Written by Ytrewtsu of Adventures Unlimited
First, let me say this clearly, I do not profess to be an expert roleplayer. My insight into roleplaying comes from running Adventures Unlimited for 7 years and over 25 years of tabletop gaming (yes I am old, quit laughing). In my experiences, I have seen good roleplay, bad roleplay, and everything in between. These two lists are not intended to be the definitive source of roleplay. They are intended to be used as a guideline and to be helpful in improving your roleplay in whatever game you play.
“Don’t”s
1.Don’t be perfect. Infallibility is a crime. – Being infallible does not give the roleplayers around you the opportunity to succeed in their plans if they are contrary to your own.
2.Don’t roleplay dying and remake your character. - Elaborate and serious death scenes are okay but it is not fair or realistic to the characters who roleplay around you to be forced into roleplaying with a character who is supposed to be dead already. Get a fresh start, make a new character.
3.Don’t blow the mood – If people are involved and participating in elaborate roleplay, don’t take the room into ooc chatter. Be respectful of others roleplay space. If something happens which tempts your character to respond differently than you would, resist the temptation to share it with those roleplaying around you. You can tell them at a later time when it is more appropriate.
4.Don’t mix out of character and in character. - Don’t take people’s ic actions personally, its immature and unreasonable.
5.Don’t force actions on other people. - Emotes or poses such as “Joe slaps the look off of Carol’s face” should not be used because they force an action on the targeted character, Carol.
6.Don’t confuse character knowledge. Alternative characters should not rely on the same knowledge pool.
7.Don’t use think emotes or poses. - Other characters usually don’t have any way of reading your mind so don’t give them your thoughts with posts like this “Jim thinks Carol is an idiot”.
8.Don’t shirk the consequences of roleplay. - If you are willing to take the rewards of successful plots, don’t be afraid to take the punishments that go along with failing. It will provide needed depth for your character.
9. Don’t make more commitments than you can fill. - Promising to make different characters to roleplay with different people is fine but be realistic about time constraints. It takes time to develop and maintain good characters in a roleplay environment.
10. Don’t roleplay out of the setting of the game. - Be respectful and roleplay within the context of the game designers time frame. If no time travel or dimensional travel are provided for, they do not exist.
The previously listed items are actions that should mostly be avoided in one’s roleplay with others. I think about roleplaying as a community activity. The community as a whole will suffer if one person’s roleplay is disrespectful and ignorant of the others who are also in that world. Similarly, the “do”s list are items that will, in most cases, improve the surrounding environment.
“Do”s
1.Stay in character. - Stick with your character’s mindset and actions. Do what they would do, not what you would do.
2.Open up your roleplay. - Provide opportunities for others to get involved.
3.Provide a detailed character background. - This background will provide the basis for your character’s personality and allow you to freely roleplay your character’s desires.
4.Keep an open mind. - People will surprise you with their range of talents. Sometimes great roleplay comes from unexpected sources.
5.Stay consistent. - Try to keep your character’s goals, flaws and personality consistent for all of your sessions.
6.Allow your character to grow. - Characters change and grow along with their experiences in their lives. These changes need to affect roleplay.
7.Build relationships. - Long term enemies and allies make for more involved and interesting roleplay.
8.Explore all facets of a character. - Make sure to fully explore even the smallest aspects of your character’s personality. Character quirks will make your character special and more memorable to the roleplayers around you.
9.Embrace spontaneous roleplay. - All events do not have to be planned. Flexibility can be its own reward.
10. Be prepared. - Take the time to research areas that you are unfamiliar with and will need in your upcoming roleplay. Your research will be rewarded with more in depth and detailed sessions.
Roleplay is important for world and community development. It provides life to the backdrop provided by the game masters of the world. Character interaction, whether it be friendly, unfriendly, or something in between is at the center of the gaming world. I hope that these two lists will be helpful in your future roleplaying endeavors.
Roleplaying is entertainment for our minds – Cultivate it, feel it, above all, have fun with it!
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