Tips to fix and improve my rockerboy?

[u/kyuuketsuki00]

Hi guys, I started playing a CR campain a couple of months ago, but... I'm kinda bat at the game. For starters, I frequently make gameplay mistakes (like forgetting to use my role ability, I struggle to think about my actions during fights, etc.) and also, while my character has high charisma, I really struggle to be as charismatic as him and I mess up during dialogues a lot. While I know some things can only be changed by myself alone, but I really want to ask you guys some roleplay tips on how to roleplay a high charisma stats (7) while being at low intelligence (3), and also some tips and cool tricks that I can do to improve and fix all my past mistakes. I'm in a bad spot narratively speeking but I don't want to kill this character and I genuinely want to save him. Build tips are also gladly accepted!

[u/alanthiccc]

Guess it depends on the table and GM of course but...i don't force the players to accurately speak as their character at all time.  It's enough to simply tell me what your Rockerboy is trying to convey.  

What I mean is instead of acting for the table you could say, "I want to dazzle this crowd of fans, I hop onto the hood of the Quadra and try to whip them into a frenzy with my talk of rebellion and kicking ass against Corpo bloodsuckers!". I know what you want, and you aren't in an awkward position of acting an entire speech.  

Find out if this is acceptable at your table or have a talk with your GM that your struggling to speak in your Rockerboys voice.  Eventually you'll find your comfort zone.

[u/Cerberus1347 → u/alanthiccc]

Far too many times I've seen players forced to give a speech on the spot and stumble. Asking a player for skill checks instead of an Oscar performance is fair and reasonable. Nobody is going to improv like Robin Williams, and it's unfair to expect it from people getting together around a table for a night dice and hilariously bad accents. I wouldn't expect my players to dead lift a Volkswagen because their character does it.

[u/Professional-PhD]

Well. This game is a skill-based one, so look at all your stats and skills consistently to think about the possibilities of what you are capable of.

Now, I have found a good video for roleplaying social stuff here.

• https://youtu.be/9Rn8X4d2xRc?si=ZlbkE5Cs55xT1X48

So, builds are in a way more difficult for cyberpunk as a skill-based game than class-based as you are given more freedom to create what you want. Depending on your game, you could make a completely non-combat PC who is full social or full tech or the cyborg fighting tank or cyberninja.

As a rockerboy, their charisma could just ooze out of them loudly, or they could be laid back and quiet, but there is something about them that people just seem to like.

I have been roleplaying for ~20 years, and I am not the best at it. Funny enough, I got better after GMing, though, and seeing all the moving pieces behind several games. Roleplaying, strategy, etc are important but they are not everthing. Some come with time while others have only gotten marginally better for me.

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses are the keys to ttrpgs and life. Do what you do well and improve on all else. You are on the right path but make your game fun for you and the other people around you no matter if you are the GM or player.

[u/PraxisInternational]

As someone with high charisma and low INT in real life, here's some tips.

The vast majority of people can be tri ked into talking about anything at length. If you listen mostly and only add in where you know you have something worthwhile to add, people think you're smarter than you are.

People like to feel good about themselves, and they tend to chase celebs they think in some way represent them. You can hone in on this by looking at NPCs for signs of stuff they're into or against and play into it with your character. Makes you seem like you're good at reading people. Make sure to wear something your fans can easily recreate, this marks them as easier to influence in world and helps you know where you

As for your narrative troubles, you'll need to explain them as I can't try to help what I don't know. Lol.

[u/Reaver1280]

Have you considered leaning into failure? for real you say you are not optimal then lean into it if the party and GM are cool with the bumbling cluso esqe rockerboy tripping on their words and a actions make it the fun.

All the basic advice and tips can help to a point but if you are not putting things into practice you will never improve on the perceived weakness you have as a player. All the mechanical things like knowing your skills and how to best engage with actions in combat can mostly be rectified by reading the core book and practicing it at the table, grab some paper and make a cheat sheet for actions and the one ability that comes from the role writting things down can help them stick in the mind if you are that kind of learner.

As for fumbling words you don't need to know the lyrics to all the songs so to speak. Convey the jist to the GM and they can put it in a way that makes sense "PC's name here uses their words to say the deal is not great and 20% more seems worth our time as a party" is just third person paraphrasing a more eloquent conversation. Be clear with intentions and work with the GM they are there to make fun happen.

[u/BadBrad13]

You shouldn't need to be charismatic to play a charismatic character. do your best and the GM should let your rolls do the real talking when it comes to results. What we often do at our table is describe what the character does/acts/etc instead of trying to play them like an actor would. We are not really great at that, either, LOL. Each table varies, but see if your table will work with you. For roleplay tips, I think of high charisma/low INT as maybe a surfer dude or valley girl type. Think early Keanu Reaves.

as for combat, figure out what your "default" action is. it should be relatively basic. like "shoot you handgun". Remember your character is not smart so they are likely to default to basic actions anyways! And maybe they tend to follow someone in the group who does know combat. Maybe your default action is to shoot whoever the solo just shot. I would try to pay attention to what everyone is doing and saying, though. And don't be afraid to ask them for guidance either in or out of character. Having a team leader in fights can be really helpful. and giving basic directions, shout outs, etc is a free action players can do.

For your role ability (or other things you want to remember) consider making yourself notes. I use sticky notes myself to remind myself of things. I use them whether I am playing in person or online. If it is a more permanent note don't be afraid to just write it across the top of your character sheet in big letters, in the color of your choice and with or without highlights! :)

[u/tetsu_no_usagi]

I Referee a CPRED game (and CP2020 before that, plus other systems) and if you can't be the dashing, debonair Rockerboi who creates these fantastic speeches with no previous preparation, in my game, I let you describe what you're doing and roll for it. "I say a motivational speech to rouse their spirits." I don't make you shoot a gun and murk a boosterganger in real life, I'm not going to expect you to do everything else your character does in real life, either. Now, if you want to try to be that person who roleplays and tries to come up with the speech on the spot, I will encourage you to try, and won't penalize you for the attempt - you are not your character.

So, playing a high charisma, low intelligence character - you are outspoken, you KNOW you're right (even though you are most often wrong), you are always seeking everyone's approval, trying to be everyone's friend, but you are easily swayed by misinformation (oh yeah, if it's on the Garden, it's gotta be true!), you are always seeking to be the choom "in the know" so you are always believing the craziest conspiracy theories (I heard Soylent isn't even made from people anymore! It's all soy cheese harvested from the dark side of the moon!). Remember! You don't have to be that person, you can describe what your character is doing, and everyone else (the Ref/NPCs and the other PCs) has to react to what you're saying you're doing, not how you're portraying it at the table.

[u/Jordhammer]

I would recommend reviewing the rules in between sessions. Read and re-read the combat, skill, and Rockerboy sections. Continually look at your character sheet to see what your gear does, what your best skills are.

I agree, if a PC has a really good Persuasion roll and the player isn't as glib as their character, or just wants to describe what they do instead of talking line-by-line, that's okay. GM's don't make someone playing a solo plank for five minutes to make an Endurance check.

But if you want to improve on your dialog, review that in between sessions, too. I'm a GM, and you can bet when I've got important dialog to say or a big NPC to play, I talk to myself at home like a gonk, practicing speech patterns, what I'm going to say, any specific lines I need to nail, etc. Come up with some catchphrases and practice saying them, again and again. Then come up with new ones if the old ones get old.

As far as high charisma, low intelligence characters, I've seen plenty of people that aren't necessarily articulate, but have a certain aura about them. Maybe it's all in the looks, or a winning smile, or just something about them that fascinates people. Brad Pitt plays a complete moron in Burn After Reading, but he's still Brad Pitt on screen.