In my current bg2 run I roleplay as a bit of an outsider.
Mother was half drow - half deamon making PC a drow tiefling, named Morus. No horns or tail but dark red skin. Gorion were told by harpers not to learn the young boy magic, as demonic, drow and evil god blod might create a dangerous evil foe.
His unusual looks make him easy to find for runners, explaining why they always find him nomatter where he may be.
Grown up in Candlekeep and a healthy upbringing made him good aligned, NG to be precise.
Restricted from raw magic he became interested in alchemy, using potions to gain helpful imunities, buffs and abilities instead of by magic.
He trained with the guards, with Hull, sneaked around with Imoen and studied all books, scrolls and tomes he could find about alchemy and potions.
Wast knowledge of poison came as a bonus.
Class wise this made him pursue a multiclass way, fighter/assassin (a bit overpowered, but hey he is the strongest child of Bhaal is he not). Posion weapon ability from his knowledge of posions.
His potion case is always close at hand containing a potion for almost anything the party face.
He scouts ahead, learn what he can about the enemy. Advising party members on buffs and strategy. And handing out potions he believe to be helpful in the upcoming battle.
Starting the battles with a backstab and swinging swords until the rest of the party join in.
Assassination is something he does not see as an evil act, as long as it is for the greater good. He always helps others, why accepting quests (as long as they are not evil quests) can be justified. Imoen is arrested by the coweld wizards, but taking quests prior Spellhold helps people in need and has a chance both to find awesome equipment for the inevitable battle with Irenicus to come and maybe learn moore on how to free her.
As far as for Imoen she is quite safe locked up (in PCs mind) and a rerun of becoming bitchslaped by Irenicus is not something PC intend for. No he must find out moore, he must find good equipment, gain moore experience and be as prepared as he can to succeed in freeing Imoen and lay vengence on Irenicus. Vengence is not a good thing, but Irenicus is evil to the bone and destroing him is for the greater good.
Party members Jahiera, Minsc, Yoshimo and Aerie. Others tag along for a while but not permanent members. Sarevok will be permanent being brother and all.
as i am a power gamer that likes also to RP, and i find that in many cases the two aspects of the game are not in opposition, are more apples and oranges, here some of my RP choices.
In the theme @Ravenslight mentions with spell prep, I never prebuff, unless there is a reason to (i.e. the situation dictates it. If there's no present danger, no buffs. If we're approaching an enemy fort, some basic well-rounded buffs are probably a good idea).
i feel the very same way, as i love to play thieves i often scout an area and spot the enemies unseen, then i buff and attack, and if there is a clear clue that i am going to face some kinds of enemies i can pre buff accordingly, but no more then what a player that has never played the game would do.
for the same reason if i don't have a thief able to find the traps i walk into them even if i know that they are there, this makes some solo runs a real problem.
if i have a npc with the party for some time then i drop him i almost always leave him better equipped then how i found him. ie if i use valygar and i don't plan to have a katana user charname i leave him with the best soa katana, or i can leave nalia with a shiny archmage robe, some ac bracers and good short sword and bow and some enchanted arrows.
i don't feel compelled to have with me a npc until the end, but i feel that if i had him helping me in a part of my route to the throne i owe him some gratitude.
when i use thieves, and i almost always use them as are one of my favorite classes, i steal and pick pocket, even if i always play the good way, but i never stack thieving potions of the same kind, as i think that RP wise a thief should spend skill points in pick pocketing if he wants to steal, not just stack potions and become the best at it without spending skill points. i also never steal more then one time each item from the same fence, i can not find a RP reason why a fence does not notice that you sell to him 10 times in a row the same unique and very expensive item. and (but not always) if i fail to steal i accept the consequences of it, the merchant and his precious stuff becoming unavailable, RP wise great power comes at a risk, and reloading defeats it.
for the same RP reason i don't reload because a save or else spell did not work or i did not save against it. i can reload if i loose the battle, as i don't play no reload, but i try to have redundancy in my spells and good chances to save or other ways to protect me and also some backup strategy if even with my precautions i am not lucky enough.
there is for me a clear RP difference in facing a dragon with a single chromatic orb memorized and reload until i manage to turn him to stone or going to the same battle with more mages and a cleric with lower resistance, doom, greater malison and many memorizations of cromatic orb and flesh to stone.
i use ways to milk extra xp, but only those that imo have a RP value. again great power has to come with great risk.
so i don't have any problem to turn to stone and then to flesh many time the same dragon, but i don't feeblemind him then do it as he can not react, i do it facing a very angry 1hp dragon that is trying to kill me while i can not hit him or use summons as meat shields as a single successful hit by a summon can kill him and prevent me to repeat it over and over. and i don't save after each successful flash to stone, if i fail i have to repeat the whole fight from the start.
to reliably turn to stone a dragon many times involves preparation, skill, redundancy and risk so i feel that the free xp is actually well earned, not cheated in, as it is a matter of fact that in the game there is not a fixed xp amount, it is only fixed in our own minds, as a player can be more or less completionist and nowhere is written that is forbidden to turn to stone every single enemy, to turn to flash a petrified enemy or how many times this can be done.
but equipping fire protections and regeneration items, activating AI and going to the walls of saradush with some infinite ammo weapon then going to sleep or to work as my toon continues to farm no risk xp is not for me. no risk no gain.
playing always good, even when with some charname i have him neutral, ie if i play a druid or i want a particular familiar, i have also RP rules on the evil npcs that i can use.
i allow me to use korgan as he is evil, but he is clear about it. he is a mercenary that i have to pay to have him join my party and even if he is blood thirsty is serious about his work, he works for me for the money and as long as he is with me will obey to my orders, not follow his evil attitude. i see him as a tool, a weapon, and a sword is not good or evil, is the hand that uses it that can be good or evil.
for the same reason i don't have problems in using evil items like the robe of vecna or the ring of gaxx, i know that other players have different RP feelings about them, but for me is the hand, not the weapon, that is important, if i use an evil item for good deeds i don't feel wrong.
but i use korgan very seldom and usually only for a part of the game.
the other 2 evil npc that have place in my good oriented parties are viconia and mr tob, she is a refugee and a person that is changing from the very evil attitude that most of her society has (but drows are not inherently evil, drizzt and the elistrae followers are a proof of it), that has already shifted her devotion from lolith to shaar, that is not exactly a good oriented goddess i know , and this is a clue that some changes in her are happening. the fact that in tob she can change alignment is the confirmation that what i feel about her is true, her still evil and still devoted to an evil goddess state is only a step of her change, and to help her in it is for me a good deed.
about mr tob he has learned a lot from his experience, and he has gave up his initial ambitions and lost his divine soul, he offers to help me even if i am good oriented and also here he can change alignment, also for him the condition he is when i meet him in tob is only a step in a change.
i always side with the thieves as it is the less evil option and if i play a paladin charname or a cleric of lathander one i do it in a different way to be good or LG then let's say keldorn, that i find more racist then legal good, as he has no problem at all to be very good comrade with korgan, that will remain evil until the end, but fails to see the change that is happening in viky and kills her mainly for the (wrong) assumption drow = evil = enemy = killkillkill. even if in a real fight against viconia he would stand no chance from the moment she has enough levels to turn paladins...
last thing i don't see any RP problems in sacrificing an animal to the demogorgon statue.
even if in the RL i am vegetarian as i don't like to have animals killed to feed me, and further more i don't like the torture that is given to the animals in the intensive breeding i don't see any problem i having an animal killed, if so i should consider evil at least the 95% of the people i meet as they eat animals so directly or indirectly kill them.
and if the sacrifice is done to kill 5 knight demons and to rescue a powerful artifact, that is in the hands of evil forces to use it for good deeds i don't see it as a real worshiping of a demon lord, like i don't see to fake to be an unseeing eye cult follower, thing that even the L(stupid)G keldorn seems to approve, as the real worshiping of an evil beholder willing to become some kind of god.
With some exceptions, I try to build a backstory that can frame / explain the character's reactions to events in the world. Having a backstory that incorporates specific, sometimes trivial desires, memories, relationships, etc. (see e.g., my 5/14 post here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/79229/iwd2-playthrough-rp-minimal-reload#latest) helps me flesh out a character that I can RP as reacting dynamically to events in the game. Otherwise, I find myself caught with a wooden set of abstract commitments (e.g., to "do good" or to "take what I can") or stereotypes (e.g., the absent-minded wizard or the bloodthirsty marauder). Don't get me wrong - those runs can be loads of fun too - I just find them a little less satisfying to RP. In a similar vein, whether I am playing a character I think of as good or as evil, I like to treat the taint of Bhaal as manifesting gradually, rather than running full-blown sociopaths straight out of Candlekeep.
As for metagaming, I try to avoid whatever I cannot find a way to justify from my character's first-person perspective, both inside and outside conversation. Usually this means that dumping INT and/or WIS restricts my options meaningfully (n.b. - other party members can compensate, to an extent, but that opens up a whole other can of worms better addressed elsewhere). It also means that scouting utility (e.g., stealth, invisibility, divination, etc.) plays a pretty significant role. I try to take a similarly realistic approach to resting (e.g., no way a party is going to be resting in the middle of a half-cleared beholder lair).
The party needs to have a basic coherence. Pulling together party members of dramatically different alignments requires justification of commensurate force (e.g., a charismatic leader might be able to keep Keldorn and fallen Anomen together - for a time, at least - but charisma alone won't be enough to convince Keldorn to travel with Hexxat).
Some other little ideas I try to keep in mind as I RP include: (1) kill-or-be-killed situations can be highly traumatic (physically, morally, emotionally, etc.) and sustained exposure inevitably triggers coping mechanisms (ideological, psychological, behavioral, etc); (2) a person's understanding of what is good plays an important role in his/her understanding of what is prudent; and (3) Faerun is not 21st century EU / America - beliefs and attitudes commonplace in the latter may be highly atypical in the former.
Much more can be said, but I'll leave it here for now. If you want to see some of this "theory" in action, you can check out my narrative playthrough (currently in progress) here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/78398/ausar-the-riven-fighter-mage-playthrough/p1. There are a few other entertaining RP playthroughs being regularly updated, so I highly recommend you check out Challenges & Playthroughs to see what's there!
Comments
In my current bg2 run I roleplay as a bit of an outsider.
Mother was half drow - half deamon making PC a drow tiefling, named Morus. No horns or tail but dark red skin. Gorion were told by harpers not to learn the young boy magic, as demonic, drow and evil god blod might create a dangerous evil foe.
His unusual looks make him easy to find for runners, explaining why they always find him nomatter where he may be.
Grown up in Candlekeep and a healthy upbringing made him good aligned, NG to be precise.
Restricted from raw magic he became interested in alchemy, using potions to gain helpful imunities, buffs and abilities instead of by magic.
He trained with the guards, with Hull, sneaked around with Imoen and studied all books, scrolls and tomes he could find about alchemy and potions.
Wast knowledge of poison came as a bonus.
Class wise this made him pursue a multiclass way, fighter/assassin (a bit overpowered, but hey he is the strongest child of Bhaal is he not). Posion weapon ability from his knowledge of posions.
His potion case is always close at hand containing a potion for almost anything the party face.
He scouts ahead, learn what he can about the enemy. Advising party members on buffs and strategy. And handing out potions he believe to be helpful in the upcoming battle.
Starting the battles with a backstab and swinging swords until the rest of the party join in.
Assassination is something he does not see as an evil act, as long as it is for the greater good. He always helps others, why accepting quests (as long as they are not evil quests) can be justified. Imoen is arrested by the coweld wizards, but taking quests prior Spellhold helps people in need and has a chance both to find awesome equipment for the inevitable battle with Irenicus to come and maybe learn moore on how to free her.
As far as for Imoen she is quite safe locked up (in PCs mind) and a rerun of becoming bitchslaped by Irenicus is not something PC intend for. No he must find out moore, he must find good equipment, gain moore experience and be as prepared as he can to succeed in freeing Imoen and lay vengence on Irenicus. Vengence is not a good thing, but Irenicus is evil to the bone and destroing him is for the greater good.
Party members Jahiera, Minsc, Yoshimo and Aerie. Others tag along for a while but not permanent members. Sarevok will be permanent being brother and all.
for the same reason if i don't have a thief able to find the traps i walk into them even if i know that they are there, this makes some solo runs a real problem.
if i have a npc with the party for some time then i drop him i almost always leave him better equipped then how i found him. ie if i use valygar and i don't plan to have a katana user charname i leave him with the best soa katana, or i can leave nalia with a shiny archmage robe, some ac bracers and good short sword and bow and some enchanted arrows.
i don't feel compelled to have with me a npc until the end, but i feel that if i had him helping me in a part of my route to the throne i owe him some gratitude.
when i use thieves, and i almost always use them as are one of my favorite classes, i steal and pick pocket, even if i always play the good way, but i never stack thieving potions of the same kind, as i think that RP wise a thief should spend skill points in pick pocketing if he wants to steal, not just stack potions and become the best at it without spending skill points. i also never steal more then one time each item from the same fence, i can not find a RP reason why a fence does not notice that you sell to him 10 times in a row the same unique and very expensive item. and (but not always) if i fail to steal i accept the consequences of it, the merchant and his precious stuff becoming unavailable, RP wise great power comes at a risk, and reloading defeats it.
for the same RP reason i don't reload because a save or else spell did not work or i did not save against it. i can reload if i loose the battle, as i don't play no reload, but i try to have redundancy in my spells and good chances to save or other ways to protect me and also some backup strategy if even with my precautions i am not lucky enough.
there is for me a clear RP difference in facing a dragon with a single chromatic orb memorized and reload until i manage to turn him to stone or going to the same battle with more mages and a cleric with lower resistance, doom, greater malison and many memorizations of cromatic orb and flesh to stone.
i use ways to milk extra xp, but only those that imo have a RP value. again great power has to come with great risk.
so i don't have any problem to turn to stone and then to flesh many time the same dragon, but i don't feeblemind him then do it as he can not react, i do it facing a very angry 1hp dragon that is trying to kill me while i can not hit him or use summons as meat shields as a single successful hit by a summon can kill him and prevent me to repeat it over and over. and i don't save after each successful flash to stone, if i fail i have to repeat the whole fight from the start.
to reliably turn to stone a dragon many times involves preparation, skill, redundancy and risk so i feel that the free xp is actually well earned, not cheated in, as it is a matter of fact that in the game there is not a fixed xp amount, it is only fixed in our own minds, as a player can be more or less completionist and nowhere is written that is forbidden to turn to stone every single enemy, to turn to flash a petrified enemy or how many times this can be done.
but equipping fire protections and regeneration items, activating AI and going to the walls of saradush with some infinite ammo weapon then going to sleep or to work as my toon continues to farm no risk xp is not for me. no risk no gain.
playing always good, even when with some charname i have him neutral, ie if i play a druid or i want a particular familiar, i have also RP rules on the evil npcs that i can use.
i allow me to use korgan as he is evil, but he is clear about it. he is a mercenary that i have to pay to have him join my party and even if he is blood thirsty is serious about his work, he works for me for the money and as long as he is with me will obey to my orders, not follow his evil attitude. i see him as a tool, a weapon, and a sword is not good or evil, is the hand that uses it that can be good or evil.
for the same reason i don't have problems in using evil items like the robe of vecna or the ring of gaxx, i know that other players have different RP feelings about them, but for me is the hand, not the weapon, that is important, if i use an evil item for good deeds i don't feel wrong.
but i use korgan very seldom and usually only for a part of the game.
the other 2 evil npc that have place in my good oriented parties are viconia and mr tob, she is a refugee and a person that is changing from the very evil attitude that most of her society has (but drows are not inherently evil, drizzt and the elistrae followers are a proof of it), that has already shifted her devotion from lolith to shaar, that is not exactly a good oriented goddess i know
about mr tob he has learned a lot from his experience, and he has gave up his initial ambitions and lost his divine soul, he offers to help me even if i am good oriented and also here he can change alignment, also for him the condition he is when i meet him in tob is only a step in a change.
i always side with the thieves as it is the less evil option and if i play a paladin charname or a cleric of lathander one i do it in a different way to be good or LG then let's say keldorn, that i find more racist then legal good, as he has no problem at all to be very good comrade with korgan, that will remain evil until the end, but fails to see the change that is happening in viky and kills her mainly for the (wrong) assumption drow = evil = enemy = killkillkill. even if in a real fight against viconia he would stand no chance from the moment she has enough levels to turn paladins...
last thing i don't see any RP problems in sacrificing an animal to the demogorgon statue.
even if in the RL i am vegetarian as i don't like to have animals killed to feed me, and further more i don't like the torture that is given to the animals in the intensive breeding i don't see any problem i having an animal killed, if so i should consider evil at least the 95% of the people i meet as they eat animals so directly or indirectly kill them.
and if the sacrifice is done to kill 5 knight demons and to rescue a powerful artifact, that is in the hands of evil forces to use it for good deeds i don't see it as a real worshiping of a demon lord, like i don't see to fake to be an unseeing eye cult follower, thing that even the L(stupid)G keldorn seems to approve, as the real worshiping of an evil beholder willing to become some kind of god.
As for metagaming, I try to avoid whatever I cannot find a way to justify from my character's first-person perspective, both inside and outside conversation. Usually this means that dumping INT and/or WIS restricts my options meaningfully (n.b. - other party members can compensate, to an extent, but that opens up a whole other can of worms better addressed elsewhere). It also means that scouting utility (e.g., stealth, invisibility, divination, etc.) plays a pretty significant role. I try to take a similarly realistic approach to resting (e.g., no way a party is going to be resting in the middle of a half-cleared beholder lair).
The party needs to have a basic coherence. Pulling together party members of dramatically different alignments requires justification of commensurate force (e.g., a charismatic leader might be able to keep Keldorn and fallen Anomen together - for a time, at least - but charisma alone won't be enough to convince Keldorn to travel with Hexxat).
Some other little ideas I try to keep in mind as I RP include: (1) kill-or-be-killed situations can be highly traumatic (physically, morally, emotionally, etc.) and sustained exposure inevitably triggers coping mechanisms (ideological, psychological, behavioral, etc); (2) a person's understanding of what is good plays an important role in his/her understanding of what is prudent; and (3) Faerun is not 21st century EU / America - beliefs and attitudes commonplace in the latter may be highly atypical in the former.
Much more can be said, but I'll leave it here for now. If you want to see some of this "theory" in action, you can check out my narrative playthrough (currently in progress) here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/78398/ausar-the-riven-fighter-mage-playthrough/p1. There are a few other entertaining RP playthroughs being regularly updated, so I highly recommend you check out Challenges & Playthroughs to see what's there!