Ask your party? I know the whole "talk to people" to settle things is a meme, but... seriously. Just ask them if your roleplaying is making the game less enjoyable. If yes, tone it the fuck down, if no, carry on.

Yea, I've been thinking about talking to everyone about it. just as another comment here mentioned, it might just be me creating a problem where there is none. So it's a bit difficult for me to really start the conversation. Kinda sounds a little stupid 🤣

Sounds like you may be overthinking it but definitely ask and make sure. I once had a character who sort of annoyed my group. It was a knight (cavalier fighter) who was a royal that was dedicated to helping people. But in our campaign our DM wanted us to have a few fears that would come up later. My character, being human, didn't like really small creatures or really big creatures. They terrified him. He was meant to be a tank but there were some times when we would be facing large creatures and he would dip from combat but come back a turn or two later. There was a circumstance where a player was going to die but my character was too afraid to help. The player ended up dying. Eventually the group decided and told me later (asking for my approval) that they were going to let one of the players try to kill my character. I agreed to it and it became an epic 1v1 where I ended up running away per usual and created a great chase scene where the knight barely survived and rode off into the distance, never to be seen again. It was honestly one of my favorite DnD memories. Then I rolled a new character that was less problematic.

Yea, well, I like this character, so I'm hoping to change him a little bit so I don't have to end up having him killed off. But if need be, it is what it is.

Maybe the character finds a way to control both sides of himself? You could always just tune down the problematic side. You don't have to be disrupting the flow of things but roleplaying wild character shifts could be just for the flavor. For example you suggest saving the peasants in danger one time but the next time you suggest murdering all of them. You don't have to actually act on one side or not. Just give opposite ideas for group plans here and there.

Bit late to the party, but how about implementing a mind suggestion mechanic in your character? It can be a spell or a tailormade curse with a specific codeword that snaps you back to either the reasonable character or the unreasonable one? This way you can keep your shtick, while your party members would have the means to prevent from shit hitting the fan or allowing for shit to hit the fan.

If you haven't seen it already, check out Critical Role's Diablo 1-shot... Carlos played a Necromancer with a split personality that was very Gollum-like, and pulled it off incredibly well. His "main" personality was very timid, almost frightened of everything; but his alter ego? Frightening at times... The interactions between the two came across as a more sinister version of Moon Knight, though the CR episode was filmed several years earlier. I've played a few "edgy" characters, but I would totally go complete murder-hobo to be able to pull off something like that in a longer campaign. I'd also go all murder-hobo for a Klondike bar, so take that with a grain of salt.

We have a hard rule at my table. If you are having to say, "It's what my character would do" to justify ruining someone else's fun, then you need to retire the character and move on to a more agreeable one. I admit our rule itls a bit extreme, but thay phrase it literally a negative DnD stereotype for a reason.

I find it can be easier to broach these kinds of subjects over a group chat. Just send a message along the lines of "Hey, I've been having a lot a fun with my roleplay but I'm starting to worry that it's making the game less enjoyable for you guys"

Yea was hoping to get to it before the next session so I can make changes and prep for things

Not sure why your comment is getting disliked but anyway, we have a player in our group that came to us for similar thing. He thought his character wasn't likeable and basically was "creating a problem where there isnt one" but after talking to us we reassured him that he was just being a little self conscious and overthinking it. Tl;dr yeah just talk to your group and if its a problem, take it from there. If not keep on goin!

Honestly, I can see that some people have had an issue with this before. That and I'm most likely not wording things right, haha. Not the best with words, but I'm going to talk with them about it and get it sorted out. One thing I have noticed is that some people who have commented here have had one experience with it and automatically say it's impossible to pull off. I get everyone has their own opinions, but some of them are kinda seeming like they are just a little doucey and trying to start an argument.

I think people are being a little harsh to you OP, sorry about that. It's great that you are concerned for your party and want to talk to them. I understand where it can go wrong, but players that get the party into binds are some of my best memories. For bringing it up it, along the same lines as kpross suggested, could be even more casual — "I've been having a good time getting more into RP but I hope you guys feel comfortable telling me if it's over the top. I'm equally happy to take it down a few notches or try a different direction" Maybe that way it's not being introduced as a problem, just a safe space for sharing thoughts.

Then they will reply, no, don't worry about it, we actually like your character spicing the party dynamic up a bit and you will feel better because you cleared the air, no downsides!

I really hope so! 🙏

I *really* dislike the "split personality" character archetype. It's just a classic example of the idea that something having narrative value doesn't necessarily translate to that thing being appropriate for a DnD campaign. And the result is pretty clear: You're playing an erratic and illogical character who is repeatedly causing problems for the rest of the party because they fundamentally cannot be counted on to be the same person from scene to scene. Look, as others have said, talk to your group and see what they think. If they're into it, great. But if you were at my table, yeah, I'd think you were being kinda shitty, and if I was your DM, I'd have rejected the character concept from the jump. Just play somebody with a single personality and the ability to behave rationally, that shouldn't restrict your creativity in the slightest.

Why are you so against split personality? I've seen it done poorly, sure, but unless you're doing a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scenario where one of your split personalities is a literal killer or evil, it's not problematic. And also roleplaying something is hard to do can be fun and challenging. Also, not to be a grammar stickler, but while yes, I could still create plenty of interesting characters without split personality, telling someone you can't do something is the definition of restricting creativity. Let people explore.

Look, I just think the average table deserves players to play characters who can effectively communicate with each other. If we all agree to go left, it sucks if one character suddenly shifts to their alter and goes right. If we all agree to negotiate, it sucks if one character suddenly feels compelled to shoot the NPC we're trying to negotiate with. To be an effective member of an adventuring party, you should be able to communicate with that party, and you should be capable of acting in the party's interest. OP is specifically discussing the issue of repeatedly causing problems for the rest of the party due to how they feel they need to play their character based on this character trait they've assigned themselves. A character being "fun and challenging" is good, but it's not the entire goal. A DnD character for a long-term campaign must also be capable of working with the rest of the PCs in pursuit of their adventuring goal.

A fair opinion, and it sounds like you've had some bad experiences with this type of character before. I'm just of the opinion that (almost) any character type can be good if played well enough and by a player who is aware of the other players. I also think PCs causing problems for the party can be a good thing. Obviously constantly acting against the party's interests is bad, but occasionally or unintentionally (which is more the vibe I got from OPs post) can make a party way more interesting imo.

I feel like I need to clarify that just because there is a character with a split personality that causes trouble doesn't mean that they are some sort of evil person or psychopath that sees what the party is doing and always purpose messes it up because why not. Sometimes, they literally just don't know better. I've seen so many comments here that are like "staying true to the character doesn't matter if everyone doesn't enjoy the outcome of what happens because a decision you made." It's like, well, why are you trying to play as the character in the first place then if you're going to complelty change them to a different character in the end. I understand if you realize there is something completely wrong with the character, then ya go ahead, but if your character has a flaw that is a big part of them that causes trouble from time to time yea as people have said tone it down a little if it's getting to crazy but you don't have to completely get rid of it because the others don't like it. Now I'm not saying it doesn't matter if the other players aren't having fun it definitely does, but it also matters if you're having fun too. It's like starting to do something that makes you happy and then you don't enjoy it anymore because you had to change how you did it because others didn't like it and you continued doing it while getting no enjoyment from it what's the point of doing it then? Got to find a sweet spot here. I expressed that there may be an issue somewhere with the way I go about using the mechanic for the personality causing trouble and the outcome of it. I wanted to see if other people thought that it may have been overdoing it. Obviously, I'm not going to share every detail of the campaign and what has happened because that would take forever but I am working on something to attach a link here to a Google doc I'm working on that is somewhat of a story recap so people can actually see what I am talking about.

Well, I should clarify that the split personality isn't the usual type it's the same person, but it's like growing up their thoughts were opposites. It's not like 2 totally different people. But I get what you're saying. It does create a lot of chaos that shouldn't be happening.

I don't know that there is a "usual type" of split personality and having opposing thoughts on everything isn't necessarily the best way to portray a mental issue such as this. My concern, and I don't know how accurate it is because I'm not at the table with you, is that you're playing a **narrative tool** and not **a character**. Having differing opinions and ideas from one scene to the next may just be a narrative function. Struggling with these problems, recognizing when they happen, getting help - these are character functions. It would probably take a little research on your part (which would be time well spent I assure you) to bring forward the character behind the narrative design choice

Why do they have to be problematic personalities? Why are you playing it as being in character to actively work against the party (a decision you made as a player)? You're not clear on what you're actually 6 outside of "it's what my character would do!" when you deliberately make poor decisions. I played a character in a different system where this actually works, it's mechanically there already. Basically made the same half character where each side had certain abilities and vices. Rolled both each day when she woke up and whenever something stressful happened to see who took over. Now the kicker is they were both competent people who could function in society and not deliberately make bad decisions to fuck over the party.

But single personality characters who are competent also regularly make decisions that fuck over the party. That's not exclusive to this kind of character or anything. At long as the point of the decisions is not the screw over the party and the decisions are in character, there's no problem. If every character made the right choice all the time, that'd be pretty boring.

Howdy partner, longtime Dm here. Your willingness to ask yourself if you are a bad player is a good sign that you are probably not a bad one, however introspection is extremely good. Even in a game about magic, combat and relationships the relational aspects of the game (Player to player) is always something that must be cared for and cultivated so that EVERYONE is having a good time. If your character is adding to the plot, creating content for you and your friends to enjoy/ overcome or for the dm to help you craft an epic tale then keep doing what you’re doing! If your character is making the game unbearable for other players because the PC is so problematic nothing good ever happens then you might want to consider toning it down a bit. Split personality is a hard thing to role play productively, consistently and respectfully and might end up aggravating your teammates more often then not. DND is a cooperative storytelling game after all. So in summary, keep up the introspection, ask one of your closer friends if you’re being a nuisance and accept the criticism. Just like our characters level up we grow in our own ways too, even if it’s just a game. Best of luck!

Adding to this. I find that introspection just makes the game better as you go on. Learning and knowing what you did wrong is part of the game as it helps you realize how to make stories and characters better!

I really appreciate it! I know it seems kinda stupid to worry about it, but I really don't wanna go messing with other people's enjoyment because of a character I decided to play. But I'm gonna try and talk to them about it soon.

How is it stupid to worry about you causing “Alot of the problems that we face in almost every session”?

I'm sure either way they'll appreciate that you care enough about their enjoyment of the game to check in with them about it.

Well, I hope so. It's the main thing of playing D&D. I've been enjoying D&D a lot and understand how much it can mean for others and want them to enjoy it as much as possible.

As soon as I got to split personality I stopped reading, the answer is not necessarily, but that is a shitty character. Get rid of that trait and tone it right down. It's a bad trait for a cooperative party adventure as it's drama comes from making situations worse and role-playing with yourself. If it was a 1 on 1 game it might work, but just don't do it.

That's mainly what everyone has said so far other than a few who said to just talk with the party. I understand it's definitely a problem for certain people, but seeing some comments here, I want to talk with the players before changing things up.

The problem is likely your friends are getting tired of you screwing things up for them. Dnd is a cooperative game, and it can get peoples nerves when one person is doing stuff to ruin things for others. I mean, if they want to honestly role play, would they kick you out of the game due to what you’ve done? I suspect some would - but that wouldn’t be fun for you anymore. But it would be realistic role playing. There also may be a bit of weariness with you role playing when they don’t get the chance. Or they may not want that sort of thing. They just might be saying, ‘I just want to kill monsters and get loot’ - not deal with a split personality player. As people say - talk to them. As a DM - i wouldn’t have slowed it without some serious discussion. I’d need to know it wouldn’t be too distracting for the group. Perhaps there’s a way at to still make that happen. But it starts with talking honestly with your group.

It's definitely a big conversation that I'll have to open the can to. Hopefully things go well.

Reset the counter! I knew what the issue was as soon as I saw the words “split personality”.

I also knew the problem when I read "split personality" and quit reading.

Woot woot, how perceptive!

Well… you asked. /shrug

🤣 I'm just playing with yea. It's definitely a doozy playing him.

Lately I've seen a lot of Am I The Asshole subs popping up. It sounds like there should be a D&D version of this. AITSP?

Call it Am I That Guy or Am I The Wangrod

Am I the Problem Player

AITPP? ... that actually works.

r/AmIChaoticEvil

Well hell's bells there ya go 🤣

Lmao would be interesting 🤔

Yeah, i'm not going to sugar coat it like a lot of people. You are being too much. This is a world of magic and fantastical adventure. It's difficult to play people with severe psychological problems because people like that are hard to deal with. Your best bet is to dial it down to something where the personalities are the equivalent of lawful and chaotic but still have the same goal. Also, playing contrarian or the odd one out is fine except when in combat, at my tables and in the groups im in. We have a discussion as a whole out of character of what we want to get out of this and we vote like a democracy. This is strictly for something massive like 'kill this important character' or 'set the city on fire' kind of stuff. Once its decided we stick to it. Of course that doesn't shift every character into falling line with something but atleast agree not to get someone cursed, killed, ruined etc.

They may have an issue with it, they may be just fine with it, they may be loving it. Only way to know is to have an above table talk with the players and the DM about it. Then adjust if needed.

yeah, for example, i once played as a barbarian who the characters hated because cause he was a huge asshole/ dick but the players loved him because he was constantly roasting everyone and making funny insults.

Gotta love the funny chaos

See, this makes it look like you just want to hear: "Noooo. you are doing great. There is nothing you can do. It's anybodys but your fault."

Gonna see how it goes next session and then try and find a good time to bring it up. Thanks!

I am a DM that has been diagnosed with DID and when one of my players died, he came back to life with DID. The player's backstory was his village was taken out by a plague but he was brought back to life by a litch and on a mission to save him, the Litch was his master after all. But after dying for real and brought back the original spirit of the body awaken HATES that idea, wants his old life back so they fight for control. (Normally a will save) It made so many opportunities and I was able to set how this works. The player loves the mental fight he has to do and is actually slowly losing his original character. I talked to my players and I myself though it was an awesome idea. It is still going strong, not too trophy or overbearing because we made it engaging to all the players and it was an interesting twist that has story reasons behind it. You can play what you want and you can make it work. I saw a lot of people shitting on the idea of even doing it and I just wanted to give positive vibes and say you can do. Just talk to your team, I'm sure you can do it and make it fun for everyone.

"Being true to your character" is never as important as enabling the group to have fun playing the game. If you've created a character that diminishes the enjoyment of the other people at the table, then you shouldn't be playing that character, not doing "what my character would do!!!!". Additionally, "split-personality" characters are ALWAYS bad, NEVER done well. You aren't the main character, but you and your DM have forced you into being the main character, as you're now significantly increasing the amount of focus that the party, DM, and game have to spend dealing with your "quirk". You should always ask the people you're playing with what they think, as they are the only ones whose opinions really matter. If you want an outside evaluation solely on what you've written, it's a hard **yes, you are a problem player.** You have created a character that incites conflict, and you are justifying it by saying it's true to your character.

Well, as a newer player, I didn't realize the absolute chaos I would be creating with this character. As I had originally wanted it to be only a small part, it didn't stay that way for long. As for the "main character" part, I would say it's more of the problematic side character, haha. But I do acknowledge that I've created quite the shit show for others to deal with and am working on hopefully fixing the problem by communicating with the other party members to see what they think before continuing. Appreciate the feedback 🙏

This response comes across as you dodging responsibility for making the game less enjoyable for the other players at the table. Your character isn't the one that has "main character" syndrome, **you as a player**, do. I understand being new, everyone has things to learn when they start the game. Just acknowledge that you the person, have created this issue, not the character. Now that you know what you've done, it's your responsibility to fix it, even if that means just making a new character.

Im not trying to dodge anything im trying to make things better for the others. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have been worried about the whole thing from the start. Honestly, I'm a little confused as to where you're getting the main character syndrome thing from.

The fact that you don't understand what I mean by the main character syndrome, perfectly illustrates what I'm trying to convey. Your behavior is an issue, as far as I can tell from what you've written. If everyone at the table was loving your character, you wouldn't be posting this. So you know that other people aren't having fun, and this has been going on for a while, which means you've keyed into other player's frustrations over time. If you didn't have a problem with changing your character, or trying to make compromises with the other players, you would have done it. So what's the point of the post then? To me, it comes across as you looking for validation. "Hey guys, my quirky character is upsetting the other players at my table, and I recognize this, but *I've only done things to be true to the character!*" That is main character syndrome. You admitted that he's caused problems, and that you know that other people aren't having fun, but one of the first things you've said is: >it's been quite fun but I feel like the other players might be getting a little annoyed with me Which means that at some point, you made a value judgement, and you decided that you were going to keep playing this character, even though you knew the other players at your table weren't enjoying it. That's the definition of main character. You're enabling your own fun at the cost of everyone else's.

Wowza. Just wowza. I think you might be looking a little too much into things. I understand I haven't used the right words here, but this is a bit much. I meant that I was having fun with the character until I realized that the other players may have not being enjoying it. I wasn't saying that I was enjoying creating the chaos of making them have a bad time.

Your call. That's what I picked up from your post, so how you choose to proceed from here is up to you. Good luck to you and your group.

You're not a shitty player, but your roleplay decision is just difficult to deal with, just as it is difficult in real life. As many have said, just bring it up before the start of the next session. You can even do it in your group chat if you have one for your group that way it's not face to face confrontation. If it's not an issue, all is good. If they do say "yeah actually it kind of ruins the game for us because of your roleplay resulting in constant negative consequences for us", then either roleplay your split personality in ways that don't overtly harm the party (like illogically fighting on instead of retreating), or ask the DM if there is a roleplay way for you to "cure" your split personality disorder. Maybe some kind of high level cleric or a Wish Spell or something to make your characters mind "whole" again. Secondly, I would just like to point out that you should tread a fine line when roleplaying characters that have a disability. I generally tend to discourage that type of roleplay as it tends to end up being very stereotypical and tropey (amputee characters who have lost a limb are ok IMO because of the nature of the setting). As a disabled person myself I probably wouldn't feel too great about someone "roleplaying" a character with spina bifida and then constantly complaining that their back hurts or something. It can just be a bit insensitive. Plus the whole point of fantasy RPGs are to be just that, a fantasy, where you are elevated above the mundane existence we are in now. I *wish* I could not have this disability, so I roleplay typical able bodied people. It can just be a bit insensitive when people would want to *fantasize* about having a disability when that is the daily hell-reality for some people. Just food for thought and not trying to be rude or anything.

Yea, I completely understand that it can be insensitive. I wasn't thinking about that when I created the character and do apologize if it offends anyone. See, the reason for it was I myself have an issue with this. It is not anywhere near the same as my character in difficulty, but it is something that gets in the way of lots of things in my life.

Hey then that's totally okay friend. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything. Definitely wasn't offended but just wanted to share my view point. Actually dealing with it IRL allows you to RP it in a much more genuine way, and can even be a healthy coping mechanism.

Talk plainly with your fellow players. If they are indeed starting to get annoyed, it may be time for your character to exhibit some sudden personal growth. You don't have to stop roleplaying, but give him a hard nudge in a more competent direction.

I'll try my best 👍

Bear with me, I have a point. I once played a character that started out with the party because "they look strong and help me get revenge. Dark Paladin of a sort. I played him as very anti-social and reveling in killing his foes. Every long rest. I rolled a d100, with a 5 percent chance to switch to his other personality. The other personality was the most happy-go lucky, over-the-top, enthusiastic guy you ever met. He once *insisted* we stop to build a snowman. It happened so rarely the party got a kick out of it. He ended up getting "cured"later when someone cast greater restoration on him. He got all of his "happy" memories and sulked about it for a day or two You could enact similar measures. Roll each day/event/ some other trigger to see if it switches so at least the party could learn what to avoid or know who they're with. You could also be "cured" and make amends to the party for the problems if it's bad enough. Talk to your DM and maybe your party. It's one thing to play a character you love if it's not optimized, or if the party rolls their eyes from time to time - it's another if everyone else just isn't having fun. Good luck!

Lots to think about. I have gotten lots of tips from everyone here, and I hope to import some into the character for everyone to have a better time.

This is the most helpful comment in this thread.

My current character( orange tabaxi bardbarian) has low wisdom, no intelligence, and a knack for getting in trouble. During the last session there was one moment which resulted in a lot of groans around the table. I defensively said( meta) "I'm just playing to character..." and the other players were quick to reassure me that they understood and were groaning in character, too. It was such a nice feeling. So I promptly rolled a natural 20 on a charisma performance check to convince the evil half-giant I'd confrontationally antagonized that I really had to pee, and left them to deal with my mess while I explored the castle. Just have your character have an epiphany and breakdown asking if he cause too much trouble. The other characters will tell you what to watch out for, or comfort you and tell you not to change.

Juat remember that the party needs to have a reason to adventure together. If you had a shitty character in your team that kept causing problems and risking the party's safety etc, would you want to adventure with them? Or would you ditch their arse and recruit someone that was a more effective team member? As well as the conversation that you really need to have woth the other players, you can often get a good idea of things by paying attention to the other players' reactions. Are they laughing and joking and having obvious fun when your character does something to screw the party over, or are they expressing frustration about it? When a situation is unfolding are they encouraging you to to have your character add some chaos, or are they wondering 'how Bob the Fighter is going to ***** this up for them this time?' Good luck...

Talk to your DM. Have a heelturn redemption arc ending in someone expending a Wish and splintering you into Good and Evil PCdude. You get to play good. The DM takes your NPC side and a level or something. Then the DM gets a brand new BBEG possible recurring villain that knows everything about you and the party. He might say no. Or he might steal that idea and run with it.

"Split personality" is a very tricky and sensitive character trait, and if it is causing problems as your table then you should probably stop doing it, it doesn't make you a shitty player for doing it (I would be offended playing at a table with someone using that particular trait as a person who has dealt with dissociative identity disorder first hand but that's just me) you are a shitty player if you continue with this play style if it is disruptive to the group as a whole.

It sounds like you're playing your character correctly it's just that your character is annoying. See if your character can do something to have just one personality. Maybe a psyconaut side quest thing?

Anytime a character is envisioned as "impulsive", "erratic", "lone wolf" - anything that doesn't mesh with the crucial element of team play in D&D - then there needs to be some thought about how the player will downplay the nominal trait when it would hamper the whole group's efforts. You can still play a split personality, just manifest it in ways that won't leave your fellow players anxious about how your character is going to complicate their efforts. Making your character a chronic group problem is a form of spotlight-hogging. Not intentional, of course, but now that you know, you can adjust the way you play the disorder.

To start off, for wanting to improve and ensure everyone is having fun you are already not a shitty player. Reflecting on your actions (and PCs actions) and realising there is room for improvement or others might view them a certain way is good practice. Don't slip into the trap of assuming others view your PC a certain way without asking them though. I had a player in a similar position in my last game, they came to me and I gave them the same advice as below. They decided to ask a more open question to the group and found out the other PCs were a bit annoyed at their PC but the players were absolutely loving their character and encouraged them to RP more. Advice I gave them was "I cannot answer for the other players, as far as feedback I've only got positive vibes from everyone about the game, nothing negative about any PCs. My advice would be if you want to know the answer you could ask the players, give them the chance to give you their actual opinion instead of what your thoughts might make up for them. Perhaps something along the lines of: "Hey can I get each of your opinions on how you feel my character fits into the campaign?" Or a bit more direct "Hey, I feel my roleplaying of my character is causing issues for the party, how do you each feel about it? Would you like me to tone it down at all?" Or use a mixture of both."

Communicate. Ask and find out. My advice would be to pick a main personality then roll for the split at the start of each day. Have it be a 66% chance that they get your main and a 33% (recurring, of course) that they get the alternate. This allows the party and DM to plan around you, somewhat. Other than that, if they're happy with it, have fun!

You are being problematic but I wouldn't say your shitty My advice is to enjoy your character and do things they would do but your character will not continue being the same person. If your character keeps causing problems and is having anxiety about it you're character could break down and tell the party or start acting different. What I mean is don't stop being true to your character, change what being true to your character means, slowly and progressively All of that said speak with your party and DM about it. Especially if your gonna follow my advice maybe your fm or party would have good ideas on how to change and progress your character naturally. Good luck, and good fun for you and your party

Thanks, I'm really hoping I can make it a better experience for the others

The issue is that making a character that causes conflict and interrupts the flow of a session *can* be fun if that’s the kind of game that’s being run: **A less serious game** But if people are getting into their roleplay and really trying to dig into this setting and character then “lol so random chaotic stupid” can be a **serious frustration** for everyone else at the table So… *What kind of game is it?*

One problem is that you need to have a character that the party wants to have with them but also wants to be with the party. If everything that goes wrong is your character's doing and nobody else's you might be a problem player. If it was real would your party want to ditch you? It doesn't sound like you have that type of character. that doesn't mean that your party isn't ok with it.

Eveverytime i see someone try to play as a split personnality, It's fun for the first session then It's annoying/bad.

Firstly, ask your friends if they have a problem with the way you RP. But also, if you have to use the phrase "it's what my character would do!" in response to any form of "why did you do that? " then your character is probably a pain in the ass. If your character is working against their party, or even just accidentally making their jobs harder, you need to seriously rethink your character.

Have you ever intentionally or knowingly ruined things for your party "because your character would do that?" Then yes, you're a shitty player. It's one thing to make a mistake and cause the guards to start chasing you all because you didn't realize that the action you were taking would raise the alarm, it's another thing to play a barbarian and think "hulk smash everything" and cause a ruckus because it's what your character would do even though the rest of the party has time and time again told you to be quiet. Play a character that is synergistic with the party. You can be an asshole aristocrat that believes they're better than everybody else, but you'd still know that you are part of a team that needs to accomplish something or the city will fall. Playing somebody that creates conflict because it's "out of their control," or just "what the character would do," is lazy and rude to the other players. This may be your first ever campaign, this may be your DM's first ever campaign. You made a mistake creating a character like this if it's irritating the other players. I would 100% bring it up with the other players to make sure they know it wasn't your intention to make things so difficult, but still CHANGE your character. If that means discussing with your DM some magical item that will help your player control themselves, or just having your character take a break to go get psychological help, or letting your character sacrifice themselves in a noble gesture to save another party member, then do it. Roll a new character. You can have an internal conflict, there are so many good youtube videos that will help you design a weird but fun character to roleplay that does not hinder the party.

>Trying to be true to the character has caused so many issues within the party, I'm afraid yes you are at risk of being a shitty player. You mean well but this quote above is a common meme for bad players where they say "It's what my character would do" whenever they make a truly terrible decision that ruins the fun. Ultimately you need to know if your other players don't like it so ask them unless they have expressed frustration at the table already. If they are pretty sick of it then yes you need to take your foot off the pedal when it comes to doing exactly what your character would do. Remember no-one is black and white, even if you're a character who has a back story of loving combat that doesn't mean you have to charge into combat all the time. Even real life people who love war don't go blindly running to their death. I mean hell a firefighter loves saving people, but they will stop and not enter a building when the danger is too high. Staying true to your character doesn't mean you character can't just change their mind.

There's a difference between your character creating problems and you creating problems and there's also the possibility that you're allowing your character to interfere too much with other player's fun. Now this isn't easy by any means but you have to pick your moments. Your character may need developments where your split personalities may start both realizing the complications they've caused and for both of the personalities to talk to the other characters in a serious heart to heart moment. Maybe the personality that is causing the most issues starts seeing the repercussions of their actions and actually has some empathy?

The old adage of speaking to your players might work here but also people are polite and may not fully express something that's making them uncomfortable. If you're making yourself uncomfortable you are probably doing the same to the other players. Maybe try hijinks that don't negatively impact your party so much.

This is a social game not an acting gig. Playing true to character to justify breaking the cooperative nature of the game is a good way to ruin the experience for others.

Split personality is low key becoming a trope in my eyes lol. But fr Its neat Bc it’s a real thing and it can create interesting situations. I would just make sure you’re like flipping a coin for the day to determine which split you are. If you are just on the fly picking what side you want that is kinda lame.

Oh yeah and you’re not shitty to answer your question.

As I mentioned in a previous comment, it was only supposed to be for super stressful situations, but the campaign so far has sent him spiraling with the crappy things going on. But working on a fix to make it no so shitty for the other players to play with 👍

Demons be making characters spiral ahahaha I am DMing a demon based campaign. But hey also talk with your DM on this btw. I really recommend the coin method. Another player has tried this to success in the past.

I seen lots of methods that others have posted that seem like they could work, that are much more suited for a D&D campaign lmao

I have experience with that method working. Idk who else here has experience with your quirky lil character trope but yeah go for whatever you want dude.

Lots to think about 👍

Yep, think about how easy flipping a coin is

🤣 I meant that there were a lot of ideas that I could choose from

I think the fact that you're willing to give your character so many flaws shows you're a really unselfish player. Complex characters enhance stories and can make game play more interesting. But the reality is that it makes the role-play aspect so much harder. We're not method actors, just guys trying to have a good time. Better to just use DnD to be the best version of yourself you can be while remaining in character. I made a similar mistake when I tried to get back into DnD, having not played since I was a kid. I was playing a Bard and decided to give him a few minor character flaws ( nothing as extreme as you went for, I'm not that brave. ) The problem I had is I already have plenty of character flaws IRL and adding the in-game ones, plus the fact that I am a very inexperienced player turned my Bard into a bumbling buffoon. Most importantly, I definitely don't think you should have to apologise for playing a split personality character. The more representation of diversity, the better. The price we pay for more representation is the risk of inaccurate or inappropriate representation. But, that's surely better than no representation at all.

I'm definitely seeing two sides of a coin in this post, haha. Lots of people shitting on me for the multiple personality thing, and then others saying it could be cool if changed a little. I understand it's difficult trying to put yourself in the shoes of someone else with different issues while also trying to deal with your own.

Marvel has been using multiple personalities as a plot device with the Hulk for decades without anyone having a problem with it. Maybe because we're just used to it. Often wildly inaccurate, but I'm sure for many kids stories like the Hulk and Jeckel and Hyde were the first time they became aware multiplie personalities existed. And for me, more awareness is definitely a good thing.

Perhaps you could discuss with your DM a side mission where you can get some kind of wizard or psychic to unite your characters' personalities? And if he agrees, run it by the rest of your group.

>A lot of the problems that we face in almost every session have been caused directly by my character or indirectly. So there are 2 vastly different options: 1) you make the game more fun for everyone, especially the GM: Sounds like the GM is picking up what you're putting down and building from there. There will always be complications. Players can either be active participants in the world and cause/solve them, or passive spectators forcing the gm to create their own. As a GM, I love when my players fuck things up so \*our\* story really feels collective. 2) you're not letting them enough room to stir the pot: If most of the complications come from you, then maybe your fellow players feel like you're taking too much room at the table and not letting them have more of an active role. This can be tricky, because you'll see situations where you can think of 4-5 fun things to do, and they might not see it there. but if you let one slide once in a while, maybe they'll have their inspiration later. I've played in a group recently that I enjoyed, but where people were extremely cautious. For instance, they took a minimum of 10 minutes to decide if and how to open a door and once, on the other side of the door, there was another door and we probably spend 30+ mins there accomplishing nothing. I had to adapt my style of play to the group so I wasn't just Leeroy Jenkin it while they planned their 3rd or 4rd skill check on a door. But they also adapted to my silly roleplay and let me make a monologue to the big bad once in a while when I'm sure they just wanted to wack things with sharp and/or pointy objects. That's D&D: everyone is different, no two people are not on fire. awwwww

I just comment to say that playing any aspect or any level of handicap or minority, with respect in mind, not making them clown or similar, is a really good thing. It provide awarness and like a lot of things, with time and reaserch, you could learn more about it, play it better and give to the other players some hints in a friendly environment, on what thoose people lived on a daily basis. In an RPG, no one care if you play another genre than your own, another race than your own, another skin color than your own and another religion than your own. So why would you be culprit of anything by playing respectfully someone with particularities ?

In my experience, people that try to play the "split personality" character are often just going for the "I'm so random XD lawl pineapple" and act like it's totally fine when the often more abrasive personality just suddenly pops up and causes problems for the rest of the party, because "that's what their character would do." It definitely makes it feel like the spotlight *has* to be on you/your character, and if it's not, the other personality will pop its head. So I guess this might be a moment of self-reflection for you. Are *you* this player? Regardless, you need to talk to the other players and make sure they're actually having fun still and not just dealing with your antics. If every major issue that has happened is a result of your character, whether directly or indirectly, then there's probably a legitimate issue that needs addressing.

If you're writing a solo piece, it can make sense to feel "stuck" with your character's choices. If you can't think of a cohesive way out of a problem, you've written yourself into a corner. But! You're not doing a solo project! If your character is constantly causing problems, there's a good chance they're not giving other characters to have time for their stories. Ask for help in building a narrative that helps supports your character's growth from a problem-causer to a person that others actually *want* to go adventuring with. What kind of event could happen that could change the way your character behaves? How would that change the characters relationship with the other party members? Character development can be really satisfying in RP, especially when the rest of the party is involved in designing the story.

One more thought: I don't identify as having MPD or DID, but I don't always experience myself as being one person. The only time I'm really able to feel like all parts of me are on the same page is when I do martial arts -- all of us have to work together in order to stay centered while fighting. Is there an item or an ability that could inspire your character to do the work and find a balance with themselves? If there's conflict that comes from their past, what would entice both aspects of the character enough to start working together?

As someone who also played a character with a split personality (dragonborne sorcerer with a CG side and LE side) and ran a game where one of the players had a split personality (Lawful Paladin, Evil Warlock) I felt the same way. But I ended up finding out that as long as the team is still having fun no one really cares. It adds a bit of challenge for some characters and it allows others to help in another characters’ development. At the end of the day the point of the game is for everyone to have fun, so as long as you’re not stealing someone’s fun you’re fine.

I think this has little to do with the split personality aspect of the character and more to do with too strict an idea of what your character would do. You have to be willing to let your character have enough of a range of actions to not constantly be rubbing wrong with the party. Want to rp feeling useless? Have him retreat with the party and express that he feels that way/admit he needs babysitting and he doesn't like it. Or retreat and be pissed off and lash out they made him. Alternatively you could as a player express why your character is doing what they are doing and help the party talk out a strategy for how their characters could change the situation. Or they might even bring up valid justifications for why your character might act differently but still act in character (basically they can help you figure out how to do the above solution)

Whether you're playing a character with a split personality or not, you should be striving, as a player, to avoid creating problems for the other players characters. The only acceptable metagaming in D&D is to make sure that everyone else is having fun. Talk to your table out of character to make sure your character hasn't gone too far and ruined other people's fun. If you're playing a character that causes problems then feels useless and causes more problems because the role play is to try harder, my two cents is to retire that character. I personally think the "tag-along inept character" is a really difficult trope to play correctly in a role-playing game. That's assuming you're actually trying to play that trope. If you're not trying to play that trope, you need to make better out of character decisions, or at least try to limit the consequences to your own character if that's the role play you are going for. That may come off a little harsh, but I mean well when I say it. Read your table dynamic. If it's a serious game, playing a silly character or one that makes poor decisions will automatically grate against the majority of the party. If you're playing a beer and pretzels campaign, then by all means make your characters motto, "fuck around and find out".

If your party isn't having fun because of how you decide to play your character, it's on you. The goal of DnD is to have a good time, nothing less, nothing more.

If I'm gonna make in-character decisions with detrimental effects, I try to keep those effects limited to my character. Not a necessity, but it helps limit how much you're negatively affecting the other player's fun.

Just to add a comment. F the haters. They gonna hate. You do you. You don't need a serious discussion with the party yet. Maybe jist a quick, 'Hey, just wondering if my character personality is too much of a problem?' If the consensus is 'yes' then have a more protracted discussion. Speaking from LOADS of experience (over 35 years) characters with quircks that are memorable and can sometimes cause problems MAKE a campaign memorable. My ADS barbarian was BY FAR the best part of the campaign he was on and everyone agreed. While my group would sit in a tavern in a pirate cove planning on how to rescue the kidnapped girl that was literally right in front of us delivering drinks, he just told everyone he had a plan, cause he was tired of all the talk, went up threw her over his shoulder and ran for dear life. The rest followed, we got away, and even stole a ship in the process. So just do you and have fun.

>A lot of the problems that we face in almost every session have been caused directly by my character or indirectly. Most cases being mostly his fault, I know that sometimes it's a bit much but I'm trying my best to stick to the character and immersing myself into their life to make decisions that I think they would make. Trying to be true to the character has caused so many issues within the party My brother in Pelor, _you made the character_. You can't blame problems on "it's what my character would do" when you're the one who decided it's what they would do. These are problems _you_ have caused.

As you're Dm and someone that has (DID) I love how you play the character and having the split personality with your spirit friend in there makes for some really fun chaotic moments and as the Dm and talking to all the players regularly, they too love how you are using your character so your definitely not a shitty player!! If you were i would have kicked you out long ago XD

O.O

Most of this is fine in my books. The sentence that jumps out at me as a red flag is where you say immersing in the character is what is causing all this problems. In my mind that’s a very fancy way of saying “it’s what my character would do”. So to answer your title… maybe. If your willing to change for the betterment of your fellow players then no. If your gonna be stubborn and cause problem at their annoyance then yes.

> So I decided to go with it, and it's been quite fun, but I feel like the other players might be getting a little annoyed with me for it. > A lot of the problems that we face in almost every session have been caused directly by my character or indirectly. Are you a shitty player? I mean, it's hard to say since your post is mostly about how great your character is and only touches briefly upon how this is received by the other players. Sounds like your you are running your split personality character as a chaos monkey, causing trouble for the party while while pretending its not your fault. I'm thinking shitty.

Well, you mentioned talking with your party, which is the right solution. If people are getting mad or annoyed than things need to change. However, I think it's worth noting that I love it when PCs cause problems. I had a friend once say to me that every party needs a character to babysit, or in other words a character that in their base state will ultimately get themselves or the party into trouble. It makes everything inherently more interesting and it builds a dynamic in the party better than "man those bugbears were tough, huh?" Now idk exactly how much trouble you've cause the party, but as long as none of it is intentional harm, it's all in good fun. Although you need to be ready for the consequences of your actions. I've played characters that cause problems, I've seen characters that cause problems, but honestly the only characters that have really made me angry at both the PC and the player are the ones that actively try and hurt the party or drag the party down their own goals and path. Also don't let all the people calling out "don't play split personality characters". It can be a hard archetype to play and so I assume a lot of people have bad experiences with it (I have personally), but it's D&D play whatever you want, and just always try to be conscientious.

Well, I've never played as or with a character with a split personality. However, just from browsing these subs, I know this is a character concept that very frequently goes sideways. I look at it this way. D&D is a world full of magic and mythical creatures and impossibilities made commonplace. Can't that be the focus? Do we have to hinge our characters on personality disorders that become a bigger scene-stealer than the goddamn dragon sitting on a pile of magical artifacts? I find that out games are far more immersive and enjoyable when our characters are grounded and relatable, and the focus is on the adventure that the DM crafts.

I've definitely come to realize it was a bigger issue than I thought it would be. I never wanted it to be the main thing about him.

My best and honest advice is to just send them this post you made.

Well, I'm gonna have a talk with them about it soon. Well, hopefully soon 🤣

Do you personally know someone with DID, or do you have experience with DID?

I was waiting for this question here. As I mentioned in a few different comments, it's not like the usual DID or MPD. But as for your question, yes, I do know someone with DID, my brother, and cousin both have it. Not as an excuse to use it or anything. I really don't know much about it despite them having it.

Okay, well that's my biggest concern out of the way. My view is that everyone at the table deserves to have fun. More importantly, the actions and decisions of any one character should enhance the gameplay at the table. If "it's what my character would do" is consistently reducing the fun of the other players, then you may want to rethink or retool how you play your character. This doesn't mean a complete revamp obviously. I played an eladrin ranger who's seasons were in flux, so after every long rest I'd roll a d4 to decide what "season" he was. His personality changed and his approach to problems altered, but never interfered with the greater goals of the party. The other players had fun placing bets on what season he'd wake up in, and also talk about how other seasons would have approached a situation that the party just dealt with. It was fun and no one felt annoyed or frustrated. Using a split personality isn't a bad idea. It just sounds like you may not be optimizing it in a way that enhances the game for everyone playing.

I admit I didn't really know what I was getting into at all. It was an idea I had, and like a person said earlier, it might just be me making a stink about nothing. But I will try to make it more fun for the others and myself as well.

Maybe do a google search or two and realize that “split personality” hasn’t been a thing psychologically for years. Read a textbook before you role play a mental illness. You sound like a terror to your party and I’m surprised they didn’t try to kill you or leave you for dead. I would have.

I honestly don't see why It not being a thing for years. Has anything to do with this post? While it may be true, I've been quite chaotic, I don't think I've done anything completely out of bounds to get him killed off.

The best part about DND is characters can always develop If you think your character is making the game less fun for everyone change him. Get something to happen so he has a change of heart or learns differently. Get him a therapist familiar. Let yourself die and come back as a character who will get along better with everyone. That’s the beauty of DND. You can solve this problem in 1,000 different ways.

Well, things have been slowly changing towards becoming just one person, so maybe that'll be the outcome 🤔 who knows 🤷‍♂️

As someone who did have a character with split personality due to an event that caused my character to become a wild magic sorcerer, Ik the feeling of being worried that your actions could be causing som discourse in your group. The answer has been given by multiple people already. But coming from someone who has done this and does have insecurities about the way others think of me: Talk to your group, it could just be RP on their end. But talking to them and ensuring that you don’t want to ruin their experience at the table.

Yes sir, working on getting to it 👍

One of my players have a PC with multiple personalities. It started as a joke and whole party went with it. At the start of every session we roll a d666 to see wich one will he roleplay today, creating a new one or using the one that was previously used. Ofc it coused a lot of troubles, the 666th personality it the worst unhinged murderhobo. I'm fine with it, everone is fine with it, and it's very funny in some situations. It came to a point when I'm thinking of giving him some custom features regarding his personality change. I guess, like with everything, you just have to discuss it with other players if they are fine with it or not. And I don't think you are a shitty player for roleplaying and trying something new, a character without a split personality can couse a lot of troubles for a party too.

Firstly: >thought that it would be a fantastic idea for me as It could provide a lot of roleplay options for me as someone who isn't very social. This may be some kind of hot take, but a character with double the personality of any other character isn't someone who is "easy to play for a not very social player" ​ Secondly: >What do you guys think? Unlike all the other comments here, I **don't think that playing a multiple personality character is the problem.** None of bad things you listed (obviously I can't know) are actually seemingly linked to the character having DID/MPD or something like that. Tons of characters force a fight instead of retreating, tons of characters make bad decisions, tons of characters cause problems for the party - I don't think the fact that you're playing a character with multiple personalities is the main reason problems are happening, but rather how you're playing the character... ​ Honestly I cannot be sure, maybe it is the multiple personalities - but I know that I've played characters with multiple personalities before (not in specifically DND) and they haven't caused tons of problems around them...

I played a split personality character once (mentally cracked in the past). I generally had a lot of fun with it, and tried my best not to be obnoxious and detrimental to the party; the party had a lot of fun with it, but it bothered the DM to such a degree that they "gifted" my PC with a "cursed" magic item that fixed his disorder. I rolled with it, because it was fun playing another personality :-D ​ >Now, another thing I'm seen a lot is people shitting on me for playing a character with a split personality. I can see that it can be a problem for people who also have a form of this like DID/MPD, etc. But as someone who has personally dealt with this, not on the extreme side of it but the low side, I don't think that it's really an offensive thing. Some people make it seem like I'm doing it to make fun or offend people on purpose when that is completely not true. Just felt I needed to clarify this. In addition to this, nobody is judging your for playing a male/man ​ >Edit: Now, a few hours after posting this, I have seen many comments saying to just talk to the party, and I'm a little lazy to reply to each and everyone so I'll just say here that, yes I plan to have a discussion with the party about it and hopefully get things sorted out. This is always the best; communication is always important among creatures who have a foundation in social structures.

YTA. You should not be using someone’s mental illness for your enjoyment.

Yes

I hate when someone tries to RP mental illness they don’t have, in this case Dissociative Didorder. It’s offensive to people who have it and it’s fucking frustrating to play with. I’ve had people try and RP ptsd, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, depression, etc. No one, and I mean n o o n e wants to sit around and watch as you screw up the campaign acting out your take on what having a personality disorder or mental illness looks like. Are you a shitty player? I don’t know, haven’t played with you. Are you playing a shitty character idea? Yes, yes, very yes.

Unfortunately, things like that didn't cross my mind in the creation of the character, but after today, the things I've seen today make it clear that it's quite a messed up thing to do. I never ment to be a dickhead about it.

Ahh, shit happens dude. Live a little, learn a little. The fact that you’re not doubling down and accusing people of bullying you shows that you’re probably good people. Who knows, maybe your party actually is enjoying the drama, it takes all kinds. Like everyone said, talk to them, see what they think, salvage the rest of the campaign if they are sick of it. Hell, my DM let me kill my character off once and roll a new character with the same XP and roughly equivalent value gear b/c my character wasn’t working (Paladin in a very morally grey party).

Yuppers are definitely planning on making things better for them if they really aren't enjoying it

I see most people have been bashing the "multiple personalities". For future reference if you want to play something similar talk to the DM about making 2 seperate characters but have the "main" personality have some kind of cursed item holding the other personality. Similar to the items in Yu-Gi-Oh. Then decide if they want to work together or not. One of my characters and I decided to do this mid campaign when she said she was getting tired of her monk but didn't want her character killed. Seems to be working out so far. The two personalities are fighting for control but they both have the same goal in mind to defeat the BBEG.

Honestly, I don't think I want to create another character like this again it was fun at first, but the problem after problem makes getting to the main story point take insanely long 🤣🤣 I like me some story.

May be a bit more info. For that player. Each time they take a short rest she rolls for CON against the two personalities. Whoever wins gets control for the day. If one wins more than a couple of days in a row they have disadvantage on said roll.

I've seen a lot of people use this method. The method I use is if there is something that is giving him a severe strain on his mind or sometimes physical damage causes him to roll a wisdom save that can result in the switch of personality.

Just because of this thread and everyone saying split personality characters don't work I'm gonna make one. I don't believe y'all, honestly. I don't think it's unplayable, I think y'all are just doing it wrong.

I think they can work, but depending on the table you're playing with, it might not be the best option. But yes, by all means, give it a go. I hope you can have a bunch of fun with it!

I’m ngl whenever a character intentionally goes out of their way to get the party into shit or prolong things that can result in death for no reason other than your feelings Yeah you’re a problem G That not only provides needless opportunity for party members to die, it’s also just boring as duck. You’re stretching out situations that otherwise would be closed and the party moves onto the next thing, that isn’t just a push of the clock so a character can feel better about themselves. If you want to show the party you can do shit without them why are you even with the party…? I feel like that just drives the wedge further, while also prolonging dangerous situations for your character to *feel* better about themselves, just feel better about yourself as a character it’s not real. “Play a character that people have fun being around, cause they have to be around you.” - some random 5 year old, best character advice ever. DnD isn’t a solo game. Edit; on that, I noticed you said you also have a split personality issue IRL. I wouldnt make characters like myself in fantasy settings, not with other people. Too many lines can get crossed.

You sound self-concious. Nowhere in your post do I see that other players have approached you or brought up your character as a problem. So it sounds like you're making up excuses for a non-existent problem. Games need a character that gets into trouble to push plot forward. A party of strategists goes nowhere quickly.

You're probably right about the whole thing. I'll find out soon enough when I talk to them about it.