommendation to "visualize." Not only does it affect voice, but also gestures, facial expressions, and body language. That's almost all I did for my NPC voices the first time I ever ran a game, and the players actually complemented me on how vivid the NPCs were.

[@cityfey]

!!!!!!!!!! dude my podcast app has been trying to make me listen to unprepared casters!

[@20storiesunder]

It's Whiphajackley! Cool video, thanks for sharing.

[@evanfishsticks8010]

I just stumbled upon this video, but you have good advice and, more importantly, a cute cat, so you've earned a sub from me.

[@alaric1189]

This helped a lot (:

[@brynnrae2235]

Hermes is too busy committing crimes for this hustle. Has his own hustle. Lol

[@naonao9528]

I can't do an accent on purpose, but whenever I binge true blood I develop a bit of a Southern twang. Then at work I have to make sure I don't slip onto it. It's got some DND celebrity icons notably Joe Manganiello and Deborah Ann Woll.

[@blueishexpert5665]

"thats not what a french accent sounds like" "Well good thing theres no FrrrAAaAnCE in this setting" Perfect

[@tjcarr9881]

Full Scottish accent is the only one I can do consistently. Totally still counts even though I'm literally Scottish

[@superwhoist]

Oh how I wish I could convince my friends to play DnD

[@biffstrong1079]

I Always fall back on irish. My father-in law and mother in law are northern irish and been in north america for 60 years so they generally just have this gentle lilt that I like to use when my character is drinking. The enunciation, non contraction thing does sound pompous ish. Oh call everyone chum. Friendly but also makes the pc's feel like shark bait

[@LemonMoon]

Shoot, I’ve watched every video on the channel

[@rage_2000]

Thank you holy whiplash

[@arihackett8732]

Not me frantically taking notes

[@sweetmoonpigeon7469]

i had a character who had an important part of her character voice where she never asked questions. didnt have any lore reasons, shes just like that

[@AuraXars]

1:20 at my playgroup we're all non native english speakers so we've just made in character english and OOC our native tounge :)

[@Drayghon]

Accents are a great way to add depth to characters and can provide geographical hints through the use of stereotypes and tropes constructively and harmlessly. Dungeons & Dragons is not focused on real-world issues; it's a fantasy setting. For instance, Dwarves are known to speak in a guttural manner with a Highlander-style accent, and that's just a fact! But, I'll make a concession, should a Dwarf ever jump off the page and accuse me of portraying him/her in a negative light, I'll stop using accents.

[@denalicook125]

"He doesn't respect the hustle" 😂😂

[@Wipomatic]

As a brit doing a british accent is pretty easy, but you don't wanna hear my southern american accents 😂

[@roo8521]

I love you too Haley!!!

[@teradul2480]

Fuck, I need a very important noble that calls everybody swag master now

[@carolinethedragon7896]

Hermes babyyyyy

[@William_The_Saint]

Great video, Whatever You Like

[@devin-xp]

wow i love your presentation style haha. because i needed to chill out a bit lol. it is just a game!! great video! ❤❤ (also i love your cat)

[@mxrichardsonsneighbourhood5402]

A bad impression makes a great character. - Sage words from Dana Carvey.

[@lextatertotsfromhell7673]

great vid Whatever you like

[@emmamichaelis7175]

This is the most conveniently timed video for me, specifically. I know know exactly how my bbeg sounds and i cannot Wait for my party to meet her...

[@Lorenzo_Masseria_fake]

put the metal pipe sound at the start ofd the chapter

[@mageplayer9419]

It’s only an accent if you aren’t a part of that group

[@cardboardcreationsart]

I love this video it was great! but also Swagmaster....

[@drewkline5423]

Love the new set up, hope the move went well! Thank you for the video- I’m working on improving my character voice game :)

[@phoenixbarney9961]

committing really hard to a spectacularly bad accent for a character i want my players to want to interact with more Always works because they always wanna see me regret every decision ive ever made more and more with each passing sentence as that npc. its very fun.

[@rubenopdenkelder2771]

I often like to roll my R's

[@fireyjon]

drow have Australian accents for obvious reasons

[@michaelhuebert7553]

f isn't a vowel sound. I am going to tell you that. I don't back down to threats.

[@stephenmichaud6317]

Players think they want the dm to do a voice, but try doing any accent badly then commit to it. When they tell you to stop, insist its a true accent form your world. then start making up new accents. Make each accent worse then before and even change accents mid encounter. Eventually by the time you go back to your normal voice, any NPC will sound good. Problem solved

[@SilverViper219]

So based on what you said, it's not ok to do British, Scottish, Irish, Australian, or Southern American accents if someone does not belong to those demographics, or do you only see that rule in doing non-white/minority accents? Asking as someone who is considered white but not of an European descent!

[@therickmarcus]

Such a cutie with such skill.

[@MrDJRay84]

think

[@delqyrus2619]

I think it is so funny to get tips on how to make voices from a person that literally sounds as monotone as some ai.

[@Nexusofgeek]

I think streams like Critical Role have ruined some game sessions by making people think they have to be voice actors or do voices or whatever, or taking the rules to make a game session and turning it into some improvisational dramatic exercise and now everyone thinks all sessions of D&D have to be this way. When someone like Sam Riegel says that they don't really know the rules, whether it's true or just a funny thing to say, just tells me that he doesn't really care as much about the game as an RPG per se, but more as a vehicle to make his dumb genitalia jokes that can be turned into sophomoric memes and/or short clickbait vids

[@bigdream_dreambig]

I guess it depends on your table. Mine is a bunch of professional and amateur actors and writers -- storytellers at our core -- so we definitely lean into the improv. Sometimes it's comedy, other times it makes people cry, but it's all good story. 😁