La Academia
RPAcademy
is a place for people to learn to roleplay and to teach others to roleplay.
For lack of interest, RPAcademy has moved its members to the Ellewyn Tavern, another
Yahoo Group headed by me. Anyone can join at any time to help teach or to
learn. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ellewyntavern/
This is
what you will learn:
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Creating a Character
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How do you create a character from scratch?
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Building a Background
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Make your character well rounded and
believable.
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Playing the Character
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How to, not only play the character,
but play it well.
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Battling with your Character
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How in the world do you fight??
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Making your character seem real
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The Ultimate Goal in roleplay.
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When you are done creating your character.
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Quick answer to this one, folks. The
Answer? Never. Find out why.
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If you don't
wish to join the club, you can still learn to roleplay here. You just won't
get the one-on-one that you would otherwise. Keep reading to go in-depth
on how to role-play.
1. What is
roleplaying?
2. How
do you make a character?
3. What's
so important about knowing my character?
4.
How do I go further with my character?
5. How do I
play my character?
6. Where
can I roleplay?
7. How do
I fight?
8. How do
I make my character seem real?
1.
What is roleplaying?
Roleplaying
is taking a character and acting out what that character would do in certain
situations. Some have likened it to acting, except without a stage, usually
no audience, and the script hasn't been written yet. You are the author
in
a roleplaying game- you, and usually, several other people, all writing
a story.
There are
different types of roleplaying. Click here
to get an in-depth look into each of them.
2.
How do you make a character?
Making a character
is usually quite simple. If you're playing a game such as D&D, GURPS,
Rifts, Traveller, or anything like that, there's usually a character sheet
to fill out. If there isn't, it's still a simple matter. Here's a table
so you can fill out the most important details first.
| Name: |
Hair color: |
| Age: |
Eye color: |
| Sex: |
Body structure: |
| Race: |
Height: |
| Siblings (#): |
Weight: |
| Class (Rank): |
Attitude (Personality): |
Your character
obviously needs a name to be called by, but sometimes it's more fun if
he/she doesn't have a name. Your character's age helps determine how responsible
they are, as does the number of siblings they have and whether they're
the oldest or youngest. Therefore, even if your character doesn't
know this information, you should. Obviously, you should know if
your character is a female or male, and you should also know your character's
race or species, even if your character doesn't. Hair and Eye color, as
well as Body structure (thin? fat?), height, and weight, tell what your
character looks like. Some other characters will react to your character
differently depending on how he/she looks. Your character's attitude and
personality toward things is very important in how you play him/her and
how he/she will react toward other characters and events.
Click here
to read a comprehensive tutorial on how to make a character.
3.
What's so important about knowing my character?
As you can
see, sometimes you'll know things that your charactr won't. A good roleplayer
won't immediately give all knowledge to his/her character. It gives surprise
to the game, and it tests your abilities as a roleplayer. It's important
to know, therefore, how much your character will find out, and when. It's
also important to know how your character reacts to situations and people.
Without all this information, you can't roleplay well, and you'll end up
looking like a newbie and a fool.
4.
How do I go further with my character?
It's very easy
to make your character seem more realistic and believable. It's just that
not many people realize it, and if they do, they want to feel 'goddy' and
make a character that can't be beat. But that's the problem. Some of
the best characters are the ones that have lots of quirks, making them
believable. Therefore, add quirks to your character- little things
that just aren't ordinary. Don't be afraid to go all out with your imagination,
and don't be afraid that your character will get killed. Quirks are things
such as a fear of heights, spiders, or such things, or maybe a love of
spiders, snakes, and such. What is your character's favorite food, or drink?
Sometimes these are lots of fun to plan out. What are some weaknesses to
your character? What is your character vulnerable to?
For examples,
let's take a look at my characters. I try to fill my characters with quirks.
What are some of my characters' fears and loves? Well, Chailyn can't stand
spiders, and neither can Keiko, but Keiko loves reptiles, especially dragons.
Black Rose, on the other hand, hates dragons with a passion. Keiko doesn't
give a hoot about furry animals, but Kione is scared to death of dogs,
Ashlin doesn't like dogs, and Quamada loves furry animals above all other
animals.
What about
favorite food and drink? Ashlin is partial to mashed potatoes and creme
soda, and Kione practically lives on orange juice. Quamada is allergic
to alcohol, and is partial to water. Quamada, also, can't drink such things
as pop, and some meats and vegetables that aren't found in Rinara. Tarsha
prefers meat, and Elydien loves delicacies and steamed vegetables. Chailyn
will eat just about anything.
Weaknesses
and velnerabilities are lots of fun, just because they can be strange.
Ashlin, for one, is confined to a wheelchair with spinal muscular atrophy.
Quamada trusts everyone blindly. Chailyn is bull-headed and stubborn, as
well as testy and snappish and 'the world's against me' when her twin isn't
with her. She hates being afraid, so gets angry and irritated when she
is afraid. Tarsha, being a Stormseeker elf, can stand tremendous amounts
of eletricity, but she also will shock most anything- friend or foe- she
touches if she doesn't wear special gloves. Elydien is severly afraid of
her powers of illusion, and isn't good at combat at all. Chailyn may be
smart, but she's irresponsible and she's no good in a fight, either. Black
Rose is great to have on your side in a fight, but she's just barely sentient.
Keiko, lastly, isn't especially good at anything.
5. How
do I play my character?
There are lots
of ways to roleplay, depending on how you do it. If you play in a group,
you'll probably say what your character says and does. If it's a LARP,
a Live Action Role Play, you'll say what your character says, and do what
he/she does. On the Internet, most commonly asteriks (**) are used for
actions, and nothing for speech. For example: *Tarsha
smiled brilliantly at the stable owner* Good eve to you. Might I trouble
you for a place to stay my mount while I traverse this city?
In some other places on the Net, nothing is used for actions, and quotes
are used for words. For example: Chailyn
sighs with boredom, leaning her head on one hand, planning her next act
of mischeif. Suddenly, she jumps up, her brown eyes alight with a new plan.
"Riona! I just got the perfect trick to play!"
As you may have noticed, in one of the examples I used present tense, and
in the other, I used past tense. This is because in some places, past tense
is used, like in most stories, while in others, present tense is used.
The only way to find out exactly how roleplaying goes in a certain place
is to watch, and if that doesn't work, ask.
6.
Where can I roleplay?
There's many
places to roleplay, depending on your preference of what type of roleplaying
you like best. One place to roleplay is right in your home. Another is
on the Internet, if you don't have a roleplaying group to hang out with.
On the Net, people use clubs, chats, telnet, and sometimes even web sites
and things like AIM, ICQ, IRC, and mIRC. Here are some links to help you
out. Explore, and experiment. Find out where you're comfortable, and enjoy
yourself.
On chats,
people mainly use User Created Rooms to roleplay, unless there are main
rooms set aside for roleplaying.
7. How
do I fight?
It's bound
to happen. Sometime in roleplay, your character will almost certainly get
into a fight, whether it's a spar, a scuffle, or a life and death match.
There are various ways to fight, depending on where and how you roleplay.
If you're roleplaying with a group at your home or elsewhere (other than
the Net) you'll probably use dice to determine the outcome. With that,
you'll have to contanct your Game Master (GM). If you're roleplaying on
the Net, the two main styles of fighting are speed-based and turn-based.
I favor speed-based fighting for beginners, and this was how I was taught.
Speed-based
fighting is exactly what it sounds like- it's based on the speed you type
at. Fast typers tend to win more battles, but usually in most fights, both
sides get hit. This is key to good roleplaying- let your character get
hit at least once. It doesn't have to be a fatal wound, just let your
character get injured. Be realistic, as well. Know your character's bounds.
This is more vital to turn-based than it is to speed-based. Speed-based
fighting is used only in chats, as far as I know, because otherwise, it
defeats the purpose.
Turn-based
fighting is used extensively. In this, the players take turns posting their
actions and reactions during the fight. If you don't wait, your action
will be considered an auto, and will be discarded and ignored. Boundaries
to this type of fighting vary, so ask for a rule page if you're unfamiliar
with the fighting style. Like I said before, don't have your character
come out of any fight, except a very minor skirmish perhaps, without taking
a hit. If your character never gets hit, it will be considered 'goddy',
and you will be considered a newbie.
8. How
do I make my character seem real?
This one is
the goal all serious roleplayers should strive for. Mainly, know your character,
give your character quirks, don't be afraid to experiment, and let your
character get hurt. Don't protect your character, and don't be afraid to
have him die. If you do, people will most likely go out of their way to
attack your character because a lot of people aren't nice to newbies, and
that's what you'll be seen as. Ask questions if you're not sure of how
things are done. If you do, most people will be polite and answer your
questions patiently. Then, as you get more used to that style, people will
start liking you and your character, and you'll gain friends. Some may
consider you a good roleplayer, even if you're a beginner. Trust me- I
was in that same position when I started, and I still ask questions. Also-
be polite, and don't barge in and disrupt a roleplaying session. It doesn't
gain you any friends, but you may gain enemies.