Roleplaying:

The Basics of Roleplaying

DragonRealms is different from other free-form online worlds.  There are a lot of restrictions on what we can and can't do because of the game system itself, but the GMs do their best to create an atmosphere in which we can roleplay.  The rest, of course, is up to us.  Below, I have outlined a few points about roleplaying and staying in character.  If you haven't already, please take a look at Micwolf's examples (under Introduction) before moving on to my own.

-What does it mean to "roleplay"?
-Using the ACT verb and the system to roleplay.
-Dance floor verbs.
-Excuses and ideas for roleplay.
-For the Empath.

What does it mean to "roleplay"?
By now you should already know and understand the concepts of being in-character (IC) and out-of-character (OOC).  However, roleplaying isn't exactly interchangeable with being in-character.  You can be in-character all you want and never really roleplay.  Being in-character simply means to avoid making public references to the game and real life.  Roleplaying, on the other hand, requires that your character be more than a mere extension of yourself.

Consider your character for a moment outside of ranks and circles.  What sort of person are they?  Do they have a unique personality of their own?  What are their likes and dislikes?  Is there anything about your character that the two of you don't share?  These are just some of the first questions you can ask yourself.  Once you start formulating your answers, you're on your way to giving a little depth to your character.

When you begin to make your character act in ways based upon THEIR personality and not your own, you'll really be roleplaying.  To find out what you can do to enhance and build upon your roleplaying experience, keep reading.

Using the ACT verb and the system to roleplay.
Okay!  So you know what it means to roleplay, now.  In order to make better use of your new understanding of your character, you might try using the ACT verb to describe actions that would otherwise be limited by the game system.

Type ACT, and you'll see something similar to this:

USAGE: ACT followed by what you want to act out AS IT WOULD LOOK TO THE ROOM
                    If you do ACT dances a merry hornpipe, the room will see:
                          (Ardora dances a merry hornpipe.)

Note: If you start the action with a 's or a comma, the messaging is slightly different:

ACT 's nose drips onto the floor. PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!
room sees: (Ardora's nose drips onto the floor. PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!)

ACT , her nose dripping onto the floor, sneezes mightily.
room sees: (Ardora, her nose dripping onto the floor, sneezes mightily.)

Using ACT, you can convey extra information to other players about what your character is doing or feeling.  You can use adverbs and adjectives freely.  Just be smart about it... don't do anything that you know would upset other players or the GMs, like "ACT kills everyone."  That would be really lame.

Anyway, moving on!

You can also use the SMILE verb when roleplaying.  For example, if I typed:
SMILE sheepishly, wiping the dirt and twigs from her skirt with her bare hands.
Everyone would see:
Ardora smiles sheepishly, wiping the dirt and twigs from her skirt with her bare hands.

Another, less-known technique is to use quotes in your speech.  For example:
say I know, you're right," as she rubs her forehead in agitation.  "I just hate to go through with it.
People will see:
Ardora says, "I know, you're right," as she rubs her forehead in agitation.  "I just hate to go through with it."

Type SAY by itself to see what else you can do with it.

A lot of emotes now have help files (a relatively new addition).  Type NOD HELP, SIGH HELP, KISS HELP, etc. to find out what you can do.

Dance floor verbs.
Going to a ball?  A party?  On a date?  You need to know these verbs!  I've also included them here on a separate page so that you can bookmark them separately -- I know I forget them every time.  I've separated these dances by their type so that you can easily find what you're looking for.

Excuses and ideas for roleplay.
All right, so you shouldn't need too many excuses to roleplay, but if you're at a loss, bored, or tired of hunting, try one of the following:

Food, food, food!
Food is such a huge part of real life, and yet plays such a tiny role in DR.  Make food an excuse to roleplay and get your friends together.  Go to a tavern and have a few drinks, chit chat about your lives, gossip, eat something.  Or, alternatively, express your hunger or thirst every now and then and act upon it.  Run around town searching for that perfect food item.  You know what a craving feels like!  (Ardora often requires coffee.  After hours of healing and battle, she's got to have something to keep her alert.)

Rumors!
Who said what?  Make up a rumor and spread it around.  Share it with your friends or complete strangers.  Can be especially entertaining if they bite the hook or if you hear it again three weeks later!  Try to keep it civil, though.  Don't spread anything TOO nasty.  You could spread a rumor about an NPC or perhaps you heard some Paladins discussing something the Prince may have said.  "I was just minding my own business when I overheard..."

Religion!
Give your character a restriction based on their religious beliefs.  "I'm sorry, but I must remain celibate, my life forever devoted to my goddess."  Heheh.  Okay, so maybe something less critical than celibacy.  "I apologize, but I must excuse myself.  The sun sets, and I have yet to pay homage to my god."  Remember, you don't have to be a Cleric to be religious.  Religion plays a significant role for people in real life... why not in DR, too?

Pilgrimage!
Perhaps a personal or religious duty or goal, a pilgrimage can spice up your character's life for a few hours or even a week.  Give them a difficult task, make them travel to a distant town to see a sight or touch a sacred object.  Have them test their skills against a foreign creature, or make them obtain an object from a creature (such as a skin).  Then you'll have something to tell your friends when you come back.

Well, these are just a few ideas.  Certainly there are other things to do.  Chat with your friends via IMs or whispers and come up with a group storyline idea and enjoy something out-of-the-ordinary.

For the Empath:
Unfortunately, Empaths aren't given a choice whether or not to wince when they take a painful wound from a patient, but that doesn't mean you can't expand on that pain or try to dull it down.  How resistant is your character to pain while healing?  Certainly not everyone has the same tolerance.

If healing someone back from the dead would take a lot out of your character, have them express it in some way.  Get across some sort of struggle.  Act pitiful, even -- maybe you'll be tipped better!  Or, if your character has a high tolerance for pain, have them brush it off like it's nothing.  It can often be hard to roleplay when things are really busy, but there's also the option of making a few macros just to give your character a unique touch.

Just try not to cross the bounds too much (though it can be difficult not to).  Don't make your character giggle and flirt when their lying on the floor, clutching a mangled and bleeding leg.  That's not very good roleplay at all.

Character Development

Character development can happen in a matter of minutes or over a period of months.  Controlled character development includes more effort on the part of the player to turn their character into something.  These changes are often abrupt or triggered by something sudden and are planned for that very reason.  Or, one can take a go-with-the-flow view, letting situations arise on their own and having their character act in a way that is natural or suits their personality.

Of course, I prefer a middle road to this.  Sometimes it may be necessary to spice things up a little.  Drama, however, is never a requirement.

Below you'll find a character sheet of sorts.  It's an excellent way (if you're willing to take the time) to discover things about your character or to determine who you want your character to be.  You don't have to fill it all out completely in one sitting, just give it some thought.  Ask yourself what makes your character different from the next... because it wont be the spells or abilities or the choice of weapons or armor.

Note: This worksheet is very similar to those used by novelists when writing up characters for their books.  A lot of it may be trivial or unnecessary when considering your character in the game but can still give you a picture of your character as a whole.

Character Profile Worksheet:
The Basics:
Name:
Age:
Nationality:
Socioeconomic Level as a child:
Socioeconomic Level as an adult:
Hometown:
Current Residence:
Occupation:
Income:
Talents/Skills:
Birth order:
Siblings (describe relationship):
Spouse (describe relationship):
Children (describe relationship):
Grandparents (describe relationship):
Grandchildren (describe relationship):
Significant Others (describe relationship):
Relationship skills:


Physical Characteristics: 
Height:
Weight:
Race:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Skin color:
Shape of Face:
Distinguishing features:
How does he/she dress?
Mannerisms:
Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.)
Health:
Hobbies:
Favorite Sayings:
Speech patterns:
Disabilities:
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.):
Greatest flaw:
Best quality:

Intellectual/Mental/Personality 
Attributes and Attitudes:
Educational Background:
Intelligence Level:
Any Mental Illnesses?
Learning Experiences:
Character's short-term goals in life:
Character's long-term goals in life:
How does Character see himself/herself?
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?
How self-confident is the character?
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?
What would most embarass this character?

Emotional Characteristics:
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Introvert or Extrovert?
How does the character deal with anger?
With sadness?
With conflict?
With change?
With loss?
What does the character want out of life?
What would the character like to change in his/her life?
What motivates this character?
What frightens this character?
What makes this character happy?
Is the character judgmental of others?
Is the character generous or stingy?
Is the character generally polite or rude?

Spiritual Characteristics:
Does the character believe in Gods?
What are the character's spiritual beliefs?
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life?If so, what role does it play?

When the character is involved in a storyline: 
How character is different at the end of the novel from when the novel began: 

If you find that your character is lacking, give them a quirky habit.  Too perfect?  Give them a flaw... even if they don't want one (who does?).  Here's a list of flaws to consider.  Yes, everyone has flaws.  They're a great dynamic for day-to-day life in the Realms.

Possible Character Flaws:
An allergic reaction to something. 
Color blindness. 
A disturbing mannerism or habit.
Low tolerance for alchohol.
Hard of hearing.
Illiteracy.
Poor sight.
A speech impediment.
Absent mindedness or forgetfulness.
Over-aspiration or arrogance.
A criminal mark.
A minor deformity.
A short temper.
Illegitimacy.
Notoriety.
A phobia, fear, or affliction.
Chronic illness.

History and Time

-Character history and Elanthian history.
-The passage of time in Elanthia.

Character history and Elanthian history.
There are two histories to mention here.  The first is the history, past, and background of your own character and his or her family.  The second is the history of Elanthia itself.  Both are important.

If you really want to give your character some dynamic, give them a history or a background.  Share bits and pieces of it with your friends during one of your tavern get-togethers.  You may not want to spill it all immediately, but while you get to know someone you can reveal facts here and there.  Your character's history should not be a product of your character, but your character should be a product of their past.  In most cases, that past will determine who your character is (in one aspect or another) and how they act.  Maybe a part of their history has become their motivation.

Try not to fall into anything too absurd or over-done.  Avoid the amnesia and orphan tales... they're a bit much unless you play them in some astoundingly original way.  But then, that's just my opinion.

Now, if you're planning on becoming a serious RPer, you may want to consider not only your own character's past, but the history of Elanthia.  In order to get involved in the major roleplaying events held by the GMs, you need to know what's going on and why.  What's the deal with Jomay?  Who was Mindy?  What's going on with the Empath down in Shard?  (For some answers, check out the library books here on this site.)

Visit libraries, chat with Bards, and do a little web research.  Know your Elanthian history -- especially if your character is the sort who is interested in public or inter-provincial affairs.  Try doing a Google search for Elanthian history, tales, and other such information.

To begin your research, try this link:  Timeline of Elanthian History.  And that leads us into the next section:

The passage of time in Elanthia.
Ever wonder exactly how time is measured in the Realms?  If you want to stay IC as much as possible, you should learn the correct words to use when speaking about time and be able to understand the same words when used by others.  If you want to write your character's history, you'll need to understand how long a month or year is so that you can write about it appropriately.

Though all the little facts about Elanthian time are a bit much to take in or memorize at once, you should definitely make a point to know the basics.  You can always look up the specific names for the hours, months, and days later on, if you really need them for your writings or roleplay.  For example, Olwydd has created a really good page that explains Elanthian time in detail:  Time in the Realms.

Otherwise, TIME HELP will show you the following information:  I have added my own comments in red, as I find this particular help file to be a bit confusing.

Time Help

The world of Elanthia has its own system of time. We have day and night, sunrise and sunset, and the days and seasons pass as in the real world. However, we measure time on a different scale, so we have a unique calendar of years, months, days, hours and minutes for keeping track as well. Here are some of the basics to get you started:

Years - The years run in a continuous cycle of seven names and are numbered with regards to an important event of Elanthian history, the Victory of Lanival. You can read more about him in the local libraries.

100 real days = 1 Elanthian year.
1 Elanthian year has 10 Elanthian months.
1 Elanthian month, therefore, is equal to 10 RL days.

Months - We have ten months in a year, each forty days long. A day in Elanthia lasts about six hours, making a month about a week and a half of real time. The months are divided into ten weeks of four days each. Thus, each game month contains forty(40) days.

1 Elanthian month is made up of 40 Elanthian days, each day lasting 6 RL hours.
Again, each Elanthian month is equal to 10 RL days (i.e. "a week and a half of real time").

Days - Here comes the tricky part. Did we mention that we have our own languages, too? Well, the parts of the day are named in a language called Gamgweth. Many of the libraries carry a basic dictionary of common Gamgweth words. But back to the point...

An Elanthian Day is called an "ANDU." Each andu is divided into twelve parts, called "ANLASAEN" or more commonly "ANLAEN" (the singular for both is ANLAS). An anlas is roughly a half hour of real life time. In turn, each Anlas is divided into minute-long units called "ROISAEN" (the singular is ROISAN). Now, in High Gamgweth, "ANDU" actually means "day," but since each real life day here is really four days long for our characters, "weeks" is the common translation.

The Elanthian day, an andu, is 6 real hours long, and it is broken up into 30 minute periods called anlaen.  A single anlas in Elanthia, therefore, is equal to 30 minutes in RL.  A minute in real life is called a roisan, IG.

Got that? Well, it gets even more interesting! Not only do we have our own languages, but we have our own pantheon of gods. You can find out more about those in the local libraries as well, but for now, just know that each of the weeks is named after one of the great divinities of Elanthia. In order from first to last, they are: Kertandu after Kertigen, Hodandu after Hodierna, Evandu after Everild, Truffandu after Truffenyi, Havrandu after Hav'roth, Elandu after Eluned, Chandu after Chadatru, Glythandu after Glythtide, Faeandu after Faenella, and Tamsandu after Tamsine. Just who are these gods and goddesses? Ask your local Cleric!

You'll find as you start life in the realms, you only have a vague sense of the time of day. But as your abilities grow, that time sense can become extremely accurate. Which abilities? That's something you'll have to puzzle out for yourself. Have fun discovering more about our world!

Basically, our 24-hour day is divided into 4 Elanthian days.  Every 6 hours, a day IG goes by.  It's generally a good idea to learn or use these different words in-game is to express something about time to other player without going OOC in the process.

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