Role-playing

Role-playing

Role-playing is the term for anything your character does in the game. Talking to other characters is role-playing. Walking from the inn to a merchant's shop is role-playing. Anything done in character is role-playing.

When a game rule, make reference to a requirement to "role-play" out an action, it means that there is no single right way to do that action. Something in-character should be done to represent the task being performed. The goal of a rule requiring you to role-play a vaguely explained action is to give you the freedom to do that action however you see fit. What matters is that someone looking on who sees what you are doing clearly could reasonably guess what you are doing. And if you don't want people to guess what you are doing - then do it stealthily, but still do it.

For example if you want to put a poison in someones drink, there is no official way that you do this. However, you need to role-play the action of pouring the poison into the drink. You are not required to have witnesses, in fact you probably don't want any witnesses. So you could take the person's cup and put it below the table before pretending to pour your poison from it's container into the drink. Or you could create a distraction then turn your "poison" container upside down over the drink.

Categories: Fundamental Rules | Terminology