TTRPG Tips, How To Level Up Your Roleplay
Tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons, Lasers and Feelings, Vampire the Masquerade, and the multitudinous other systems rely mainly on the players and game master to do much of the narrative heavy lifting regarding roleplay. But not everyone is a professional actor or improv extraordinaire. Therefore, here are a few tips to help you see roleplay from a different angle and get more from your TTRPG experience.
Create A Unique Character
While I went into this topic in depth in my Making a Memorable Character blog post, the root of roleplaying starts with character creation. Having a flat or uninspired character gets you nowhere for roleplaying, and a blank slate can be a fun challenge for newer players and GMs; giving yourself something to build up from is essential to crafting a well-rounded RP experience. So, write out that backstory, bake your character's goals in with the campaign setting, and have reasons for wanting to go on an adventure, willingly or begrudgingly.
Having motivations or maintaining values similar to yourself can be a good starting point for character creation. Yet, you can also try to play against type. Perhaps you are a reserved person who doesn't talk much, then try playing a bombastic bard and play up the tropes of being loud and snarky with your speech. Furthermore, the player's handbook has some of the best advice for creating a unique roleplay experience in the personality traits, bonds, and potential flaws inside of each background.
Add Some Voice, And Not Just An Accent
Yes, do an accent or funny voice for your character if you are comfortable with it, but character 'voice' doesn't end at your speech patterns and inflections. Instead, consider voice in the context of how your character conveys themself to others. If they are loud and loquacious, then talk A LOT. If your character is reserved and broody like every level one rogue with a tragic backstory, speak only when essential and convey your thoughts through body language and posture in an in-person setting. Then, subvert that voice. When the talkative bard is dumbstruck and silent, it can convey a narrative beat that is heavy or important. Furthermore, when a quiet rogue finally speaks up and swears revenge on an enemy, screaming with emotion and fury, it will hit harder than if you had constantly changed your tone and style of speech.
Plan Out A Narrative Arc
No narrative arc, no matter how well thought out or planned for, will ever survive contact with the dice and tabletop. However, that doesn't mean you can't have goals or arcs intended for your characters and NPCs. When starting out, give your character something to strive for and have a few rough steps on how to get there. Perhaps your bard wants to write an epic poem about heroism and great deeds but ends up roped into adventurer shenanigans in the process, and the ballad they originally planned turns into a tragic tale detailing the party's misadventures and the cost of heroism. Just don't plan too much, or you may suffer from main character syndrome/ come into unnecessary conflict with your party members due to hanging on to a narrative arc too rigidly.
Give Yourself Some Flaws
We like people for their similarities to us, but we can only come to love them because of their flaws. All of us are flawed, and your character should be no less imperfect. The best narratives in fiction come from deeply flawed characters who learn to accept themselves and be better than before, challenging their initial beliefs in the world and themselves to overcome significant hardship. So, add a few flaws to your character and lean into them. For example, Grog the Barbarian was one of the best players in Critical Role's first campaign, not because he was perfect, but for the opposite. He was unintelligent, easily deceived, and overly aggressive. Yet, by leaning into those tropes, Travis Willingham, his player, created a masterpiece from an otherwise dull piece of meat. You have the same potential, so embrace who you are, love your flaws, and overcome them to create the perfect character inside and outside the tabletop space.
