What Are Roleplayers? (TTRPG, Online, LARP, Actor Contexts)

"Roleplayer" means someone who **adopts a fictional persona** and acts within a shared framework. Three main contexts:

1. Tabletop RPG Players (TTRPG) — Most Common

• Games: D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Blades in the Dark, OSR, indie (Lasers & Feelings, Fiasco).
• Activity: Create character (stats, backstory, voice) → describe actions → roll dice for uncertainty → collaborate on story with GM + players.
• Social Contract: Shared authority, consent, safety tools (X-Card, Lines/Veils).
• Formats: Home campaign (years), one-shot (3-4 hrs), actual play stream (Critical Role, Dimension 20).

2. Digital / Online Roleplayers

• Text-Based (Forum / Discord / Play-by-Post): Write narrative paragraphs in character. Slow, literary, global timezones.
• MMORPG Roleplay Servers: WoW (Moon Guard, Wyrmrest), FFXIV (Balmung, Mateus), ESO, GW2. Walk/talk/emote in-game. Guilds, events, walk-up RP.
• Virtual Tabletops (VTT): Roll20, Foundry, Fantasy Grounds — maps + tokens + voice + character sheets. Closest to tabletop online.
• GTA RP / FiveM / RedM: Heavy immersion. Jobs, economy, law, crime. Voice proximity chat. Streamed heavily.

3. LARP (Live Action Roleplay)

• Physically embody character: costume, props, movement.
• Genres: Fantasy (Amtgard, NERO), Vampire (Mind's Eye Theatre), Nordic (artistic, low-mechanic), Battle (Belegarth, Dagorhir).
• Events: Weekend camps, weekly practices, one-shots.

4. Actors / Performers (Professional)

• "Roleplayer" occasionally used as synonym for **character actor** or **improviser** — but "actor" or "improviser" is standard.

Core Traits Across All

• Empathy: Inhabit another perspective.
• Improvisation: React in real-time.
• Collaboration: Co-create with others.
• Boundary Awareness: Distinguish self/character; respect limits.

If you want to start: Join a D&D 5e Starter Set group (local store, Discord, Roll20 LFG) or try a **rules-light one-shot** (Honey Heist, Lasers & Feelings, Everyone Is John) — zero prep, 2 hrs, pure roleplay.