How important is it to you, as a player, to incorporate humor into the portrayals of your characters? How have you done it? Through action? Dialogue? Give examples.

Brody-- haven't you noticed, MUDding is SERIOUS BUSINESS!

There is no room for humor! Besides, it's so hard to be amusing in text, sarcasm just doesn't come across well.

What? There are other methods of humor besides sarcasm? Noooo way.

Unless you are trying to play a jokester/clown then there really isn't any REASON to try and 'bring the funny.' This is one of those situations where, if left to itself, will develop over time. Why should you try and force something? If its part of your personality IRL then fine, incorporate that into your character, otherwise, don't, because 'forced funny' is not always as funny as it would be naturally.

I'm not asking when it's good to FORCE humor. I'm asking how people who *do* use humor in their roleplaying find ways to incorporate it.

People can do this through their actions and through dialogue, beyond simple situational humor. Sure, it'd be campy if it's all about banging one's head against a low-hanging obstacle, but people often have fun with language and action.

SO...back to the original question: Is humor important to the portrayal of your characters? And if you do incorporate humor, how do you do so? Examples would be great!

I don't have any examples on hand, but my character often makes remarks about a neighboring kingdom, its people, and their tendency toward sexual relations with their livestock. Likewise, if the weather's not exactly fair, he remarks that at least the wind's not blowing from the direction of that other kingdom, lest their smell accompany it. He tends to deadpan such remarks though since they're not intended for unfriendly ears and consist not just of humor but also a personal statement of his political views as well. Smiling would suggest he's anything but serious. *grin*

Well, it's only fair that I offer an example, eh?

I think humor is particularly effective when you're playing a villain. It can take the edge off the constant menacing and mustache-twirling.

For example, the new Emperor-by-coup on Chiaroscuro - Zolor Zahir - had this little encounter the other night:

The herald follows the newcomers into the throne room and announces their arrival. Zolor Zahir glances through the torch-flickered shadows toward the trio and beckons Tomassa closer to the dais.

Talk about being in here way too often lately. Lucius enter the throne room, gauntleted hand opening and closing. His eyes pass from Tribunal soldier to soldier, noting the particulars of each of them. He of course follows Tomassa.

Obediently, Tomassa moves up the room's center, her steps drawing her closer to the Emperor. "My liege," she offers with an inclination of her head. "Forgive the intrusion."

The two guards follow, masking their nervousness with forced looks of neutrality.

Fionnlagh just follows along behind Tomassa and Lucius, looking ahead briefly to check for obstacles he might trip over, and identify the new Emperor upon the throne. He keeps silent, just trying to stay a bit ahead of the two guards and a bit behind the leaders. Once Tomassa stops, he stops behind, and kneels quietly. Obeisance is rarely a bad choice in front of thrones. It's a healthy encourager of attachments of heads to torsos.

Zolor Zahir lifts his eyebrows, but nods at Tomassa. His gaze shifts toward Fionnlagh and then back to the chamberlain. "So. Another one for the loyalty pact?" One of the heralds shuffles over to grab a parchment scroll and a tray bearing an inkwell and quill.

Lucius Nepos stops his walking as per usual, in the middle of the room. He doesn't have any testimony to spill to Zolor that he knows about, so he offers a bow from afar, and watches.

"Aye, Your Majesty," the rumpled Chamberlain admits. While her body is clean, her clothes are showing signs of the repetitive wear they have been getting. "As well as to ask a question."

Fionnlagh just stays in his spot, glancing aside at the decor briefly, but returning his gaze to the Emperor and Chamberlain once speaking begins.

"Ask your question, then," the Emperor says to Tomassa. "Then we will resolve the matter of the pact for the prisoner."

Both guards drop to their knees before returning to stand stiffly at attention, eyes looking straight ahead.

"Did you know the Justiciar removed Shardwood from the dungeons?" Tomassa simply inquires. Her hands are loosely clasped behind her back. "When I went to fetch her, I found her cell empty and the door ajar."

Lucius Nepos listens to the proceedings carefully but remains as stony as an ancient statue.

Fionnlagh just works on growing roots into that floor where he kneels, patiently waiting till matters concern him.

The taller guard starts to nod at Tomassa's comment, catches himself and grows still again.

"Did he?" Zolor inquires, scratching his chin. "Intriguing." He sighs and shakes his head. "Unfortunate. I had so wanted to hear her sanctimonious blathering in the absence of her tongue." His mouth starts flapping up and down and he utters: "Yuh ah uh vewwy bah mah, Empahwah Zaeeah!"

It's not slapstick or anything like that. It's just an indication that Zolor Zahir has a dark and rather cruel sense of humor. The fact that a villain/anti-hero can have a sense of humor about things adds a dimension of humanity to them.

Re: Bringing the funny
 

I like humor. No... I like appropriate humor to be injected. Sometimes immature, sometimes ironic, sometimes silly. One of my tabletop characters in a post apocalyptic world once was known for his bad puns. In a Deadlands game he was hearing about a monster that 'chewed the soft bits right off of the victim.' His only comment was, "This sounds nuts."

Probably best known myself for these highly morbid, or ironic lines.

As Brody said, it tends to make less than lovable characters seem to have more depth, or at the very least it takes away from the mustache twitching.

Probably one of my favorite lines was from a necromancer type character who was quite enthusiastic about killing. She received a remark along the lines of, "Are you Death?" she replied, "No, but most of my friends are dead. Hm, I'm out of place with them, aren't I? I'm that living girl that every dead group must have."

Re: Bringing the funny
 

I love playing with humorous characters, though it's very difficult for me to be one. I'm simply not a very funny person in real life, and trying to get my characters to be funny is a really big struggle. I tend to gravitate towards witty, clever characters because that's the kind of humor that I enjoy. I love clever reparte and interesting ways to put words together.

I honestly think that this is somethign that is not really a matter of roleplay. I would LOVE to play a really witty character, but I'm not sure that I'm funny/witty enough to do it. This seems to be something you have to have a gift for, honestly, rather than just a desire to play the role.

Re: Bringing the funny
 

I agree with Mina there, it does depend very much on the player behind the character, it isn't something that you can fake. The best humour (especially in terms of dry/cutting humour) is very reactive, you see something and you shoot back your riposte right away. It isn't something you can copy by using a joke book or anything.

In terms of my personal style, I'm very much a follower of the Zolor school, regardless of what "ethos" my character happens to be. I don't believe in always good/always evil characters, and "Ned Flanders" type characters really irritate me. So I find cutting/mocking humour is very useful when used sparingly, because it isn't violent or outright antisocial, but shows that even the most pious paladin has some bite to him, and it shows the other roleplayers that you're really paying attention. I don't particularly mind that sarcasm/tone doesn't carry well through text, because if other people don't get it, it just means I can give them a second dose of mockery. ;)