Advice/Help How do you roleplay someone who uses sign language?

[Isaedras Cleditre]

I'm actually having a hard time figuring out how to write for someone who doesn't use dialogue. But it's required because one of the characters I've started writing for is a mute Raider (Fallout 4) turned hero and I'm not sure how to go about writing for him ya know? So any advice any of you might have would be great.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Well if he is using sign language he is going to be communicating in a way so while it's possible the other character's might not understand you could do his dialogue bits like

Characters signs , ' Blah blah '

Or Character writes ' Blah blah '

Now if you mean he doesn't communicate at all - as in he is someone who just doesn't feel the need to speak or communicate with others than you'll have to rely on internal monologue and to an extent expressions or actions.

Like if he's not going to be talking to other people they'll have to be reacting to his actions or facial expressions so be sure to give your partners that.

Also obviously he's going to have some internal motivation for whatever he's doing so you can have him thinking to himself.

Ex. Character narrows his eyes at the callous joke. Did the man think just because he didn't speak he was deaf? Or that he was stupid? He gave the man a curled lip and a rude hand gesture before storming off refusing to deal with idiotic prejudices when he had more important things to do.

---- now obviously storming off isn't the best way to keep your character interacting with others regardless of if they can speak but you understand the concept. He can always use facial cues and hand gestures to get his point across if he won't be directly communicating via signs.

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

Well if he is using sign language he is going to be communicating in a way so while it's possible the other character's might not understand you could do his dialogue bits like

Characters signs , ' Blah blah '

Or Character writes ' Blah blah '

Now if you mean he doesn't communicate at all - as in he is someone who just doesn't feel the need to speak or communicate with others than you'll have to rely on internal monologue and to an extent expressions or actions.

Like if he's not going to be talking to other people they'll have to be reacting to his actions or facial expressions so be sure to give your partners that.

Also obviously he's going to have some internal motivation for whatever he's doing so you can have him thinking to himself.

Ex. Character narrows his eyes at the callous joke. Did the man think just because he didn't speak he was deaf? Or that he was stupid? He gave the man a curled lip and a rude hand gesture before storming off refusing to deal with idiotic prejudices when he had more important things to do.

---- now obviously storming off isn't the best way to keep your character interacting with others regardless of if they can speak but you understand the concept. He can always use facial cues and hand gestures to get his point across if he won't be directly communicating via signs.

I'll probably end up doing a combination of internal monologue and signing his dialogue. Thanks a mil!

 

[Sleek]

The internal monologue and extra cues are a must. Also, even if your character signs something, there's a big chance the other won't understand.
Bring a pen and some paper, or some text-to-speech maybe?

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

The internal monologue and extra cues are a must. Also, even if your character signs something, there's a big chance the other won't understand.
Bring a pen and some paper, or some text-to-speech maybe?

Given the setting they didn't really have that around all that much x.x which is why I'm asking here xDD I'm stumped o-o

 

[SmugViking]

can't use sign language if you don't have hands is what my grandpop always used to say. but then he tied when he lost both of his arms at the mill. rip grandpop.

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

can't use sign language if you don't have hands is what my grandpop always used to say. but then he tied when he lost both of his arms at the mill. rip grandpop.

poor grandpop

 

[Corrosion]

I've roleplayed Gordon Freeman several times, who everyone knows is completely mute. When I wrote for him, I mostly just said something like 'he waved his arms around in the air' or 'he signed 'kill that bitch' to Alyx'. Most of the time, the other characters just automatically understand, and you can always do a spoilered translation just to be clear to the other players.

 

[Koriva]

Oh, I did play a few characters that use sign language. I used to play a little girl who was traumatized into muteness and was taught what my RP partner and me used to call "Dark Elf sign language."
I also played a few non-mute characters that used the same sign language, and my partner played a male with a severed tongue.
We differentiated it by assigning a special indicator for it. for example:
"
Alenir jumped up and down, her fingers flying in excitement, so fast that she was barely understandable to those watching.
~Please, please please grandpa Silvertongue, can you tell me the story with the giant scorpion again? Can you? Can you?~ The signs for her grandfather's nickname were her own invention, with no meaning but that which she gave them, yet everyone in the room knew what she meant to say. Alenir was talented at creating her own words when the limited language of the Deep failed her. "

We found that it was comfortable and easy to use.
Now if sign language is not invovled and the character mimes what it wants, I'd just describe the way it does it and write some thing like 'as if he was trying to say yadda yadda' or 'his eyes seemed to be saying yadda yadda'

 

[Caroline1539]

I've roleplayed a mute character before, and he taught himself sign language as a way to try to help him communicate with people besides writing back and forth. Usually I have his dialogue be the same as if he were speaking verbally. I just use 'signed' instead of said. There is also a lot of emphasis on his thoughts and internal monologue for me, emotional shifts in temperament and mood are also very important for him.

If you were planning on playing a character who's mute and has no way of communicating with sign language, then posture and physical reactions to other characters is extremely important, ie facial expressions and the like.

Here's two examples for the two I mentioned.

"Are you really sure that this will work?" Brian signed to his companion, frowning at him slightly as he gave him a mildly worried look. He didn't know whether or not what his friend was proposing was a good idea, and frankly he was still very hesitant about the whole idea. However, he was willing to give this a chance. He trusted him to help him with the problems he suffered from.

Brian looked over at his friend and shifted a bit on his feet, worrying with his gloves as he waited for the other to arrive. Even though he tried to keep himself patient, he couldn't help his nervousness to himself, and fought the urge to start pacing. It would only make his friend worried and he didn't want him to fuss over him any more than he already did. So, he kept himself as still as he could and bided his time by pulling his gloves taught on his hands, distracting himself with the sensation of the fabric digging into the soft hollows between his fingers.

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

I've roleplayed a mute character before, and he taught himself sign language as a way to try to help him communicate with people besides writing back and forth. Usually I have his dialogue be the same as if he were speaking verbally. I just use 'signed' instead of said. There is also a lot of emphasis on his thoughts and internal monologue for me, emotional shifts in temperament and mood are also very important for him.

If you were planning on playing a character who's mute and has no way of communicating with sign language, then posture and physical reactions to other characters is extremely important, ie facial expressions and the like.

Here's two examples for the two I mentioned.

"Are you really sure that this will work?" Brian signed to his companion, frowning at him slightly as he gave him a mildly worried look. He didn't know whether or not what his friend was proposing was a good idea, and frankly he was still very hesitant about the whole idea. However, he was willing to give this a chance. He trusted him to help him with the problems he suffered from.

Brian looked over at his friend and shifted a bit on his feet, worrying with his gloves as he waited for the other to arrive. Even though he tried to keep himself patient, he couldn't help his nervousness to himself, and fought the urge to start pacing. It would only make his friend worried and he didn't want him to fuss over him any more than he already did. So, he kept himself as still as he could and bided his time by pulling his gloves taught on his hands, distracting himself with the sensation of the fabric digging into the soft hollows between his fingers.

I like you xD we should rp together some time. Very informative ouo THANKS A MIL DOOD!

 

[Caroline1539]

I like you xD we should rp together some time. Very informative ouo THANKS A MIL DOOD!

Thanks! ^^ I'd be up for roleplaying with you sometime if you ever want to! And you're welcome!

 

[StrixDesmodus]

I usually write a translation of what they are saying and format it differently than speech or actions.

Example:
Sam: I'll talk to you later, Francis. And with that I approached the forlorn looking girl. I signed my greeting with a big smile, feeling obligated to converse with her since I was the only one in the the room who knew American Sign Language, and also a little glad to find someone who knew the language I shared with my mother. Hello, I'm Sam. What's your name?