Deaf people exist on a wide spectrum ranging from mild to profound deafness. Some are deaf in one ear, but otherwise hear and speak, while others are entirely deaf and living in a fully visual world—or one of the many possible combinations in between. When you play a Deaf character, consider the many factors that influence how they move through their life. The following questions are a good place to start:

• Have they been deaf since birth, or did they become deaf later in life from illness or injury?
• How do they choose to communicate with their friends, loved ones, and the world at large?
• Growing up, did they learn how to speak, use sign language, or a combination of the two?
• If they don’t speak the predominant language, how do they communicate? Do they use paper and pen? Or do they have accommodations, magical or otherwise?
• Is this person a loner, keeping to themself and interacting with people only when they have to, or are they part of a community of other Deaf people?

As an accommodation for a Deaf character, the GM and players can flavor scenes using other senses. For example, the character might feel the rumbling of a dragon’s deep roar or the intense heat from a fire spell, rather than hearing the bellow or an explosion of flame. They may have a metallic taste in their mouth and hair standing up on their arms as the air crackles with electricity. Rather than hearing the groan of the undead, their nose might be assaulted with the pungent scent of rot.

When roleplaying, be mindful of how you portray the character’s chosen communication mode. Either speak as you normally would or be intentional about how you do it.

Above all, Deaf people are people. Play them as you would any other character while considering the added layer of how they move through the world differently due to communication needs. If you’re able, don’t hesitate to ask someone Deaf for ideas and feedback.