To roleplay a Scholar

Everything under is not mandatory !

Among the things I have against White Scenarios, it is that people playing them play dulls and uninterestings characters. I think this is because they want their characters to resemble the in game character. Some Game Masters even enforce that you cannot use an item in the WS if you don't own it IC. That's pretty lame, because SWC interface is designed to be a combat and economic simulation, and there are obviously facets of a RP that aren't taken into account.
That said, I wanted to stress that an interesting character is one with flaws. Major flaws. Heroes are not interesting, we want madmen, corrupt, FUBAR characters. Scholarship offers here a good opportunity. At first, don't hesitate to play caricatural. Caricature is easy, and everybody knows what you're doing.

1) A Scholar is obsessed :
A Scholar is obsessed by his fields of study. To the point of being monomaniac.

Don't do :
"- Let's go, we cannot stay any longer in Mos Esley, else the pirates will have the time to flee away.
- Ok, let's hurry, catching the pirates is most important."

Do :
"- Let's go, we cannot stay any longer in Mos Esley, else the pirates will have the time to flee away.
- No way ! The syntaxic structure of those Jawas tongue is so fascinating, I need more samples to be able to decode it !"

2) Science is the ultima ratio :
A Scholar will always use the need for Science to justify anything, like stealing, unethical conduct, lying, manipulating data, ...

Don't do :
"Those Ewoks are free beings and should be treated accordingly."

Do :
"Ah, Ewoks, how convenient, I just needed subjects to test my new revolutionnary cyber implant !"

3) Scholars bicker :
This is important, for the sake of Science, to let no one affirm something without contradiction. Now, if you contradict because of envy, stubborness or angriness, all the better.

Don't do :
"- Those signs are used by miners to warn off dangers. Let's take the right tunnel.
- Ok, it's probably safer."

Do :
"- Those signs are used by miners to warn off dangers. Let's take the right tunnel.
- Dear colleague, I wonder if you're right here, as I remember you made some remarkable misinterpretations in your translation of the Epic of Bane, who used runic scriptures somewhat alike those signs. I advise we take the left tunnel instead."

4) Use language :
Use language to look scholarly.

Don't do :
"Paul, I don't see any mention of money."

Do :
"Paul, I don't see any mention of payment, recompense, tip, gratuities, compensation, wages, salary, reward, pay, perks, fringe benefits, remuneration or other income."

Those four principles have variations :
- oblivious to danger : in the interest of Science, a Scholar might totally ignore a danger that is plain for everyone else.
- oblivious to reality : a Scholar can be totally absorbed in his study, and so forget basic principles of life.
- pet : obsessed as they are, Scholars have pets. This might be a dedicated assistant, a lovely Rancor acquired on a mission, a fancy weapon.
- abstruse : using language, a Scholar can become totally abstruse.
- vanity : when all four points combine in a same individual, vanity ensue.

Of course, the point is fun. So if you say you want to experiment on Ewoks, and nobody protest, then the fun is lost. You need partners to RP like this. And if the GM tells you that you cannot experiment on Ewoks because it is unethical, and your character wouldn't act like that, bla bla bla ... then go away, you are in the middle of a White Scenario !

Example :
The group is in ancient Sith ruins, haunted by powerful remnants of the Dark Side. A entire legion of Stormtroopers is scouring the ruins to find them.
Security : "Come on, we need to get out of here as quick as possible !"
Archeologist : panting from his efforts to extract a heavy granit bas-relief with just a chisel and a hammer (oblivious to reality), "A moment please, I need to get that bas-relief, the drawings here are critical to my research about the transition of Sith ontological to Sith historical at the turn of the seventh century (obsessed)."
S : sweating, "Please, I hear the troops coming !"
A : "Just a little moment please, it's almost there (oblivious to danger)."
S : "May I point that desecrating a funeral monument is not the best way to do archeology, and that you cannot pass the frontier with it as you would be arrested, even if it's been taken on ennemy territory (bickering)."
A : "My dear, I don't give you advice on security, please don't give me advice on archeology (bickering). The recovery of that important part of history justify that I take some liberty with the law (Science ultima ratio)."
Linguist : "May I point then that the very inscriptions on this bas-relief are redacted in ancient Neonese, which has nothing to do with the Sith ontological (bickering), and that they speak of an ancient taboo regarding the desecration of the tomb (abstruse, wanted to say that there is a curse)."
A : "I need proof ! A mere holopicture won't be sufficient, and my narrow minded colleagues might say I forged it (vanity) !"
And so on ...

Of course, no character needs to have all flaws. That being said, let's look at Ashura.

Ashura is a tall humanoid. Affected by the Derra disease, the genetics said he is now of Corellian stock. He kept nonetheless a few of his trandoshan traits, most notable being a ridged forehead. His skin seems affected by a continuous psoriasis, and he keeps scratching to take away the dead tissues. He also tends to use his longer digits in pair, to have the strength he was used to when the hands were three pronged. His right hand still looks paler from regeneration, a souvenir from battling with Wookiees. He seems constantly nervous and shivers a lot. He is usually dressed in expansive suits, even when it is inappropriate.
Ashura has a pet theory that all culture derives from sexual habits of the race. While he was intimidated by the sexuality in his young years, he is now very curious about it, and always ask details about sexual habits of his interlocutors. He also acquired vast knowledge of medecine, but his experiments are curious at best, dangerous sometimes. He firmly believes that mind can heal the body, and act accordingly. He also has a tendancy to ignore grievous wounds, thinking that they will regenerate. Beyond that, he is interested in a lot of subjects, considering himself specialist of nothing. He is very jealous of his colleagues of the Scholars Guild, and never pass an occasion of lowering them.
Ashura has a pet Stouker Concussion Rifle which he named Betty (for no reason). Betty is an experimental repetitive Stouker. Everybody in the Guild has learned to duck when Ashura goes Rock'n'Roll with Betty, as the weapon is known to malfunction a lot. Nonetheless, Ashura firmly refuses that Paul approach the weapon, saying the design is secret.

I thought of Mustrum Ridcully, for those who know the Discworld.