A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

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GuardianDreamer
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A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by GuardianDreamer »

A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Written by GuardianDreamer

Edited by SuperGanondorf


Introduction/What is this?
"Introduce yourself now, strange person!"

Hello everyone, I'm GuardianDreamer. You probably know me as the person who joins far too many roleplays, and the person who spends far too much time on the AAO xat. As you can probably tell from the title, this guide is so that beginner's to roleplaying can find out more about what a roleplay is, and the pitfalls that should be avoided. I hope that this guide is helpful... if not, then at the very least I hope it amuses you.

What is a roleplay, exactly?
"We must know!"

There are a variety of roleplays, but there are common similarities. A roleplay basically takes a setting of some kind, and then allows the players to create characters in the setting of the roleplay to interact. Generally, these characters can change the course of the story... but in bigger roleplays, that isn't always the case. Roleplays are driven by the plot and the characters in it.

As mentioned previously, not all roleplays are the same. Some here on AAO are wide-open, allowing you to create a very detailed backstory for your character and giving you a huge world to explore. Endless Time comes to mind for this kind of roleplay. Trial by Posts is another form of roleplay. TBP's(as they are commonly abbreviated) are exactly what they sound like. A trial that is roleplayed. It takes a crime(similar to those in AA) and allows you to roleplay the trial that takes place. This means you can roleplay as the defense attorney, prosecutor, judge, defendant, and other common roles found in the trials of Ace Attorney. So... roleplaying a trial, basically.

Another form of roleplay common in AAO is where the Game Moderator has a lot more control. In this one, backstories for characters you create are made by the GM, and the game world is often a lot more limited(though that is not a bad thing). The current active ones(The Haruhism Game, The Nonary Incident, and Requiem of The Shadows) combine roleplaying with their own elements, detailed in the threads for those games. These kinds of roleplays often rely much more on mystery. Despite the fact that I called them "limited", there is a lot one can do, and the decisions your character makes in these often have more consequences/effects than those in other RP's.

Characters
"Creating characters! It's like magic!"

Now then... obviously, I'm not going to dictate how to create your RP characters. A great part of the fun in RP'ing comes from making interesting characters. However, if you find yourself stuck when creating a character, I do have some advice. I'm going to assume it's the personality of the character you're stuck on. If you're stuck on a name or the appearance of the character, just try a name that's fitting. If that still doesn't help, then there are plenty of name generators and appearance generators out there.

When creating the personality of a character, it's best to have a basic idea in mind first. Create the basic "template" of the character, and then add the details later. This works very well for me. However, one of my favorite ways of creating a character is by twisting cliches. For example, a character that uses fists to fight and seems menacing seems rather cliche... until you give them a twist by adding something completely unexpected, such as that character actually being very intelligent and kind, and spending a lot of time reading classic literature.

This method can provide interesting results. For example, I have created a noble paladin and deconstructed the archetype. The paladin I created IS very kind... except when it comes to demons and necromancers. In the RP she is a part of, not all demons and necromancers are evil, but the paladin believes that they all are, which can lead to interesting results, as the kind paladin is rather cruel when it comes to dealing with demons and necromancers. This makes a cliche character idea more interesting.

However... you can make a cliche character archetype work well. Without twisting any cliches, a great roleplayer can create a cliche character, and then play that character extremely well, enough so that the character becomes refreshing again. Once you get more experience, it's worth trying.

God-Modding
"My character just destroyed the entire world without breaking a sweat! I have the best character!"

In simple terms, god-modding is the act of making one of your characters do something that is unfair to the other players in the RP. God-modding usually comes in the form of overpowering your character to the point that they are incredibly powerful demi-gods that can kill everything. Some people are under the impression that the more powerful a character is, the better that character is. Some of the best characters are those that are actually very weak. Having a god-powered character is just unrealistic, isn't fair to the other players, and ruins the fun of roleplaying. I'll write up an example of god-modding using one of my RP characters.
Kenneth Roymond wrote:Kenneth wasn't sure what to do anymore. The entire world seemed to be against him... why couldn't everyone else just die? Yes... that would be helpful. Kenneth smiled for once, a smile that clearly signaled just how insane he had become.

Before the day was over, Kenneth had killed hundreds of guards, and completely destroyed a country. He wasn't even scratched.
Yeah... this is a double-whammy. Not only is it unrealistic for a single character to completely destroy a country(no matter HOW blood-thirsty they are. This character COULD destroy a major town... but he'd be nearly dead after doing so, and that's only if he went completely insane), but the fact that it's undetailed makes the post look rather bad. And having any character do something like that without being injured at all, or at the very least fatigued after doing so... yeah, it just comes across as rather rude. Basically, don't have your characters be overpowered demi-gods. It's understandable for a character to be REALLY good at something(perhaps one of the best at a particular skill), but EVERY character should have weaknesses.

Doing something with no logical explanation is a big no-no. In the example above, you will notice that I didn't even explain how my character destroyed an entire country. In any post, just saying that your character "killed the other guy" or that they "dodged the attacks" without ANY details just looks bad. You can make it so that your character dodges an attack, but you have to add an explanation. Maybe they blocked it with their shield, or quickly sidestepped out of the way. Just saying they did something with no justification looks bad though.

As an example on how to make a very powerful character with weaknesses, I have created a very powerful dark mage before. His name is Ewyn, and he could be described as very kind, but also very weird. He is quite possibly most powerful dark-mage in the world of Endless Time because he spent a lot of time training. Despite being only age 16, he is very powerful. With that great power, I had to give him great weaknesses. So, basically I sort of exaggerated the strengths and weaknesses of the typical mage. While he is an extremely powerful mage who is rather agile, he is also extremely fragile and can not even pick up most weapons, being very weak physically. He also doesn't kill people, so that limits the dark magic that he is willing to use.

Also, obviously in some roleplays, characters won't be able to be as powerful. While being a great swordsman or wizard is perfectly acceptable in fantasy RPG's, that isn't acceptable in more realistic roleplays.

Bunnying
"I'm sure it's okay if I just control that one character for a bit... right?"

Bunnying is technically god-modding, but more specific. In any case, I think it's the biggest problem in roleplays. Bunnying is basically controlling another person's character without their consent. Let's take two of my characters then, and say that one of them didn't belong to me, and I used them without permission. For this one, I'll use two of my characters from Endless Time.
Alexis Lockswell wrote:It was a rather strange situation, but Alexis could use any help she could get. A mage could certainly help when tracking down a criminal. "You'll help me then?"

"Yes." The strange mage said. With that, they tried to find clues as to the whereabouts of the criminal.
Yep... even a simple sentence or a word can be considered bunnying/godmodding. Believe me, it is very annoying when someone takes control of your character. This is especially true if that character is made to act Out of Character... people may think the wrong things about the character. You should wait for the other RP'er. If you absolutely must control the other character for whatever reason, get permission from the other player. To make sure it remains in-character, it is for the best if you PM them the post so they can check it first, and correct anything that seems OOC. I don't know about you, but I hate when people control my characters without permission. Even if you think you made the character stay in-character, you can't be sure of that. There may be something about the character you don't know about that would change the answer. Besides, it's best to give people a choice anyway. If you force them to go along with your plot, then it comes across as rude.

But let's say you are a very skilled writer, and you DO manage to have that character remain in-character. It may seem as though this makes it fine, but it still comes off as rather rude. You want to give the other players a choice after all, and even if you do an excellent job, some people just don't like other people controlling their characters.(I can say that I am among this group.)

When handling Non-Playable-Characters that other people create... this becomes more complicated. They may be non-playable, but again, quite a few people don't like other people controlling characters they create. A general rule is that you should NOT control any major NPC. Of course, "major" NPC is a bit subjective. Some are really obvious though. Obviously, you probably can't control the parents of a Playable Character, unless they are the parents of your own character. You should also avoid killing or otherwise seriously wounding any NPC's other people created.

For minor NPC's, this is more complicated... it's generally okay to control them, but if you want to be sure, then you should contact the player who created them. A minor NPC might be more important than they seem after all. If you do control an NPC and the other player objects to it, just edit your post. If you really need that specific NPC for something, then PM the post to the player that created the NPC first.

Script Style vs. Narrative Style
Script: Speaking like this!

I can't claim to be an expert in writing script-style, but I can explain it. Script-style roleplaying is sort of like reading a play. A character's name, followed by dialogue, with some 'stage' directions thrown in. Here's a quick example of a post in script style, using Grey, my character from Vermilion Sunset.
Grey wrote:(Grey stands still, not sure what to ask. The artificial humanoid was caught off-guard by having to actually ask another computer a question. After a moment, Grey finally spoke in an emotionless tone.)

Grey: What is the current status of the enemy base?
And that would be how script-style works. It isn't very common though, or at least not common here. Most prefer to write in Narrative Style instead. This is when you instead write your post like a modern novel instead of a play. As an example, I'll write the exact same post I just did... only in narrative style instead of script-style.
Grey wrote:Grey was rather puzzled, but didn't show it. Being confused at this point would not be efficient. Instead, Grey still had the same emotionless expression it always did. There was a moment of silence. Finally, Grey walked up to the computer and spoke.

"What is the current status of the enemy base?" Grey asked, in the same emotionless tone that it always spoke in. Grey felt rather odd having to speak that much, but didn't show it.
Personally, I am much more comfortable writing in Narrative style. In longer posts especially, script-style just makes things very difficult to write, and rather awkward to read. Still, feel free to use whatever style you wish. Just try to remain consistent. Switching from script-style to narrative-style in the exact same post makes the post very confusing to read. Write in whatever style you feel most comfortable with.

1st-Person Writing vs. 3rd-Person Writing
"2nd-person also exists! But it's confuzzling..."

In the roleplays on AAO, you will see people using either 1st-person writing or 3rd-person writing. 1st-person writing is when you write from the Point of View of your character, often letting the audience know of the character's current feelings, and what they think. I personally prefer 1st-person and find my writing to be better using 1st-person, but both methods work well. Here's a quick example of what a post would look like in first-person.
Ewyn wrote:I felt the area get colder... it was snowing again. I had to wonder if the snow was trying to tell me something or not. Maybe it was actually the thin air that was trying to tell me something, though I can't really be sure. If it was trying to tell me something though, then I wanted to hear what it wanted to say. Trying to convey a message, only for no one to hear it... that was a rather bad fate, or at the very least I think so.

"Hello thin air. I'll wait for you to tell me something." I said, addressing the thin air. It didn't respond though, but maybe it just didn't want to talk. Just in case, I waited for it to respond.
And that's what a first-person post looks like. It gives the reader access to the thoughts of the viewpoint character(in this case, a very strange young dark-mage) and I really enjoy it. However, a lot of people prefer 3rd-person. 3rd-person is when you write as a narrator... think of it as most novels you've ever read where the narrator isn't a character in the plot.

It should be noted that in some roleplays, 3rd-person writing is a must because all of the characters have secrets and backstories that they can't share. The Nonary Incident is one example, as even the names of the characters in that RP aren't known, so obviously third-person writing is preferred. Now then, this is how the first-person post example would look like in third-person.
Ewyn wrote:As fall became winter, the temperature of the land dropped, and with it, many other changes. Ewyn wasn't bothered by this though. He had grown up in a rather cold village after all, so something like this was hardly noticeable. The dark mage had a thoughtful look on his face, as though he was expecting something to happen. It almost seemed as though he was waiting for something. After a long moment of silence, he finally did speak to seemingly no one.

"Hello thin air. I'll wait for you to say something." Ewyn said, now smiling a very small smile. No one else was around to hear him though.
For this character, I do prefer writing in first-person a lot more, but again, it's your choice which method you want to use. Third-person comes easier for some people, while first-person comes easier for others. Just a bit of advice though. NEVER switch perspectives in the exact same post. Actually, for a specific character, you should always set them in one perspective(to make things less confusing). Here's a quick example of what a post would look like switching between third-person and first-person.
Ewyn wrote:As fall became winter, the temperature of the land dropped, and with it, many other changes. Ewyn wasn't bothered by this though. He had grown up in a rather cold village after all, so something like this was hardly noticeable. The dark mage had a thoughtful look on his face, as though he was expecting something to happen. It almost seemed as though he was waiting for something. After a long moment of silence, he finally did speak to seemingly no one.

"Hello thin air. I'll wait for you to tell me something." I said, addressing the thin air. It didn't respond though, but maybe it just didn't want to talk. Just in case, I waited for it to respond.
Yeah... it's very confusing. Since the perspective-switch often happens in the middle of posts when you don't expect it, it makes the post a lot more difficult to read. You should always try to stick to one perspective. Of course, if you absolutely must, you can just italicize the parts that are in first-person, while everything else is in third-person. A quick example of this...
Ewyn wrote:I felt the area get colder... it was snowing again. I had to wonder if the snow was trying to tell me something or not. Maybe it was actually the thin air that was trying to tell me something, though I can't really be sure. If it was trying to tell me something though, then I wanted to hear what it wanted to say. Trying to convey a message, only for no one to hear it... that was a rather bad fate, or at the very least I think so.

"Hello thin air. I'll wait for you to say something." Ewyn said, now smiling a very small smile. No one else was around to hear him though.
A lot easier to understand. Just remember not to go overboard and you should be fine.

Grammar and Spelling
"Me grammer r teh best evar!!!"

Proofread your posts. That can not be stressed enough. You don't want other people to struggle while reading your posts. Try to use proper spelling and grammar. Of course, an error may slip by once in a while. This is fine, everyone makes mistakes. But at the very least, you should read over your post once to make sure there aren't any errors. This is especially true if the post is especially long or very important to your character. A badly-placed typo can ruin the seriousness of a scene. I'm not saying you should have perfect grammar and spelling at all times, but an effort should be made to check for errors.

If you are unsure about your grammar, then this site may help you. It's very helpful, and should provide you with the help you need: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm

Also, this should be emphasized. Since indentation is not an option, ALWAYS put a blank line between paragraphs. It makes posts MUCH easier to read. Here's an example of a post that ignores this rule completely.
Kenneth Roymond wrote:keneth felt betayed and couldnt beleive he was neerly ded now. he took a deep breeth then rased his knifes to attck.
"i'll kill all of you!" he said and then attcked teh gaurds.
As you can see, this is rather confusing to read. Someone who makes an effort could find out what's going on, but you should never need the reader to exert that much effort to read one of your posts. Mistakes like these can ruin very serious posts. Here's what the post should look like:
Kenneth Roymond wrote:Kenneth felt betrayed... he couldn't believe how close to death he was now. He took a deep breath, trying to focus on the battle. He couldn't die yet. As a guard approached, he raised his knives to defend himself.

"All of you are going to die!" He yelled, now rushing towards the guards in a mad frenzy.
Much better. The post can now be taken more seriously, and the reader doesn't have to struggle to find out what's happening in the post.

Rail-Roading
"It's kind of like making a choice... but you only have one option."

Rail-roading could be considered a form of god-modding. Basically, rail-roading is when one character has an idea and absolutely insists on following it through. Think of it as those choices you make in RPG's where they give you two options, but they'll make you pick the one that they wanted you to do so. Here's a quick example.
Kenneth Roymond wrote:Kenneth wasn't quite sure what to do... still, investigating the cave seemed like the best option. He didn't really want to go there, but it seemed like the most natural hiding spot for a criminal.

"Let's head into that cave then. I think that's our best option right now." Kenneth said.
Alexis Lockswell wrote:Alexis turned towards Kenneth. She couldn't believe she had to cooperate with a thief, but she didn't voice that. Alexis disagreed with Kenneth's suggestion though. The cave was likely going to collapse at any moment. No sane person would enter there.

"I don't think that's the best place to search. We should go to the forest instead. He's probably hiding there." Alexis said.
Kenneth Roymond wrote:Kenneth actually chuckled. Criminals generally weren't sane. He knew that.

"We're entering the cave. Come on, let's go." Kenneth said, walking inside the cave.
Yeah... don't force other characters to do what you want them to do. They should have a choice. If you really like your idea, then discuss it with the other player via PM. Just don't force them to do something they don't want to.

Remain in-character
"Mr. Nice Warrior Guy just destroyed a harmless village that helped him... wait, what?"

An important rule in RP'ing is to always remain in-character. Don't have your characters do things they wouldn't do. Also, you shouldn't have them possess knowledge they shouldn't have, but the reader does. For example, if another character has a secret they tell no one(but the readers know about), then no one else should know about it. Here's an example of making a character do something they would never do. This character is basically emotionless.
Grey wrote:At being told that it would have to attend a party, Grey suddenly stopped doing anything. Everything was quiet for a moment.

Then, all of a sudden, Grey broke into a wide smile and started dancing, clearly enjoying itself.
Well, aside from the hilarious image of an emotionless artificial-humanoid dancing... this is also extremely out of character. Grey is emotionless, always wearing an observing expression or a neutral one. For Grey to suddenly dance for no reason... it's so out of character, it becomes hilarious. Also, keep in mind to always follow your character's morality. If one of them is evil, it makes no sense for them to rescue a town unless there's some benefit for them.

You should never have your character have knowledge they shouldn't possess. This is just a quick example, using my paladin-character.
Alexis Lockswell wrote:The evil, corrupt noble had a plan that was going very nicely. No one knew about his plan to kill his rival. Just to be safe, he made sure to set up some evidence to frame another rival. All was going according to plan.

"Hold it right now! I know of your plan... I can not allow something like that to happen." Alexis said, now approaching the noble. She somehow found out about the plan. The noble cursed, not sure how Alexis had obtained the information. The noble then laughed an evil laugh, and ran away while twirling his mustache villainously.
Yeah. If you don't even try giving a justification for how your character could find out this information, it just looks bad. Don't have your characters possess knowledge that YOU have, but the character doesn't.

The Most Important Rule
"Follow it at all times! IT IS SACRED!"

The most important rule of all in RP'ing... is to have fun. Yes, I realize that sounds corny... and lampshading that probably made it seem even more cliche... but it's true. I realize this guide may come across as very cautious, but the number one rule is to have fun. Enjoy yourself. Roleplaying is very fun, and I think it's wonderful being able to help shape a story. Even if you're only roleplaying to improve your writings skills, have fun anyway. Roleplaying should be fun, not stressful.

Other Information
"That stuff we couldn't fit anywhere else because the writer is lazy!"

- If you want to help a roleplay, you could try being a "Chronicler"(Suggested by Shadowsleuth). A Chronicler is basically someone who writes plot summaries of the story so far. A lot of RP's grow very big, discouraging new players. Plot summaries obviously help that problem.

- Don't be afraid to ask the GM questions about the RP. They're there to help, and I'm sure they don't want you to be confused about what's going on.

- If you believe that another player has broken one of the rules, politely point it out to them. If they used one of your characters or godmodded, point out exactly what they did, but be polite. If they disagree with you, take the discussion to PM's. There's no need to clutter up the main RP thread with arguments.

- Respect your fellow players. Being rude to them is a recipe for disaster. People will respect you more if you show respect to them.

- In general, you should accept other people's offers for character interaction. Still, if you have a reason to refuse, then you can do so, preferably stating the reason why you refused.

- Read other people's posts. Just because what their characters are doing is unrelated to what your character is doing doesn't mean you should skip their posts. You may interact with their characters later on. At the very least, skim those posts.

Thanks for reading! I hope this guide was helpful.
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Make My Life Worse
Malleus Maleficarum: The Witch of San Ignacio
The Six Transgender Lesbian Goddesses of Love Are Having A Petty Argument, So They Try To Settle Things Alongside The Three Transgender Gay Gods of Flavor
Defend Him, Not Me!
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Wackyman »

Awesome guide, GD. Nice work. :P
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Drey Wilkins »

Very nice guys. Smartly presented, professional, and clear.
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Godot Mango »

*nods*

STICKY, YO...

Very detailed, ME likey
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Contemplator »

Congratulations that looks excellent. I agree with everyone elses opinions about this so far, very descriptive but not so bland or dull you lose interest, nicely done!
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Dypo deLina »

I already knew most of the things that were presented in the guide, but I still really enjoyed reading it; I can imagine that new players would rather read this guide than a run-off-the-mill humourless, business-like guide.

I love it~.
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by paradoxinparticles »

This is excellently done, GD~
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Meph »

This would be useful for me if I ever wanted to join an RP. :P

Stickied.
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Reyson »

Meph wrote:This would be useful for me if I ever wanted to join an RP. :P

Stickied.
YOU SHOULD PLAY HARUHISM!!!!! Reyson would have so much fun insulting you char.
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Sleuth »

Yay, you put in my suggestion! Overall a very good and well thought-out guide.

I sort of wish I had it when I first started RPing...
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by GuardianDreamer »

Thank you everyone, I appreciate the compliments and the sticky. SG deserves credit as well though. He helped fix quite a few errors, and he told me to add the Rail-Roading Section, as well as the Grammar and Spelling section.
Hosted The Year of Luigi competition (and here's the awards ceremony).
Current AAO projects (to be completed eventually, probably, hopefully): A Silly Little Dream (hopefully 2024), My Dearest Direst Disgrace (hopefully 2025)
Stuff I've made on here: QotU
Make My Life Worse
Malleus Maleficarum: The Witch of San Ignacio
The Six Transgender Lesbian Goddesses of Love Are Having A Petty Argument, So They Try To Settle Things Alongside The Three Transgender Gay Gods of Flavor
Defend Him, Not Me!
The Guardian and the Dreamer
I was a guest judge and did a bit of writing for the TICKING TIME BOMB competition.
My Twitter is here
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Reyson »

How not to Roleplay.

Make a character like Reyson.
Not read this guide.
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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by LunchPolice »

Nice guide.

I suggest adding something along the lines of "Use details other people create"
Kind of like how I invented tondoes and everyone started referencing them
Or Kruiser666's powl fruit

Helps make the world feel consistent and believable. Also it feels awesome when people use details you made up.
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Kruiser666
Posts: 495
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:53 am
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: Feros, Zhu's Hope.

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by Kruiser666 »

This is really good. I've put a link to it in my new RP: Cold State.
I hope it helps some of the newbies in my class learn how to RP. Though everyone in my class are lazy idiots. So they may not read it. :D
ASHES ARE KEY
Creator of Jax, Wild, The Mayor and Nina from RP:Endless Time.
Creator of Brooke Pearson and Markess Holloway from RP:Cold State.
Creator of Kerenth Miller from RP:Infinite Odyssey.
Creator of Kruiser666, Trigen and Chance from RP:Where Anything Goes.
User of Captain America and Sam Fisher in RP: Dimensional Chaos.
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ShadowEdgeworth
Posts: 4389
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:27 pm
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: The TARDIS

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying

Post by ShadowEdgeworth »

Just wanted to join in with the others and commend your excellent work Dreamer. :) This should be the standard guide for all roleplaying forums. ^_^
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Epic Rap Battles of AAO History: Meph VS Unas l Phoenix Wright VS Glase Canon l SuperGanondorf VS GotMLK7 l Mimi Mika VS Zeel1

Winner of the Golden Star Award 2010!
Creator of Commander Mika Cadenza and Admiral Kathryn Jayneway in Endless Time!
Currently RPing as The Doctor, Shadow The Hedgehog, and Spider-Man in Dimensional Chaos!
Currently RPing as Spider-Man and Black Cat in Crossover Central!
Creator of Alexis Calika in Vermillion Sunset and Alex Tazian in Final Warfare!
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