Roleplay

Descriptive Roleplaying

With this approach, you describe your character's words and actions to the DM and the other players. Drawing on your mental image of your character, you tell everyone what your character does and how he or she does it.

For instance, Chris plays Tordek the dwarf. Tordek has a quick temper and blames the elves of the Cloakwood for his family's misfortune. At a tavern, an obnoxious elf minstrel sits at Tordek's table and tries to strike up a conversation with the dwarf. Chris says, "Tordek spits on the floor, growls an insult at the bard, and stomps over to the bar. He sits on a stool and glares at the minstrel before ordering another drink."

In this example, Chris has conveyed Tordek's mood and given the DM a clear idea of his character's attitude and actions.

When using descriptive roleplaying, keep the following things in mind:

• Describe your character's emotions and attitude.
• Focus on your character's intent and how others might perceive it.
• Provide as much embellishment as you feel comfortable with.

Don't worry about getting things exactly right. Just focus on thinking about what your character would do and describing what you see in your mind.

Active Roleplaying

If descriptive roleplaying tells your DM and your fellow players what your character thinks and does, active roleplaying shows them. When you use active roleplaying, you speak with your character's voice, like an actor taking on a role. You might even echo your character's movements and body language. This approach is more immersive than descriptive roleplaying, though you still need to describe things that can't be reasonably acted out. Going back to the example of Chris roleplaying Tordek above, here's how the scene might play out if Chris used active roleplaying: Speaking as Tordek, Chris says in a gruff, deep voice, "I was wondering why it suddenly smelled awful in here. If I wanted to hear anything out of you, I'd snap your arm and enjoy your screams." In his normal voice, Chris then adds, "I get up, glare at the elf, and head to the bar."

Results of Roleplaying

The DM uses a given character's actions and attitudes to determine how an NPC reacts. A cowardly NPC buckles under threats of violence. A stubborn dwarf refuses to let anyone badger her. A vain dragon laps up flattery. When interacting with an NPC, pay close attention to the DM's portrayal of the NPC's mood, dialogue, and personality. You might be able to determine how best to influence or learn from an NPC based on your interactions.

Interactions in D&D are much like interactions in real life. If you can offer NPCs something they want, threaten them with something they fear, or play on their sympathies and goals, you can use words to get almost anything you want. On the other hand, if you insult a proud warrior or speak ill of a noble's allies, your efforts to convince or deceive may fall short.

The Social Interaction

In a social interaction, the adventurers usually have a goal in mind. They want to extract information, secure aid, win someone's trust, escape punishment, avoid combat, negotiate a treaty, or achieve whatever other objective led to the interaction in the first place. The creatures they interact with also have agendas that can be influenced by or influence the characters, whether directly or indirectly.

Some DMs prefer to run a social interaction as a free-form roleplaying exercise, where dice rarely come into play. Other DMs prefer to resolve the outcome of an interaction by having characters make Charisma checks. Either approach works, and most games fall somewhere in between, balancing player skill (roleplaying and persuading) with character skill (reflected by ability checks).