This article contains affiliate links. If you’d like to support us, feel free to use these links 🛒 to buy books, dice, or similar products. Thank you 🙂
My Dungeon Master doesn’t give me the opportunity to play my character. I have a great backstory, but I’m not sure if it will even come up. What can I do to bring more roleplay into my session?
Create More Roleplay Moments Yourself
Many players wait for the Dungeon Master to give them a situation they can interact with. A good way to bring more roleplay into the session is to actively create these moments as a player.
If my character knows a contact person in the city and is waiting to be approached, I can also roleplay my search. As soon as the party enters a tavern, my character looks around for the contact person or asks other guests for information about them. I can also describe the contact person to the other group members and thus create more roleplay moments for my fellow players.
This takes some pressure off the Dungeon Master, as they are no longer solely responsible for roleplay moments. From my experience as a Dungeon Master, the situations where the group talks completely among themselves are some of the best.
The other players, who might also be waiting for a prompt from the Dungeon Master, will also be happy that you’re giving them the opportunity to play their character. In the video below, this is beautifully explained using Marisha Ray from Critical Role as an example. Her characters Keyleth and Beauregard interact a lot with the group and thus provide many roleplay moments.
Talk to Fellow Players About It
If your fellow players don’t respond to in-game attempts at more roleplay, you can try talking to them before or after the session. You should be aware that not all players have the same ideas about pen & paper and roleplay. Additionally, many people, especially in newer groups, often feel uncomfortable engaging in very “serious” roleplay.
To prevent misunderstandings, it often helps to have a Session Zero. There, the basic expectations for the game, the Dungeon Master, and also the players can be discussed so that everyone is on the same wavelength. Important aspects can include the ratio of roleplay to combat, as there are often very different preferences here.
If you’ve tried these things and your group doesn’t take your concerns seriously, you should realize that pen & paper is primarily about fun. If you don’t want to change your expectations, it might be best for everyone if you look for another group. Here you can learn more about how to do that best.
