T w e n t y S i d e d
This one has a bit of an in-joke in the second panel. The phrase, “Why is nobody ever glad to see us?!” was uttered in varying forms quite often during our campaigns.
I often tried to speak in Tolkienesque form when roleplaying some ruler or other important NPC, although the effort was usually wasted because of the misunderstandings it caused. The players would ask me to translate (or Bogan would translate) so I ended up switching to plain English anyway.
The conversations would sound like this:
SOME BIG IMPORTANT DUKE OR WHATEVER: Long has it been since these halls have seen the champions of Greymoor. Have you come now to make good on your oath?SKEEVE: Huh?
THORDEK: Ummmm…
THUFIR: Zzzzzzz…
BOGAN: He’s saying it’s been a long time since we were here and he wants to know if we’ve done that job for him yet.
SKEEVE: It’s on our to-do list.
SBIDOW: So why do you trouble my gatekeeper? Have you come to request some new boon while your old debt remains unpaid?
SKEEVE: Huh?
THORDEK: ?
THUFIR: Zzzzzzz…
BOGAN: He’s saying we better not ask him for anything until we do that job.
SKEEVE: I hate this guy.
THUFIR: Zzzzzzz…
THORDEK: What did he want us to do again?
– Shamus, Wednesday Nov 15, 2006
You know, when I decided to do Dad’s quotes the way I did, I didn’t anticipate the quote-ception that would arise. Oops.
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I think players are still quite capable of misunderstanding NPC dialogue, even given in plain English.
I find that when important NPCs talk (and by degrees act) like mobsters it improves understanding immensely.
“Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest, capiche?”
I bet that’s how Henry II actually said it. We can’t prove he didn’t!
“Regie, Hughey, Willie, Dicky, will no one rid me of this troublesome priest? Eh? Gabagool? Now ged outta ‘ere.”
Hey, did you do that thing for that very good friend of ours down the way yet?
Huh. Looks like Shamus never did find Bogan’s backstory in his campaign notes…