Roleplaying Your Character
Roleplaying is a crucial component of playing D&D. Whenever I talk about the earlier editions with my son, he’ll stop me and give me the old “Back in my day” line. So yeah, back in my day, D&D was primarily about heading into a dungeon, entering a room, killing monsters, and repeating this over and over again. That didn’t mean we didn’t love our characters any less than people do now, but beyond doing strange and funny voices, there wasn’t much character development or roleplaying.
Times change and the game has progressed from hitting monsters with a sword non-stop to having entire sessions without a single round of combat. So what are we all doing during those four hours? Roleplaying! But what does roleplaying mean, and how do we do it effectively and have fun at the same time?
Roleplaying is defined as the act of imitating the character and behavior of someone different from yourself. Easy enough, since most of us are playing the game to pretend to be someone or something else and turn them into mighty heroes. We spend a lot of time crafting our characters before we even start the game so that we can feel like they are ours, making it easier to become them. We pick our dwarves, tabaxis, and warforged and turn them into fighters and wizards and rogues so we can assume the identity we’ve created for them. However, the question remains: how exactly do we truly become that character through roleplay?
Here are my thoughts on what we can do to practice better and more enjoyable roleplay. As always, these are just my thoughts on the matter. They may or may not work for you. If I have left something out that works great for you, please share in the comments below because we should all be looking for ways to better ourselves each and every day.
Pre-game: Create a character you care about. Write a brief but detailed backstory to give your character some depth out of the gate. It doesn’t have to be 5 pages long, but give yourself and the DM something to work with as the campaign goes on. Don’t make them perfect. Even soon-to-be heroes have issues, whether a disfiguring scar, dead parents (please don’t), or irrational fear of dragon turtles.
Speaking of dead parents, try to be slightly more original than the edgelord whose parent died a horrible death in front of their eyes at a young age. If you just have to play that character, go for it. Maybe you can figure out your own way to add a wrinkle to your hero. Personally I think you should try to ignore the character stereotypes, but in reality, almost every character type has been done. Make every character your own. You want to play a badass, then play a badass; just make it your badass.
Immersion: Get into the game. Don’t look at your phone, build a tiny tower out of your dice, or start researching the spells you’re going to take next level. Focus on what is happening when other people are talking, especially the DM. Even if your character is only a minor participant in the current scenario, it can help others better roleplay what they are doing. The most minor interactions can sometimes have a considerable impact.
Bonds: An essential part of roleplay is through the relationships you develop with other people. Make sure to interact with NPC’s and your other party members. Just like in real life, meaningful bonds are formed through shared experiences in gameplay, and now it’s so much more than just killing monsters together. Argue, laugh together, and find yourself in dangerous situations with your friends. It’s much easier to be authentic in roleplaying when you care about not only your character but those in the party.
Stay in Character: Be true to who your character is. You’re not Bob from accounting or Janice from HR when you play D&D. Many of us create characters as our alter ego, becoming the person we can’t be in real life. You may have a wife, three kids, bills to pay, and responsibilities to live up to in real life, so you play it safe. When you are Grog the Barbarian, you rush headfirst into battle without a care in the world. Don’t ever let the real you interfere with Grog’s passion for blood and action.
About those funny voices… There is nothing wrong with using a different voice when playing your character. There’s also nothing wrong with just using your own voice. Critical Role is fantastic and has done much to bring the game further into the mainstream. Just remember, those folks are professional voice actors entertaining an audience. If using a goofy voice stresses you out, don’t do it.
Dungeons & Dragons is a social game, with you and some friends sitting around a table having fun. Roleplaying is part of that fun and is not meant to be stressful or difficult. Not everyone is an excellent roleplayer out of the gate, so don’t put that type of pressure on yourself. Do what feels right, learn from your fellow players, and see what works for you and what doesn’t. There is no one right way to be a remarkable roleplayer. So throw anything you can think of at the wall, and whatever sticks, use when being your mighty hero.
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