The White Rabbit's Guide to Roleplaying by: WhiteRabbit Ok, I was asked if I would write up a brief article on some of the basics of roleplaying, and I thought I'd give it a shot. Some of my points may already be covered in Trunks' Storytelling articles, but this is more a guide for aspiring players, especially those new to the idea of roleplaying. However, I do wholeheartedly recommend Trunks' articles to all aspiring players and Storytellers, as there is a wealth of good advice in them. Don't be intimidated because you don't have any experience roleplaying. Just make sure that at least the Storyteller and perhaps even the other players are aware of this before you get started. If they're not willing to bear with you while you learn and make a few mistakes, don't get upset, just find another game to play in. Speaking of finding a game to play in, a good idea is to ask from the lobby if you can play before you click on start, or if possible make arrangements in the in game chat before you even join a game. The reason for this is that many times people will have made arrangements with certain players ahead of time and won't have room in their chronicle for another person. But, if you're not sure, don't be afraid to ask, the worst that can happen is the Storyteller will say no. Well, some people might be a bit meaner than that, but don't let them discourage you -- they're not who you want to play with anyway. Also, make sure that your character is appropriate to whatever chronicle the Storyteller is running, and has an appropriate name. While a name like "Killah" might be appropriate for a gun toting gang member in the modern nights, it wouldn't be very appropriate for a Dark Ages chronicle. The same goes for your character's equipment. While there are times when it might be appropriate for your character to be decked out with full Dark Ages garb, and equipment in the 20th century, there's never a time when it's appropriate for your character to have a Glock 9mm in the Dark Ages -- unless of course, your Storyteller says otherwise. Because that's the Golden Rule, whatever the Storyteller says, goes. Now that you've found a good game with players and a storyteller willing to work with you and you have an appropriate character, it's time for some basic tips on roleplaying. If you're not sure how to start, try imagining yourself in the situation your character is in and how you'd react. Some people may argue that this isn't really roleplaying, but once you begin to get the hang of things, you can then experiment with characters that are different from yourself. However, there are some important things to keep in mind when you're roleplaying. 1) Even if your character is based on you, your character doesn't know everything you do. This is what is known as OOC (out of character) and IC (in character) knowledge. OOC knowledge is any information that you personally know, but your character doesn't. For example, you may know that a certain NPC (non player character, in Redemption this is any character model that isn't controlled by another player, but has scripted responses or can be possessed by the Storyteller) has certain disciplines and abilities, but if it is the first time your character is meeting this NPC, there is no way your character could know any of that information. Well, there are ways, but unless they've happened in play or your Storyteller has told you that you know such info, assume you don't know it. Another important aspect of this is IC and OOC chat. Most Storyteller's have a preferred way for characters to use OOC chat, be it something like ooc chat in parenthesis, brackets, double parenthesis (or any of a multitude of similar symbols), or ooc chat preceded by OOC: Make sure you know whatever method your Storyteller uses, and stick with that one. Some examples might look something like this: (wait, I'm confused. Is that NPC talking to me or Suzy?) OOC: wait, I'm confused. Is that NPC talking to me or Suzy? Hopefully, you get the idea. When you are playing, try to keep OOC statements to a minimum. Asking for clarification is fine, or telling the other players you're not sure how to act or what to say because you're nervous and it's your first time roleplaying is also fine. Usually, most players will respond with plenty of encouragement and perhaps even a few suggestions. However, asking people how their day was is better saved for either before the game has started or after it has ended. This may seem a little confusing right now, but with time and a little practice, it should start to make a lot more sense. Notice the use of parenthesis to differentiate out-of-character chat 2) A good way to get a feel for your character is to write up a brief background story for him before you start playing. It doesn't have to be long, just a bit about who he was before he was embraced, and what he's like now that he's a vampire. Once you do that, try to keep his background in mind when you make decisions in game. For example, someone who grew up as a gang member is likely to have a very different reaction when someone gets in her face than someone who grew up as an anti social computer nerd. If you don't even know where to start with a background story, a good way to start (at least for modern characters) is to simply base the character on yourself. Give the character the same basic background and upbringing you had, then figure out why a vampire of the appropriate clan would embrace you (If you're not sure what all these terms mean, don't be too worried. Once the game comes out, the manual should make a lot of this clear. Until then, don't be afraid to ask questions.) and what your character is doing in the setting of the chronicle (meaning if you're character is German and the chronicle is set in NYC, your character needs a reason to be in NYC, which usually isn't too hard to come up with.) 3) Although Redemption has an amazing engine with beautiful graphics and visual effects, don't let your imagination be limited by the engine. If you want to try something that the engine doesn't support, don't hesitate to emote it or simply tell the storyteller out of character (using the previously discussed out of character chat method agreed upon for the chronicle) what you'd like your character to try to do, and let the Storyteller take it from there. Often, the Storyteller will be able to do something to simulate the attempted action, or she can simply state in a message that a certain thing has happened, and everyone will roleplay as if it actually happened. This may seem a little odd at first, but once you get used to it, it removes virtually all of the limits created by the engine. 4) Finally, if you try all this and it turns out you don't like roleplaying, and you'd rather just play vampire as a 3-D dungeon crawling, monster bashing extravaganza, don't feel bad! Roleplaying isn't for everyone, some people just can't get into it or don't like it. There's plenty of room for all types of players, just make sure that people know which type of game you're looking for when you join a game and that the other people are looking for the same type of game. Also, some people might enjoy some furious action with no roleplaying sometimes and quite the opposite anther time. That's the beauty of Redemption, it becomes what you make it. For many, many people this will be their first experience with any sort of roleplaying beyond the limited opportunities in existing CRPGs. Keeping that in mind, I hope all new players will at least give roleplaying a shot, and that experienced players and Storytellers will be patient with any new players who are trying to learn to roleplay. Oh, and I know I mentioned it before, but I don't know that I gave it enough emphasis: What the Storyteller says, goes. If you do have a problem with a decision the Storyteller makes, don't hesitate to bring it up, however, it may be best to bring it up after the game is over rather than disrupt the game in progress. -----===== I'm the White Rabbit =====----- Articles Index