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   This is a copy of a post I made to the play.net forums. It's meant to help out people who aren't familiar with how to roleplay, and specifically people who want to roleplay in DragonRealms.

   My offer to help out anyone that gets stuck creating their character or has any questions stands.

Starting Premises

   To start, we must declare a few premises which will be the outline for the rest of the guide.

1. Mary Sues are harmful to any roleplaying environment and counterintuitive to good roleplay. Don't be a Mary Sue. (See definitions for information on what this is.)
2. The only entity you have direct control over is your own character and their reactions to a situation. Take it in stride.
   • Corollary to above: Game Masters/Dungeon Masters control everything, even your character. That's just how it is and it's how it's always been in every roleplaying game ever. When you play in their setting, you play by their rules, you don't just make up your own. It makes you look stupid not to mention rude.
3. God-moding people without their explicit permission is not good roleplay, no matter how 'well done' it might look.
4. Using ACT, SMILE, FROWN or other 'freeform' verbs to embellish ones' actions does not automatically make one a good roleplayer.
   • Corollary to above: not using ACT, SMILE, FROWN or other 'freeform' verbs to embellish ones' actions does not automatically make one a bad roleplayer either.
5. A good character is a coherent balance between their history, their virtues, their flaws, their personality and their actions.
6. None of this is as hard or complicated as it sounds. Relax and have fun. It's just a game and no one should get stressed out over it. :)

Some Terminology

   We'll get all this out of the way to avoid confusion.

• Genre — Genre refers to the type of setting a game is in and helps dictate what kinds of elements are or can be present in any given setting. DR is considered 'High Fantasy' - that means while we have plenty of Elves and Dwarves and uh...well okay, no dragons yet, which are all typical to High Fantasy, we don't have any space ships or Jedis because they have no place in the type of world that Elanthia is. When we say something is 'out of genre' in DR we are saying something is grossly out of place for the type of game and setting that DR is. An example of this would be space ships. Or instant messaging programs. ::cough::
• Setting — This is where we get more specific. The setting of DR is, of course, Elanthia. Any given setting has its own unique sets of rules that players with characters within that setting are expected to abide by. For example, while DR is High Fantasy and the species called Half-Elves are typical to that genre, Half-Elves as a species do not exist in DR (much to the chagrin of certain players, I'm sure). Attempting to roleplay a Half-Elf as a unique species in DR would not be out of genre but it would be unacceptable for the setting.
• Player Character — The persona that a player creates to live and function in a given setting. These are essentially entirely different people that have lived in a given setting for their entire lives and should act accordingly. Strictly speaking, any behavior which is considered abnormal (and lacking a good reason for being so) for a character based on their personality, abilities, or alignment is considered out of character. In DR, the phrase out of character seems to encompass the concepts of something being wrong for a setting and wrong for a genre but not necessarily wrong for a character. An example of something being just out of character (and not out of genre or wrong for the setting) would be if my character Caelumia suddenly decided for no reason that Dwarves weren't so bad after all and went and got married to one. Out of character actions are usually motivated by something out of the game, such as an angry or upset player or two players being friends but having otherwise incompatible characters.
• Non-Player Character — NPCs are the background of a setting, the people who do all the humdrum stuff so we don't have to (unless we want to). NPCs can be everything from shopkeepers to unnoticed peasants to unremarkable or unplayed family members of our characters. All you have to do to create an NPC even in DR is talk about them as though they exist; If your character says, "Oh yeah, my aunt Gertrude used to make the best apple pie," this establishes that your character has an aunt named Gertrude that, while not played by anyone or visible in the environment, still 'exists' so to speak in the background.
• Scene — Any short instance of roleplay between two or more characters, especially if it furthers some kind of plot or character development. Examples would be an outing at the local tavern or going to court and rubbing elbows with the local nobility. Most MU*s rely on formalized and organized scenes with things like pose order, but in DR roleplay tends to be extremely short, fast-paced and informal. I wouldn't call anything in DR that doesn't last over 10 minutes a real scene.
• Plot and Mini-plot — A plot is any storyline that is long, affects a significant number of characters or the setting as a whole and is usually run by a GM or DM. A miniplot is usually a smaller storyline that is held between a small group of characters with little or no GM or DM interaction. Mind, the presence of a GMPC alone doesn't make something in DR a fully-blown plot; GMPCs have been known to trigger miniplots that don't really affect anything from time to time.
• Fade To Black — A term referencing anything that happens in the present (played) life of a character but is not roleplayed out by the player for whatever reason. For those of you that can't connect the dots, yes, this most often refers to things like going to the bathroom, sleeping, sex or childbirth. FTB is very handy for people who want our characters in a normal marriage but don't want to engage in cybersex. I mean, if that's your bag, go for it...the rest of us will just pretend/agree it happened and leave it at that.
• Game Masters or Dungeon Masters — Different names for the same thing, these are the guys that run the show, and without them we wouldn't have a show at all. You might think I shouldn't have to cover what a GM is in a roleplaying guide of all things, but GMs are one of the most important elements in good roleplay. It is a GM's job to define the setting and all of the rules of that setting as well as run the plots that will affect the most characters in that setting. Let me tell you from experience, this is a lot harder than it sounds, because a wrong decision that sounded good at the time can really screw you over later on. This is because whatever a GM says is Unequivocally True in a setting goes; using the Half-Elf example, you can't keep on roleplaying a character whose species is Half-Elf who really is Half-Elven and not just a Human with slightly pointed ears because damn it you want them to be a Half-Elf and you think you should be able to wahhh. In most games, direct defiance of a GM's decrees on what is and is not acceptable in a setting is enough to get you in trouble or even kicked out if you're being disruptive. In DR...well, you can go talk to one of the people pretending to be Half-Elves. Or Drow. But that's a rant for another time :)
• Mary Sue — A term that is often uttered with varying degrees of vitriol and cursing in most roleplaying circles. It is, in short, a character that is a grossly idealized projection of the player into a character and/or a character that is essentially (and annoyingly) 'perfect' with few or only minor and endearing flaws. Mary Sues lack depth. They are uninteresting and downright frustrating to play with because Mary Sues not only feel they should be the most important part of a story or scene but they have a tendancy to take any negativity directed at their character personally (for obvious reasons). Check out the Wikipedia article for more information about Mary Sues and check out this test to view the relative Mary Sue-ness of your character (be sure to read and follow the directions though). Note that a high score doesn't mean your character is one, but it's a good start.
• God-moding — Any time you give your characters abilities that are beyond that which is considered 'acceptable' or 'normal' for a setting or force actions, thoughts, or emotions on another character, you are god-moding. In DR, it could also be said that any use of a freeform verb like ACT to bypass or attempt to bypass the mechanics that are normally in place for certain actions (such as skill checks and demeanor) is also god-moding. God-moding is almost always a Bad Thing; the exception to this is when a player has given another player permission OOCly to perform actions for or on their character, which can help greatly in certain types of scenes and miniplots (such as a kidnapping).




Your Character and You





   Just like you can't build a house on a foundation made of particle board and glue sticks, you can't create good and engaging roleplay from a character that is shallow, uninteresting, or just plain bad. I will start by saying this one thing. It is very important, so read it closely:

   No character is beyond redemption.

   You could have the absolute worst Mary Sue in DR who has sparkling sapphire eyes, a curvaceous body, and fiery red hair who is the last of the bloodline of a secret clan of Space Elf vampires that hold the key to introducing fine German automobiles into Elanthia and still not be irredeemable as long as you are willing to change the character.

   Now, when I say shallow and uninteresting, I don't refer to a character that comes off as being about as deep as a kiddie pool and roughly as intelligent. Nor do you have to make a character that is extraordinary or special or unique in some way (like the 'Space Elf vampires' example). Generally, your character can be as horrible or as plain or as awesome as you want; what will make them a good or bad character is whether or not this is all there is to their personality.

   Real people aren't flat. Even the most shallow person you could think of in real life has more to their personality and background than what you see on the surface. This is where creating a character becomes difficult; you not only have to come up with the different aspects of their personality (this includes flaws), you have to think of the whys and the hows and have them all come together to form a coherent person.

   All that said, there's a delicate balance that can be hard to attain. Many people have very wisely said that everyone can't be the hero, but pretty much everyone will want to be. This is why I personally measure how good a character is by their flaws in relation to their virtues; a good character is not black and white.

   Say you're a pristine Paladin of the light that never strays from the path of ethics laid down by your guild. But maybe you come off as preachy and annoying. Maybe you do things that are arguably immoral but not unethical. Maybe you have a drinking problem you don't tell anyone about. Or maybe you're secretly a misogynist that resents women. Something like that adds spice and depth to a character, even if part of that depth ends up being how shallow the character is on the inside.

   Finally, things like gender, age, guild and especially species should all be taken into heavy consideration when it comes to developing both history and personality. Each will have a huge impact on what sort of person your character ends up being. An elderly man will not act the same as a young woman. Barbarians and Moon Mages can be as different as night and day. A Halfling or a Gnome will generally act a lot differently from a S'kra Mur. Likewise, Elves are not just pretty Humans with pointy ears and Prydaens are not bipedal talking puddy tats that purr a lot and want to be petted in between popping out litters of kits (despite what some players of that race would have you believe).

   Yes, this means going out of your way sometimes and doing a little research about your chosen species, especially if the species has sub-categories such as the Elven Clans or Sraans. Truth be told, species is probably one of the most deciding factors when it comes to developing your character. The summaries given for each species are a great baseline and there are plenty of other books out there at your disposal too, not to mention lots of players that are very eager to share their knowledge and advice.

   So, in summation, what is needed for a good character?

• Solid history and background.
• Personality, motivations and quirks that are coherent with that background.
• Balanced sets of flaws and virtues that create depth within a character.

   Now that we've got that out of the way...





Character Histories: What to Do and What Not to Do





   Realizing your character's place in a given setting is an important step to writing a good history; after all, your character was not born the moment they stepped out of the Character Managar, they'd been around for years prior. Were they raised as a simple farmer or born into a minor noble family? Were they a homeless street rat that decided to make something of themselves or a pampered princess that got bored at home? This is all for you to decide, and remember, it should somehow be coherent with who your character has become and indeed should be a guideline to developing your character. Getting from A to B is up to you, though.

   Keep in mind that in DR we are told that our characters are, for the most part, exceptional. This means it's okay to have your character be the child of a pair of skilled mages from Mer'kresh that can kill Adan'f by sneezing at them; these can even be NPCs, so don't worry too much about finding PCs to fill in your family for you, it's completely optional. It's also perfectly okay to play a commoner that comes from a completely unremarkable family that made a name for themselves through their words or deeds.

   There is such a thing as too dramatic or self-serving, though. When you start talking about being the last in a bloodline of an important noble family that is secretly somehow related to Queen Morganae and is destined to take over her throne or someone who is the sole survivor after their entire village was razed and they were raped by orcs or are otherwise doing something to make your character out to be more remarkable than is appropriate, you're wandering into Mary Sue territory. A good story should be interesting on some level but still believable. It should also be more than the same old story you hear from countless other people; there are so many orphans whose parents were murdered by bandits in Kermoria it's bordering on ridiculous. That doesn't mean you can't use that kind of an element in your story, just try to put some kind of original spin on it. Your character can also come from an important or even tragic background without that background being utterly outlandish and ridiculous. The key is balance.

   Something I find that helps when creating a history for a character is making up a few smaller stories involving that character when they were young. You can do this in advance or just do it on the fly when you're roleplaying in a scene and keep it in mind for later. This again adds spice to the character and the sense that there is more to them than meets the eye.

   Things like time and events should be taken into consideration as well. Were they alive during a war? Were they around when something really important happened (like Sirolarn's beheading and Vorclaf taking the throne) and old enough to hear/know about it? Don't ignore important world events in your history. Use them to help mold your character into who they are now.

   The level of detail of the background is really up to you, though. Most of the time, a quick summary and outline of their lives will suffice. When you're done figuring out how your character began, try telling it to a few friends to get their feedback on it. Remember that nothing is set in stone. This doesn't mean you can go re-creating your character from scratch every time you get tired of the old one, but if part of their background ends up not fitting like you wanted it to, most of the time you can get away with changing it or scrapping it entirely. This is part of why it's good to avoid going around in game and splurging your character's entire life story to anyone that will listen; It gives you the flexibility to change it if it hasn't been wholly introduced to a lot of people ICly. :)





Personality, Motivations, and Quirks





   What does your character really, really want? Fame, money, excitement, power, love, happiness? How do they intend on getting what they want? What are they willing to do to get what they want? If you had to categorize them, are they more 'good' or more 'evil'?

   Everyone is motivated by something. Answer those questions honestly and you'll have a sound place to start when it comes to building an outline for your character's personality. Once you realize what they want, why they want it, and what they intend on doing to get it, you can flesh out the rest of them based on their desires and their history. Remember that balance is important, though. Luckily it's pretty easy to incorporate both flaws and virtues into a character once you get down to their basic motivations. For example, say I have a Trader that is motivated by his desire for money. He's a generally nice person that doesn't intentionally treat anyone with malice, but he's also greedy, and that greed pushes him into being dishonest from time to time to make more money. See how easy that was?

   Quirks really make a character unique and I'd recommend picking up a few to pretty much everyone. Say our Trader is a bit germphobic and doesn't really like touching people or being touched. Maybe he's got a lucky coin he always kisses or rubs after each sale. Or maybe he's a nervous fellow and bites his nails a lot, which disgusts some other character he's trying to do business with. These could lead to all sorts of amusing and fun interactions with other characters.

   With that, keep in mind that not every other character is going to like your character and you certainly aren't going to like everyone else's character. This is especially true if you intend on playing a villain or dubious character of any kind, but even if you intend for your character to be lovable or popular, this may not end up being the case. This is not a bad thing, though! Instead of lamenting it and wondering why people don't like your character or why they don't find your flaws lovable and adorable, roll with it. Use it as a platform from which to roleplay. Let your character's personality dictate their actions and reactions and don't let people get you down. After all, things wouldn't be any fun if everyone got along all the time.





Past and Present: Bringing it All Together





   So you've got an idea for a nice little history that is interesting without being outrageous and ideas for a well-rounded character with plenty of depth. Now what?

   Well, putting it together is tough to explain. Most people start with the kind of character they want to play and flesh things out from there. Others have an idea for an interesting history and build a character from that. The former is by far the more difficult to work with, and which way you began will dictate how you should continue.

   The biggest concern is making it make sense and fit together without seeming forced or utterly nonsensical. For example, if your character suffered some kind of trauma in their past, this should be reflected somehow in their personality and behavior. If they were raised in poverty and never went to school, they shouldn't be perfectly literate and fluent in three languages unless there is something in their past to explain why they would be. Your history is part of who your character is, not just background noise or a means to get sympathy or praise.





Faux Pas and Personal Agendas: How Good Roleplay Goes Bad





   Well, we've covered the good and a bit of the bad, so how about some of the ugly?

   The best advice I'd give anyone plunging into the world of actually roleplaying a character is to keep in mind five guidelines. It's simple and easy to remember, I promise.

1. Always initially assume good faith. Just because someone's character is being mean to your character that doesn't mean they're trying to spoil your happy fun time on a personal level. Don't assume the player is a malicious jerk until they do something to demonstrate that they are; after all, 'mean' or 'evil' roleplay is still roleplay. See also guideline 3.
2. You are not your character and your character is not you. Taking judgements or actions made against your character as a personal slight or insult will only serve to frustrate and anger you. Likewise, your character will not and should not know everything you do, and unless you have a good reason for your character to know or hear about it ICly, they shouldn't. There should be a very firm barrier in place between you and your character. It will make playing them much more enjoyable.
3. Courtesy counts. No one can force you to roleplay all or even any of the time, but DR is a roleplaying game and by default everyone should behave in an in-character fashion, not the other way around. If you don't want to roleplay with someone or they make you uncomfortable somehow it's your responsibility to let their player know about that before assuming bad faith on their part. You may be surprised at how many ugly situations you can avoid or turn fun by taking this simple step.
4. Just because you don't like it or don't enjoy it doesn't automatically mean it's not roleplay or bad roleplay. Barring another player doing something just plain out of genre or utterly outrageous or inappropriate for the setting, like pretending they're a Jedi or an Elf-Prydaen hybrid or Queen Morganae's long lost daughter, your angst would be better directed elsewhere. Following guideline 3 will also help a lot with this. You can always walk away.
5. Referencing something that is inherently and irredeemably out of genre or grossly inappropriate for the setting with a different name does not magically make it in-character or appropriate. You're still making a reference to something that for all intents and purposes does not and cannot exist in the world your character is in. More specifically, Game Masters do not exist to your character period and calling them Gods does not change the fact that mentioning them in an in-character setting is incredibly inappropriate and disruptive. Same goes for stuff like telling people to "pigeon" you at DRBabe69. Leave the out of genre stuff out of the game, please? You'll be doing everyone a big favor.

   And lastly...No one is perfect. Not you, not me, not anyone. Everyone makes mistakes or poor decisions, but it's never too late to reconcile and change for the better. That's what this is all about.

   Hmmm...is that all? I think that's all. Yipee!

   Now go have fun. I want to see some good roleplay in DR for a change.



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