D&D: Five Roleplaying Tips For Shy/Lurker Players
Dungeons & Dragons is a social game, at the end of the day. But it can be fun, even if you’re on the shyer side of things.
D&D is many things. But ultimately, it’s a game about playing with your friends, and having a good time with good buds. That’s probably why it’s so enduring. It’s a recipe for playing pretend despite the horrors of the world. And it teaches you a little something about courage, and a whole lot about arguing over the rules.
But what if you’re the kind of person who just wants to hang out with your friends? If you like sitting back and just rolling the occasional die? How do you roleplay? Well, believe it or not, the DMG’s of old took this into account. Players like this have been called everything from Lurker to Watcher to now, I believe, Socializer – these are players who just like being around their friends and don’t necessarily care to be immersed in a world of wonder.
But even then, there’s still potential to getin there and try out some roleplaying. If that’s what you want to do, of course. These are some tips from other editions (and elsewhere) that can help people who prefer to just hang out, step into the spotlight a little when they want to.
Start In Third Person
In general, one of the biggest barriers to people roleplaying is the connection between player and character. It can often be vulnerable. Having something to put a little distance between the two is a great way to sort of give yourself permission to be a part of a scene to any degree. And nothing quite helps that than third person.
This is as simple as saying your character does X. It has the added benefit of letting you use the cool character name you came up with while also injecting a little personality into whatever you’re doing: Krothmar opens the door, cautiously. Glint slinks down the empty tunnel. Parn charges in, recklessly. You get the idea. Having that distance makes it easy to step back as well, and having the comfort of doing both is a great way to engage as much as you want.
Use The Help Action (Or Similar Buffs)
Another good way to get in there and roleplay can come from the mechanics of the game and your character. When folks start making checks, just chip in with a help action, or a Bardic Inspiration, or a Guidance spell. Give it a little bit of flavor, and boom, you’re roleplaying.
You get to have a little moment sharing the spotlight, and hopefully the roll ends up going better than it would have otherwise.
Attach Yourself To Another Character
Sometimes it can feel hard to take a moment in the spotlight if everyone’s off doing something. But, much like the advice on offering aid, sometimes just going with someone can be a great way to have a moment or two on screen, so to speak.
Pick a character and just say that your character accompanies them to do whatever task. This is especially helpful if the party is splitting up, but can be useful even when the group is together – because now you have someone or something specifically to pay attention to. And when you do, you’ve already got an in for doing a little roleplay.
Keep a Character Journal
Consider this one the “take notes but with flavor” – this is more for people who like getting into character but are shy about playing the character, than people who prefer to just hang out with their friends. So take this with a grain of salt. But, you can always keep a record of what your character thinks and that can give you an idea of how they might play in a scene.
Then, when you find yourself in a moment of needing to recap an adventure or talk about what comes next, you can step up and roleplay since you already know what your character is thinking about current events.
Bring Snacks
Also do not underestimate the power of bringing snacks. That can go a long way towards creating the feeling of being present, even if you’re just wanting to hang back. You get to give everyone something tasty, and then everyone has a good time.
Truly, the best way to socialize.
Happy adventuring!
