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Teaching New D&D Players

Tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons can be really big and complicated. New players can be easily overwhelmed with all the rules and weird terminology.

If you want your friends or family to role-play with you, it is important to be patient and supportive while teaching new players to learn your game.

Creativity and fun are at their best when the whole group works together.

keep it simple

Don't overwhelm new people with too many rules.

Only teach the race and class the player is using from only the main rule book. Don't let them try to create some weirdly complicated character from a 3rd party rule book. Keep it simple. Let them learn the basics first.

Focus their learning on what is personal to the student. Attacks. abilities, and spells, that are specific to their character.

Make sure they know what dice to roll and how to find information on their character sheet.

Let new players base their characters off of a famous or recognizable character. This way they can think "What would Legolas do? How would John Wick do this?"

Using a famous character will give new players a framework or guideline to follow instead of being overwhelmed with infinite character possibilities. This gives you a good point to start with.

create a supportive environment

Let new players tell you (the DM) what they want to try, and you can tell them what checks or rolls they will need to do. Instead of overwhelming new players with all the rules, let them experiment in game, and learn as they go.

Let new players be ok with not knowing all the rules. Let them know that it is okay to make mistakes.

Be open and accepting. Don't condescend or make fun of players who don't know what to do.

Allow new players to make mistakes. Do not judge or criticize a noob mistake. Being critical or judgmental automatically kills the learning process.

The more you criticize, the more new players will not want to play. Nobody wants to be judged or bullied when they are trying to learn something new. If this is happening, new players will be disengaged and they won't be interested in playing again.

Hopefully most behavior and play styles were previously agreed upon during session zero and house rules. However something can always become an issue no matter how many rules and expectations you establish.

Don't assume the worst in people or new players.

working with new players

Don't make assumptions about people or their actions without talking to them first. ask them to clarify whatever you are worried about.

Nothing is worse than that person who complains, criticizes, or starts ranting without knowing what is going on. Do not be that guy.

Players and dungeon masters will like you a lot better if you aren't complaining.

Be welcoming

Most tabletop RPGs are big and complicated and it can be overwhelming for new players. Ease the burden by helping out any way that you can.

A lot of players are new to the game, we should never assume that people know everything.

Be welcoming, supportive, and inclusive. A group game doesn't work unless you are actively part of the group. If a new player doesn't feel welcome, they aren't going to want to play at all.

review your house rules before Each session

Remember that every dungeon masters play style is different. Every group has different players and a different group dynamic. No two games are ever the same. So don't expect assumptions or behavior to be exactly the same.

Make sure all players who come and go from your table know your house rules and the consequences for their actions.

This might feel harsh at first, but you'll know it's worth it when there are a lot less arguments about how to calculate critical hit damage.

Behavior expectations should be common knowledge.... Things like waiting for your turn. Or rules like don't be a cheater. It is important to talk about this stuff instead of assuming that everyone knows how to behave.

Dungeons and Dragons is supposed to be fun. The more supportive and relaxed environment you create, the more fun everyone at the table will have.

Thank You!

Here at GamesMastery we want to give our appreciation and support to gamers everywhere. Our mission is to inspire creativity and help everyone enjoy the best life possible.

If you are interested in learning all that you can about being a great Dungeon Master take a look at the DM's Aresenal.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase with no extra cost to you.

What Critical Role teaches us about being Dungeons and Dragons players

What exactly is a good player?

In my very humble opinion, a good player is at the table for only two reasons. Too have fun and play with their friends. This answer is very vague on purpose because every game is different and group of players is different. Some players take their game nights very seriously while others just want attention and other players just want to see how much they can get away with. All of this is fine if it fits in with the group dynamics and the culture in that specific game.

So what makes a good player? Someone who can work well with their group to increase the amount of fun for everyone at the table. The whole point of playing in a group is to enjoy being together and creating something fun that you wouldn't be able to create by yourself.

The World is your Classroom

Critical role is a you tube show where a bunch of professionals play some Dungeons and Dragons. Here is a link to Season 2. Because its better. https://youtu.be/byva0hOj8CU

If you are here you probably already know what all this is. so I'll get on with it!

Watching others play role playing games such as Critical Role or Adventure Zone can help you learn how to be a better role player and actor. We always want to learn from the best! Here are some excellent takeaways that I got from the players of Critical Role.

Good palyers are attentive and prepared

During a battle, the players are always ready for their turns and they know what they want to do. Making a choice on their turn is always better than stalling. You'll never see the CR cast wasting time by not making a decision. If they don't know what to do, they ask for help, in character, and the group role plays to get to a solution.

Act like you are reading from a script. Your character is not in every scene and they shouldn't be, in order to make a good story. Your character is not talking in every conversation. Good players know that some scenes are not all about them, other players need their own screen time too. Caleb doesn't interrupt when Fjord and Beau are having a conversation, unless it adds to the interaction.

Wait for your turn before your characters speaks. Wait until a scene is over before you try to start a new one or try to change the subject. Wait for a conversation to be over before starting a new one.

Good players Don't interrupt

The players in Critical Role never interrupt the DM. They always wait for Matt Mercer to finish his story or describe what is going on before they do any talking. They show the ultimate respect for their DM and other players.

The players never argue with the DM, whatever he says goes. The only thing that arguing accomplishes is wasting your play time.

Don't be the player who is always interrupting. The players need to hear the DM so they know what is going on. You should be listening too. A good DM will give you a chance to role play or make decisions, you'll just have to wait for it. It's okay to ask questions and offer suggestions. But never interrupt the DM or the players who are trying to role play. Role playing is a collaborative experience, and it only works when you let other people have a turn to talk.

Another player interrupting or trying to change the subject will always destroy the flow of a conversation and therefore the flow of the game. Wait for the scene to play out before you take your turn. You will never see players on Critical Role interrupting or trying to take up all the attention.

An intersting story can only develop when a scene comes to its conclusion.
Allow yourself as a player to sit back and watch the game unfold. Take your time with the game and let the story develop naturally, one scene at a time.

Don't try to advance a scene until the previous one is over. This is especially important for DM's who ignore or dismiss a player trying to role play. Matt Mercer never interrupts his players when they are role playing. Matt is usually in character as an NPC, role playing along with them.

When the other players are done talking, that is your cue to either react and say something in character. Do not interrupt or change the subject until that story beat or plot point is concluded.

The Role-play Is Only as Good as it's players

The players rarely bring up side conversations, and if it happens, they are still very quiet and focused on the story. There is no talk that is completely out of game. Save it for the commercial break. If a pop culture reference is mentioned, they still keep it within the confines of the story. The players never go off on tangents and talk about a subject that isn't part of the game. Good players stay focused because they know that the show must go on.

Everyone in Critical Role acts like respectful adults who go with the flow of the game and they are mature enough to listen and wait patiently for their turns. When Nott and Jester are playing cards, the other 5 players listen patiently and let the scene play out to it's conclusion. Only one conversation should be happening at a time, no matter who is talking.

Role play doesn't work unless at least two characters are involved and interacting with each other. The cast is constantly reacting and asking questions in character to keep the energy and role play alive. If you want more role play in your group, you need to react in character to whatever is going on. When you react to another player, who is role playing, it gets you into the scene and lets the other characters role play with you.

If a character says something and no one else reacts or get involved, then the role play dies. Role won't ever happen if other players are dismissive or don't engage in the conversation. A lot of lines that are spoken in character fall flat simply because other players never respond to them.

The cast of critical role are always engaged and always ready to react. Their performances are fun and entertaining because of how much energy they put into staying in the action and paying attention.

The CR Players are confident in their characters, choices and actions. They think before they speak. Having confidence means knowing you can handle whatever comes up. A good player learns and grows along with their character throughout the course of the game.

Support your game to make endure

Why does critical role work so well? Why do they have a game full of energy and continues to work for multiple seasons?
Aside from them being professional actors, they do whatever they can to support the game and the story.

Critical Role avoids all the pitfalls of game ending behaviors. There isn't a player who is constantly trying to get all the attention. They always share the scenes with other players. There is no interruptive player who messes things up for other players. They are all great listeners and they know how to react and engage in the story without upstaging others.

The PC's are always supporting each other to keep the story moving forward. Make sure your character is supporting the other characters with their goals or plans. The more effort you put into the characters friendship, the more you will get out of it. You won't get a Beau and Jester without that conscious effort. Your characters are always playing and fighting together they should become friends pretty quickly.

If you want your game to last 6 seasons and a movie, then give the DM and PC's all of your attention and support.

The DM is a great listener too, he doesn't rush a scene forward, he takes the time to listen to his players role play.

But the most important reason that this show has gone on so long is that everyone continually supports each other. The players take the time to make sure their characters genuinely care for and support the other characters during the game. Supporting other characters goals and plans, creates a lasting bond you will never see in other games.

You will never see a lone wolf edge lord character who is only out for himself in Critical Role. Because it is a group game. A game where supportive characters make a better story. The loner has no place in a group game and Critical Role knows it.

Show kindness and Respect

If you want a good story and you want to put on a good show, remember to always be attentive, always be ready for your turn. Do not interrupt or try to change focus when a scene is already in play. Do not hog the spotlight. Be active in the story by reacting and engaging, in character, with what is going on. Go with the flow.

Be supportive of all the players and make an effort to include them all. This applies to players and game masters alike. If you aren't including others, no one will want to play with you.

And most importantly be a good listener. The best way to get support from other players is to support them first. Listen to other ideas and work with each other. The player who listens is the player that will be included.

How To Be A Good D&D Player

Be Prepared and Be Ready For Your Turn

A good Dungeons and Dragons player will always have a general idea of what their character wants to do and what their goal is. This is key during battle. Know what dice you need to roll before your turn. Know when you are next in initiative.

Know what your spells and abilities can do beforehand. If you are ready to go, the battles are quicker and the game runs a lot more smoothly.

Don't waste the parties time by looking stuff up during your turn and trying to figure out what to do. You should have time before your turn to look up what you need to. Make sure you know everything on your character sheet and what dice you need to roll for a specific attack or ability.

You don't need to know all the rules, that's to much work and can get overwhelming quickly. All you need to know are the attacks, abilities, and spells that you are planning on using.

Make the game run smoothly by being prepared.

If you don't know, ask questions before a battle starts or before your turn.

Use your Ablities and items in creative ways

This isn't a video game. That means you should not be hoarding all your magic items or special abilities for the final boss. The DM is giving you items for a reason. They want to help you out. Dungeon Masters want you to use your cool items that they give you.

If you aren't using your cool gear and special abilities, you are wasting some great opportunities.
You will always find more loot and items.

Do not be afraid to try new things. I recently had a player tie a bear trap to a rope and throw it in the air to attack a harpy that was flying around. He rolled well, and I let it work. It was a great idea and a cool move.

A good DM will let you try anything within reason.

A roll of the dice can decide how well it works out. Use your thunderwave spell to knock enemies off of cliffs. Tie your giant spider fang to a dagger for some poison damage.

Be creative.

Use a prestidigitation spell to add a special effect to your diplomacy or performance skill. Cover your blade in holy water before you attack the zombies.

The more creative you get, the more interesting circumstances arise to make a more exciting and memorable game.

You don't have to wait for the end of a fight. Use your turn to do something besides attacking. Unlock a door or pull the lever on your turn.

Free a prisoner. The prisoner might be able to help in battle. Doing something besides attacking adds more strategy and complexity to a simple combat. Let yourself be part of the narrative by doing something different.

Most games don't last very long, you are lucky if you get a campaign that lasts longer than 10 or so sessions. Use what you have now because the next session might never come!

help out other players and take turns

The biggest part of the game is finding a good group that plays well together. The more you can do to make players feel welcome and accepted, the more fun the game will be.

There is no game without the group.

Do your part to make it a good experience. It is a group game. Games fall apart for a lot of reasons, usually it's because of a bad DM, a bad player, or a general lack of energy.

Do not be the bad player.

Do not be the player who feels the need to lead the party at every turn. Let other players role play and use their ideas. You don't need to be doing everything. Since you are part of the group, you need to let other players try things.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is to support other players with their ideas or abilities. Different classes have different abilities for a reason, you should not be trying to solve every problem and kill every enemy.

Share the spotlight with other players so when it's your turn to do something cool, the other players will be there to support you.

Take time to step back and listen to everyone else. You will be much more appreciated when you can just listen.

Share information with the party

Apparently this can be a problem in some games. Players keep secrets from each other and try to be special because they have a secret.

The only time to keep secrets is for a character story arc. Those secrets should be planned in advance with the DM.

If you have relevant info that the party needs to survive, tell them. Lack of communication is a problem in every group. Be helpful and be engaging.

Have a clear backstory prepared , and a character goal

Your backstory doesn't have to be a 30 page epic. And it shouldn't be, especially if you are starting at level 1. No one is going to read something 30 pages long. Make it more like a paragraph or two with only 4 or 5 sentences each.

Make your backstory something easy that the DM can build off of and expand later on.

If you want good storytelling for your character, you need a backstory.

You need something connecting your character the the world around them. The more connections your character makes, the more you will be invested in the story.

Type up your backstory. Make sure your DM gets it and can work with your ideas.

This is your chance to be a part of the world building and creative process, don't squander this opportunity.

Make sure your character has a goal to work toward. It doesn't have to be groundbreaking, just something to motivate your character to be a part of the game world and a reason to be there. It can be something as simple as wanting to own a castle or finding loot. Maybe you are searching for your lost siblings or you just want to go do some good in this crazy world.

Communicate with your DM in order to play your character effectively. Make sure your DM knows what your goals are so they can add it to the story. A good DM will listen and create opportunities for you to role play and advance toward your characters goal. Your characters story will suffer if you don't take advantage of those opportunities

The better goal you have, the better story your character will get. Without your characters story, you might as well be playing a board game. For more ideas on character creation check this out.

ask questions to advance the plot

Asking questions is key to a good game, a lot of players can end up missing out on things. If you have a good or helpful dungeon master, they will end up sharing helpful hints.

Let the characters tell you stories and plot threads. You'll know exactly where to go next if you are paying attention.

Most DM's add things to the game for a reason. Ask about the odd looking painting on the wall. Find out why the villagers seem so stressed out. Ask why the orc shaman has a such better quality robes than the rest of her tribe. Ask the lord who hired you if they have anything that could help you on the quest.

In big cities, there might be clerics or seers who could spy on your enemies for you. Or a special shop selling the exact spell you were looking for. If you can't buy a spell, maybe you can hire someone who can cast the spell for you.

Dungeon masters can't possibly prepare everything, but if you ask for it, and let the DM know what you want, they can put it in the game for you. Ask for the flaming sword your character wants or the address to the vampires estate.

You want more loot? Ask about where the banks are, or the opulent merchants guild. As long as you make sure the DM knows what you want, you will probably end up getting it.

It never hurts to ask.

Role play on your turn.

You can ask questions during battle. Talk to your enemies. As a DM, I get so bored when players just attack every turn.

Get your enemies name before you destroy them. You do not have to attack all the time, but you should always be helping out the party in some way.

You don't have to kill every enemy. Allow your blood lust to have a little mercy. Tie your enemies up and get info from them.

Knowledge is power. Lots of enemies will know more than your character does.

Help the DM

Help your DM by stopping other players from making stupid game breaking choices. There is no reason to allow the edge-lord player to kill the bartender or burn down the potion shop. Stop the player who continually tries to kill the king. It makes things a lot simpler for everyone.

Help out by looking up rules, keeping track of initiative, or anything else you could possibly handle to make the dungeon masters job a little easier.

It's usually pretty easy to see where the DM wants you to go, and what they have prepared. A good DM will let you stray from the railroad tracks. If you can tell that the story is lagging, or getting low on energy, it's probably because the story is off track. Go back to where you are supposed to go. Let the DM give you what they spent time preparing for you.

Don't be a dick. don't fight Against other players

There is a big difference between playing a character, and just generally being an asshole. Don't waste too much time debating with other players. No one wants to sit there for an hour while you argue about opening the next door. It's tedious and no fun. This is not a competitive game.

No one wants to watch you try to kill the other players. The games take long enough without your pointless squabbles. I'm not going to sit there wasting my game time while you are basically measuring your long sword against other players.

We are not here to feed your insecure nerd ego and your ego has nothing to do with the game. Leave the ego at home.

If you want a fight, go play a video game online and don't waste our time at the table. D&D is a group game, and you should be working together. As a DM I do not allow players to fight each other.

Do Not expect other players or the DM to know all the rules. Do not argue with the DM. It's OK to tell the DM what the rule is, but you have to let the DM make the final decision. You have to accept that decision and move forward.

It's okay to help out and let people know the rules. There is no reason to hide information. There is no benefit to criticizing or making someone feel bad about not knowing a rule or ability.

No one will want to play with you if you are purposefully being mean, or making things harder.

Don't condescend or berate other players when they don't know something.

Don't be a cheater

Make sure your numbers and stats on your character sheet are correct. Have someone double check for you when you level up. If you are using an app for your character and stats, make sure you still know what your abilities are and where you are getting your numbers.

Make sure you aren't lying or cheating on your dice rolls. You can't be good at everything all the time. This is why we're rolling in the first place.

You need a random element of chance to tell an interesting story. Failure always makes things more interesting. If you are lying about your rolls, or otherwise cheating, you deserve a boring story.

You need to be honest for the rest of the group to trust you. Don't let it become a problem. If your DM tells you to roll a different dice or roll for everyone too see, do it without arguing.

you cannot do whatever you want

Despite popular conceptions, you can't do whatever you want. More accurately, you can BE whatever you want.

You can't burn down the village just for fun. You can't kill the king during his speech. You can't purposefully break the game or you won't have a game left to play.

Use your cool ideas and great role playing. but don't go so extreme as to destroy everything.

The DM built a world for you to play in, and the players came to do some fun stuff. Don't ruin things for the group. Don't destroy things without a purpose or a plan. Don't use your evil alignment as an excuse. Show respect to the world that your DM took the time to create for you.

If you plan on destroying something or killing someone important, Let the party know about it. Let the DM have time to plan for what happens. Let the story progress instead of chopping it's legs off without warning.

Be Appreciative

Be happy that you have a group to play with.

Be thankful that you have a great game master who builds amazing worlds for you to play in and continuously runs games for you.

Be grateful that you are always invited back to their table.

Remember to have fun!

Come to the gaming table with a good attitude, and maintain that attitude.

The better you feel and the happier you are, the game will be that much more enjoyable for everyone.

The key here is to maintain a good attitude. Like maintaining a car or a good looking costume.

Being happy is a habit you have to form just like anything else in life. Being happy and actively choosing that is an essential part of any experience.

Especially a game where you have to work with other people. Choosing to be happy is essential to having fun. Having fun is what the game is ultimately all about!

Get organized

Have an idea about what you are going to do next. Before your turn.

Be creative and ask questions.

Use your abilities and magic items.

Support other players. Be a good listener. Do what you can to help out the dungeon master. Don't be a dick.

Keep the game moving forward.

maintain a good attitude for a great game!

Thank You!

Here at GamesMastery we want to give our appreciation and support to gamers everywhere. Our mission is to inspire creativity and help everyone enjoy the best life possible.

If you are interested in learning all that you can about being a great Dungeon Master take a look at the DM's Aresenal.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase with no extra cost to you.

How To Improve Your Tabletop Role-Playing. (Without Having To Improvise.)

If you want more role-playing at your table, or you want to improve your skills, you came to the right place. This article will help you play a character that people will be talking about for years to come.

Here you will learn how to implement new character aspects you can use right away to add to your character and grow your role-playing skills.

Improvising is important, but if you aren't good at that, it's okay.

The purpose of this post is to look at things you can prepare for almost any situation. Instead of feeling the nervous pressure to improvise, you can have a few details and lines already to go.

This will take the anxiety off of you when you are trying to think on your feet, and you'll get the added bonus of fleshing out your character.

Now you and your character be ready for any situation!

Put some thought into your character.

First of all make sure you have a backstory created and a simple goal for your character to eventually accomplish. Having even a few sentences of your characters backstory and goals is a lot better than nothing at all.

If you are lucky enough to have a session zero, make sure to be utilizing that time.

If you jump into a game and don't have time to prepare a character, that's OK. Characters grow best just like anything else, they need to be nurtured and have time to grow during multiple game sessions.

It's totally OK to develop your character in game. It happens all the time. Players are always making decisions about their characters during the game. Let them evolve naturally instead of trying to force personality detail right away.

It's great to be a supporting player, As long as you are consciously making decisions and using your abilities that help out the rest of your party.

The more time you spend with the character and the more encounters you are exposed to, the more you will get to know them.

Create a catch-phrase

If you do have a catch-phrase, I would suggest making it reflect you characters goals or alignments.

Captain America says "I could do this all day." This shows that he will always stand up to bullies and never back down.

Maybe your catchphrase reflects what you believe in or what you care about. "Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. ... I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."

Or a specific philosophy, "Do, or do not, there is no try."

You don't need to read that deeply into finding a catch phrase.

"I’m really bad at stealthing. We should go."
–Scanlan, Critical Roll episode 6.

How about a fighter or barbarian who says, "It's clobberin' time!" Ben Grimm knows what he is good at and isn't afraid to say so.

Say something that reflects your goals. "You killed my father, prepare to die."

What actions can your character do in a pinch?

If you have a simple action ready to go, you'll cut down on the need to perform or think on your feet.

How does your cleric or wizard meditate? How do they cast their spells?

What does your character do when they are standing watch? Does your character have a victory dance they do after they make a kill? Are they obsessed with making sure all the adventuring gear is organized?

Do they take time to talk to horses or other pets? Is your character always using magic to change their hair color?

Does your character keep a journal? Do they write poems or songs? Are they always doing some kind of research?

Does your character like to whittle or carve wood? Make toys? Forge weapons? Tell stories? Buy low and sell high? Knit sweaters? Make jewelry? Constantly make bets? Flirt? Host parties? Wear costumes?

Making small character choices will prepare you when you need to make more drastic choices.

Use actions that don't disrupt the game flow or stop other players from doing what they want to do.

Simple choices can be made while still be participating in the game. Keep these specific actions prepared and ready to go, any time there is a chance to role-play.

Put your character in social circles.

Being part of a social circle makes your character more connected to the world around you and gives you connections you might not normally have.

Your character can make a group or a guild part of their identity. Like the wizard who feels the need to remind you that he went to Harvard.

Is your character part of a athletic or golf club? A group of adventurers? Do they frequent a specific tavern or coffee shop or weapon smith?

Do they hang out with old college buddies on the weekend? Are you a part of a study group? Are you in a choir or a acting troupe? Gamble or attend a poker night?

Have your character talk about the people in these groups. Or maybe your character needs to get back to town to have a drink with the boys.

Give your character an item that they can't live without.

Having something specific that your character plays with gives you something to focus on when you don't know what else to do. If you don't have a plan, fall back on sharpening your sword or tuning your lute.

Arthur Dent just wants to find a good cup of tea. Sam-wise has his pots and pans. Gandalf is always puffing on his pipe. Maybe you have a pocket watch that belonged to your grandpa.

Or a locket with your lovers picture in it.

Get specific weapons or armor that you can't leave without. Or other accessories. A very comfy robe you need to travel with. Or that impressive cape you like to wear to parties.

If your character is awkward at a party, you can tug at your fancy cape, or fiddle with your necklace.

Hold up your holy symbol and pray to your gods that the awkwardness will end soon.

Bring a real life prop to the table.

Don't think about how intelligent you are, think about how you are intelligent.

Everybody is smart in some way, or an expert in some specific area. Take your knowledge skills to the next level. With your DM's permission.

This isn't just a profession, this is what your character enjoys and excels at.

Do you know how to play five different musical instruments? Do you know all the landmarks between here and the mountains? Can you track every deer trail and footprint you see?

Can you read magic without a second thought? Can you navigate your way through any social situation?

You might not be able to read but you know all the critical areas of the human body and know exactly how to strike. You may be knowledgeable about 17 different types of poison and their effects.

Maybe you can recount every bit of gossip or scandal in the royal court? You can talk endlessly about the history of the region and never be bored of it.

Can you identify 53 different species of monster or magical creature and list their weaknesses? Do you understand all the trade agreements from 7 different countries?

Do you know how to sail a ship? Identify weather patterns?

Are you a talented artist or sculptor? Can you brew potions and recognize every spell component?

You might not know how to act in front of the queen, but you can forge the strongest sword out of any type of metal.

These ideas can be another weapon in your arsenal when you want to contribute to the story or you don't know what else your character can talk about.

How is your character is intelligent?

What does your character like or dislike about themselves.

Are you proud to be a dragon-born. Ashamed to be half demon? Hiding the fact that you are half-goblin? Do you agree with the fact that your fellow dwarves might have dug too deep?

Do you support your elfin nation making alliances with the orcs?

What part of your backstory are you ashamed of? What do you regret?

What abilities do you resent? Are you ashamed of being born as a sorcerer? Do you hate the fact that you can sing to inspire people?

Are you constantly healing people that don't deserve it? Are you dismayed of turning into a rage monster whenever you get angry?

How does your character react when they know they can't do something? Or fail to do something?

What about your backstory are you the most proud of? What do you like to brag about?

What powers and abilities do you want to show off? Showing off is a great thing to role-play.

Knowing what your character likes or supports, goes a long way toward knowing how to react and respond to specific situations.

Talk to the other players characters.

Now that you have more inspiration about your character, you need to put your character in the action.

Don't be afraid to start a conversation or set the scene.

Relate your character to what the other characters are doing.

If you want to role play, you can't do it by yourself. Involve others in it too!

Ask the monk where he learned how to fight. Ask your wizard why he wastes so much time reading. Talk about your family or why your character wants to protect innocent people.

Ask another player why they need that fancy cape at all the parties.

Tell the other characters what you care about. Show off your magic sword you got from the holy order of knights. Talk about why the pots and pans always need to be clean.

Tell other characters why you are so good at picking locks.

Brag about your favorite things in your backstory.

Tell the players that you are ashamed of being a sorcerer and you didn't choose to be born with it.

The more you work with others to develop characters the more they will work with you too. Create moments together.

A good DM will let the players role play a scene without micromanaging or rushing the plot forward.

If you are planning a character arc, plan it with the group.

If the party knows what is going on, they can, and should be helping you out with your character development.

Other players can then make informed decisions and role-play their reactions, based on where they know your character wants to go.

The DM can have time to prepare, give you specific scenes and opportunities to role play towards that goal.

Be reactive in character.

This is one of the best things the actors in Critical Role do. Their characters are so much more alive because they react to what is happening around them.

It's baffling how many players don't do this. Your party is travelling together, camping out together, fighting side by side constantly, and yet so many players don't react or play off of the other characters.

React to other players stories and support their character arcs.

If you want good role-play and character development, this is how you do it.

Create friendship and camaraderie with the party members. Grow your personalities and interactions together!

Interacting with other PCs will create so many chances for good role-play and too many players don't even think about this!

React to your friends making a great kill or executing a creative plan.

Support other players when they are role playing, get involved with the conversation.

Work with your DM and players to create your characters story. You should be helping them do the same.

React to the story in order to move the plot forward.

If the NPC gnomes tell you that their friends were kidnapped by goblins, you should get the hint and maybe go save them.

Getting the hint means moving the plot forward. Ask questions. Why were the goblins kidnapping people in the first place? Why are the goblins working with a bunch of skeletons?

What happened in your tragic backstory that is relatable to this situation?

Utilize The Character abilities

Ask other PC's to help you out.

Get the fighter to cause a distraction. Ask the rogue to scout ahead or pick some locks. Ask the cleric to turn the undead. Ask the bard to help talk your way out of a situation.

Work together to plan ahead and use each others skills to support each other.

Take advantage of your skill proficiencies, magic spells and racial bonuses. This is what makes your character unique. This is how you contribute to working with the party.

Do not dismiss other players ideas.
Be inclusive, adaptable and supportive.

Let other players try out their ideas. Next time you have a creative idea they might listen to you.

The crazier the idea, the more interesting the game will be. Tabletop RPGs are designed to allow freedom of creativity.

If you are denying creative freedom, you are denying a main element of the game and denying what makes the game fun in the first place.

If players are afraid to be wrong, or make the wrong choice, they won't be able to create anything. Be supportive so you won't be the reason why people are afraid to be creative.

Advance your characters goals.

Having a cool backstory and a goal doesn't mean much if you aren't including it in the game.

Follow the adventure hooks.

Use your goals to drive your character and the role-playing ever forward.

Use your backstory to relate it to other characters whatever else is going on in game.

Work with the group.

Why is your paladin is willing to travel with a bunch of thieves. Why does your necromancer work with a group of clerics? How does a wizard work with a bunch of hack-n-slash barbarians who can't read?

Adapt to the DM's style of play. If the DM wants a game about killing monsters and you want to role-play, put some effort into making a compromise and work together.

Some of the best role play I've seen is during battle. Don't just attack on your turn during battle. Take advantage of the spotlight on your turn to role play as well as fight.

Make sure the DM knows how you want to play so you both can adapt to each others styles.

If the Dungeon Master doesn't know what you want out of the game, they can't give it to you. It's your job to communicate to them what you want and how you want to play.

If that doesn't work, find a different group to play with.

Be responsible for your character.

Be proud of what you create. Be confident in your choices.

The more confidence you have, the more realistic your character becomes.

Don't rely on the DM to remember that you sent a love letter to your main squeeze. Remind the DM that you are waiting for a reply. Ask the DM if you recognize someone specific from your backstory.

The more you ask about things, the more likely the dungeon master will add things in for you.

Take your special magic sword to the blacksmith for repairs. Go home to visit your family. Create your potions and scrolls. Look for leads to solve a mystery. Find out what kind of enemies you are fighting next and get their weaknesses.

Be responsible for moving your story forward.

Do not wait for the DM to say what you are going to do. You need to take action and make decisions for your character. Ask if you can try something. Tell the DM what you are planning on doing.

If your character isn't making decisions or taking action, you aren't role playing.

Deciding to stay back at the farmhouse while the rest of the players continue the game without you, is not a decision. If you choose to stay behind, you deserve to be left behind.

The DM can only give you so many options as far as where to go and what to do. Making smart choices based off of those options.

You are responsible for how much role-playing you want to do and how much fun you have with it. No one else is going to play your character for you.

Remember why you are playing in the first place. Have fun with it.

The more effort you put into the game, the more you will enjoy it.

Let's face it, you'll still have to improvise a little.

In fact you will probably be improvising a lot, thus is the nature of the game. Be prepared for it. And practice it.

It's okay if you aren't good at improvising. Use your backstory, your characters goals, and alignment to inform your decisions.

It's totally okay to plan what you want to say beforehand or follow another players lead. You can even print out the ideas here or other character questionnaires to motivate you in the midst of the game.

As long as you can interact with the game, you will be having fun.

When you don't know what to do, have something prepared that your character can say or do. This gives you something to fall back on.

Experiment with your character.

You'll never get good at anything if you don't test things out and practice. It's okay to experiment who your character is.

Trying new things is the only way to grow and learn.

Don't be afraid to change something you don't like about your character.

Practice asking questions in character.

Practice relating your character to the story and react to what is going on.

Ask yourself how your player feels, and role play that emotion.

Take the time to listen, support, and allow other players to role-play. Don't dismiss others ideas.

Drive your characters story forward.

Use these skills to find out who your character is, and what is working for you.

Thank You!

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