Roleplaying more than one NPC at time

[heavyfuel]

This is something I've always struggled with and have, as suh, avoided. However, in the near future the players will have 3 of my NPCs meet with them at the same time, and there's no reason they wouldn't do it interpretation-wise... Really no reason, we're talking once in a lifetime opportunity for them.

With this, I come to you, members of the playground, to help me have a conversation with myself while also describing the events that are passing.

[Fax Celestis]

Notecards with names written on them that you hold up when portraying a particular character. Or hats. Hats are good.

[Eonir]

This is just kind of one of those weird things in D&D. It will probably be a little awkward, but throw on some funny accents and you'll be alright.

[Broken Crown]

Keep an eye on your players to make sure they're still interested, and try to include them in the conversation as much as possible. Otherwise, they're just spectators and will tend to tune out.

[Seto]

You're not very specific, so we can't give you precise lines, and everything, but...
- 1. Be sure you know your NPCs' motivations/personalities, etc., so a more lively dialogue can be given. What could make it so that B, and not A, answers to C in a specific way ? You need to give the impression that three persons are talking, rather than there is one message and they take turns to speak so that everyone has a line. Personally, I think I would go with indirect speech with some direct speech in it (A says that..., but B points out that..., to which C exclaims "What's wrong with you both ?"), but that's a matter of both personal habit and personal preference.
- 2. If your main concern is to give plot exposition/important description in the dialogue, having knowledge gaps between NPCs is a very good way to do it. If A knows something that B doesn't (and that incidentally you also want your players to know), it makes sense for A to explain it to B. And let's say C knows some of it but not the whole story, he can make sarcastic comments ("yeah, I know that, quit talking about it") and then look surprised all of a sudden ("hey really ? that wasn't in the version I heard"). It can be "As you may not have heard, Z fought long and valiantly but finally lost to W", or even "hey, look behind you, have you seen that gnome ?" (DM pauses : "A most peculiar Gnome indeed, for his nostrils are painted purple").
- 3. Don't forget to leave some room for your PCs to get involved in the discussion, it should make it all the more interesting and immersive :)

[Trasilor]

Notecards with names written on them that you hold up when portraying a particular character. Or hats. Hats are good.

+1 on hats....

[Red Fel]

Here's what I want you to do. Go out and listen to one of the book-on-tape (or CD, or e-reader, whatever) recordings of Harry Potter, read by Jim Dale. It doesn't matter which book, he narrates all of them, and he's blood brilliant. Absolutely fantastic.

Listen to him read. Every single character gets its own, distinctive voice. Every single one. Inflection, pitch, intonation, emphasis. You know who's speaking without him telling you, simply by the sound. Each character develops unique verbal tendencies (such as how he has Hermione constantly emphasizing the second syllable of "Har-ry").

Do that. Your players will be so engrossed (or amused, or fascinated, or disturbed) by how you manage to bring each character to life in a unique and distinct way that any awkwardness of talking to yourself will vanish.

And you might get applause. Just a little.

[heavyfuel]

Notecards with names written on them that you hold up when portraying a particular character. Or hats. Hats are good.

Great idea! Now off to find a full plate helmet, a feathered hat and a long dirty blonde wig!

Seriously though, I really like the namecards. Thanks!

This is just kind of one of those weird things in D&D. It will probably be a little awkward, but throw on some funny accents and you'll be alright.

It's what I intended to do from the very beginning. This, coupled with the namecards Fax suggsted might be the best way to go about.

You're not very specific, so we can't give you precise lines, and everything, but...
- 1. Be sure you know your NPCs' motivations/personalities, etc., so a more lively dialogue can be given. What could make it so that B, and not A, answers to C in a specific way ? You need to give the impression that three persons are talking, rather than there is one message and they take turns to speak so that everyone has a line. Personally, I think I would go with indirect speech with some direct speech in it (A says that..., but B points out that..., to which C exclaims "What's wrong with you both ?"), but that's a matter of both personal habit and personal preference.
- 2. If your main concern is to give plot exposition/important description in the dialogue, having knowledge gaps between NPCs is a very good way to do it. If A knows something that B doesn't (and that incidentally you also want your players to know), it makes sense for A to explain it to B. And let's say C knows some of it but not the whole story, he can make sarcastic comments ("yeah, I know that, quit talking about it") and then look surprised all of a sudden ("hey really ? that wasn't in the version I heard"). It can be "As you may not have heard, Z fought long and valiantly but finally lost to W", or even "hey, look behind you, have you seen that gnome ?" (DM pauses : "A most peculiar Gnome indeed, for his nostrils are painted purple").
- 3. Don't forget to leave some room for your PCs to get involved in the discussion, it should make it all the more interesting and immersive :)

Knowledge gap will most definitely be a thing. Not only between the three NPCs, but also between them and the players.