How to Roleplay Online

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 2, 2021 References

Roleplaying online is a way to create a story with 1 or more partners. Think of roleplaying as another form of acting, where you take on the role of another character to deliver an authentic performance. Find a roleplaying website online, choose a partner, get into character, and start writing! With some creativity and attention to detail, you can be a great roleplaying partner.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Finding a Roleplaying Game

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Search online to find a roleplaying game in your preferred genre. Search for something like “Harry Potter roleplaying sites” or "adventure roleplaying sites" to get started. Make your selection based on personal preference of the website and discussion format. Search for genres such as action, mystery, crime, drama, and romance.^{[1]
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- Popular roleplaying sites include https://www.roleplay.me, https://writerssanctum.com/ and https://www.rpnation.com
- There are many roleplaying sites catered to specific interests, such as Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars, and other movies, video games, TV shows, and animes.
- Pick a topic you genuinely love so you can easily get into character. If you aren’t very passionate about the topic, it will show in your dialogue.
2
Decide on your preferred roleplaying medium. Most roleplaying sites offer either instant messenger, chat room, or forum threads to communicate with. As you browse roleplaying websites, make your decision based on what kind of formatting you like best.^{[2]
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- Forum setups are usually public, but are structured better for making long posts, with draft systems that let you easily write over multiple days
- Instant messaging roleplay sessions are more private than forum sites, being better for quick back and forth due to your partner immediately seeing your post, but often running into character limits in longer scenes
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Make an account for the platform you want to roleplay with. When you make your decision, look for a “sign up” link on the website you choose. Type in your name, username, email, password, gender, birthday, state, and country. Then, click on “sign up” when you complete all required fields.^{[3]
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- In most cases, it is free to sign up for a roleplaying site.
4
Find a partner through the roleplaying platform. After you’ve created an account, browse through the people, forums, and blogs to find a partner looking to roleplay. Read over other users’ accounts to get a sense of what they like to roleplay, and make your decision based on personal preference and experience level. Then, message the user or reply with a comment to see if they want to roleplay with you!^{[4]
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- If you are just starting out, it is helpful to pick an experienced and patient partner.
- You can play with 1 or more partners, and you can join an existing roleplay session if you'd like. Simply message the users to see if you can join!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting into Character

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Create your own character if you are able to. This will depend on the particular roleplay session you want to start. You can come up with your own persona based on your selected universe. Come up with a name, age and gender, backstory, physical attributes, and personality traits, and skills and weaknesses to bring your player to life. Keep in mind that you want your character to be original, detailed, and realistic.^{[5]
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- Many sites offer a template to help you get started.
- For example, if you selected an action roleplaying genre, you can create a wizard character name Robbin who is great at getting the hero out of tricky situations with his magic.
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Choose your favorite character if roleplaying from a certain topic. If you want to roleplay as a character from a book, movie, TV show, or video game, select one that is already established. For example, choose Luke if you are roleplaying in the Star Wars universe. You can pick your favorite character or an unassuming character that doesn’t get much attention. As you discuss roleplaying options with your partner, mention the character you select so you can effectively roleplay together.^{[6]
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- If you are a beginner, this can be easier than creating a new character since there is already source material to go off of.
- You can choose to be Frodo if you want to do a Lord of the Rings roleplay.
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Research the character in advance to get to know your persona. To roleplay successfully, you want to embody your character as much as possible, and researching prior to the session can help you get more confident.^{[7]
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- You can read a book based off the character or watch an episode of an anime for other ideas.
- For instance, if you want to roleplay as Harley-Quinn from DC Comics, learn that her real name is Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, and she was a psychiatrist at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum. Joker was a patient there before they fell in love. She often teams up with Catwoman and Poison Ivy. These details can be useful when roleplaying with a partner.
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Write a backstory to help you identify with your character. While this isn’t required, drafting a description of your character on paper is very helpful when getting a sense of who they are. You can do this for an original character or an existing character you want to embody. Write a few paragraphs or pages describing your character in rich detail.^{[8]
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- For example, if you created Robbin the wizard, mention where he is from, how he got his magic powers, and if he comes from a family of magic. Include any family members or magic pets. Does Robbin have any mortal enemies or lovers? Provide as much information as you can to bring your character to life.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Roleplaying with Your Partner(s)

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Read over the forums to learn relevant terminology and etiquette. To get an idea of how people talk during the roleplaying session, read some other roleplays on the forums or discussion boards. Here you’ll find any particular lingo or shortcuts used for the particular platform you are using. Some forums prefer you talk in the third person, for instance.^{[9]
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- This way, you’ll be prepared to deliver a great roleplaying performance.
- For instance, RP is usually short for “roleplaying,” and “OC” often refers to an original character.
2
Type back and forth with 1 or more people to roleplay. 1 user starts off the chat with a single action, and the other users often respond with another single action. Since there is no script to follow, you should come up with the story from your own imagination. Use your partner's responses for inspiration, and see what you can come up with. The dialogue creates the story as the session continues.^{[10]
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- The exact format and dialogue depend on your particular roleplaying medium, partner, and universe.
- For example, you can find 1 character to be Princess Leia and 1 character to be Yoda if you are roleplaying as Luke from Star Wars. Then, discuss how to utilize the Force to save the universe.
- Familiarizing with your character in advance is helpful when creating authentic, creative actions for your roleplay.
3
Embody your character in your writing as best as you can. To deliver creative, awesome replies, disregard what you would usually say in the circumstances, and write from the perspective of your character. Think about how they may feel or what is happening behind-the-scenes that contributes to the situation. Use some creativity to craft awesome, detailed responses.^{[11]
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- For example, if you are roleplaying as Harley-Quinn, her background in mental health may come into play when bringing her character to life. She often acts bold, wild, and frantic.
4
Continue the roleplay as long as you’d like. The roleplay can continue for hours, weeks, months, or even years in some cases. Continue responding to the other player(s) to write your personalized roleplaying account about whatever you'd like. The story does not have to reflect the actual plot if basing off of real characters. Steer the story to a stopping point when you want to end the session. Or, message the player separately to say when you have to leave for the time being.
- Some users complete the roleplay in 1 single session, while others continue the story over time for several weeks. This is based on personal preference and your particular story.
- For example, maybe Robbin the wizard helps Tina the dragon escape from robbers, and then they go on a mystical quest to save Tina’s daughter from marrying the wrong prince. The possibilities are endless!

Community Q&A

Question

If a friend doesn't know how to roleplay, how do I help him?

Community Answer

Show him this article! Then just answer any questions he might have, and be supportive while he's learning. Try not to get frustrated if he makes "mistakes."
Question

What is a good website to roleplay on?

Stephen

Top Answerer

It all depends on what kind of roleplay you are seeking. Facebook has thousands of groups, pages, and individuals dedicated to it, F-List, RoleplayChat, and RoleplayHaven are some. There are hundreds of other chat sites, forums, and more floating around the web. Type in Roleplay, roleplay chat, or roleplay forums.
Question

What if it's a video game like Minecraft or ROBLOX and other people are bothering me?

Lyla Sikes

Community Answer

Go to your house, go to another world, make a private game for you and your friend, or even RP in chat!