Advice/Help Introducing Someone to Roleplay

[brogley]

Throughout the years, I have continuously tried to coerce friends into roleplaying. As someone that has roleplayed for the majority of their tween and teen years, it's been a formative activity which I've always loved to engage in, so of course I've wanetd my friends to be introduced to this wonder as well (perhaps some of you can relate).

Most of the time, I've found little success, and not wanting to be forceful, I would usually just drop it after trying some coercvive rhetorics and it not working. However, recently, I finally hit gold when one of my friends was open to the idea (granted, he has done DnD before so this is not at all far off the grid).

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that now I have to set up a roleplay bootcamp. I don't know about you guys, but I was never taught roleplay, I just watched and replicated what I saw because I thought it looked fun. Trying to teach someone seems entirely foreign and I barely know where to start; if I should start at the lower levels (script, for example), as I did when I was ~12 years old, or if I should go straight into Lit because we're both older.

Anybody got tips or insights on how to start?
How were you guys "seduced" into the world of roleplaying?

 

[Chordling]

Are they asking you to teach them how to roleplay? I think the best way to learn how to roleplay is to observe and do, much like what your experience was. I can't say that many people were formally taught, or "seduced" into roleplaying.

 

[brogley]

Are they asking you to teach them how to roleplay? I think the best way to learn how to roleplay is to observe and do, much like what your experience was. I can't say that many people were formally taught, or "seduced" into roleplaying.

Yes, or rather I offered to teach them if they wanted to give it a try - and as it were, they wanted to!
So now I am delegated to be a teacher. Which is fine! I love to teach, but I'm not sure where to start as stated. If we go by the assumption that observation is best maybe it's best to just send RP samples?

 

[Chordling]

Yeah, I would just show them some roleplaying communities that you are a part of and just help them get to know people first.

Edit: Roleplaying, like many arts, is incredibly subjective. There's technically no wrong or right way to do it. Formally teaching someone how to seems a little odd. Everyone enjoys roleplays differently so the best way is to just learn rather than be taught.

 

[Crayons]

I've been in the situation of teaching people to roleplay quite a few times so maybe I can give you some tips!

I'd start off with around one para length posts. Those can easily expand into longer posts once you guys get going if that's what he wants to do. There's no need to start with script unless that's what you want the RP to be - it's not a necessary step.

Give him the basics of how roleplay works. Something that is different to D&D is that you will both have equal control over the direction of the story (usually if it's a 1x1 but you could decide to GM for him a little if it makes it easier for him to get into it.) Point out all the roleplay "rules" like metagaming, railroading, only taking one action per post, autohitting, and all of those things that most RPers take for granted. Something that friends I've had who are used to writing rather than RPing find hard is accidentally taking control of the other person's character. So you might need to remind him of that.

Explain that it's more like writing a collaborative story than the kind of gaming he might be used to.

Start with something simple that you can both get into straight away, with a basic plot or scenario that lets you try things out. It could be something as straightforward as a tavern/coffee shop scene where the characters meet for the first time. Gently lead the characters in a conversation or action. If he starts going crazy and doing random stuff you can reel it back in if you want, or just go with it, depending on whether you mind or not. Sometimes first time RPers go a bit overboard with the unlimited freedom, lol.

I think that probably covers the basics! If you have more questions I can try to answer them.

 

[brogley]

I've been in the situation of teaching people to roleplay quite a few times so maybe I can give you some tips!

I'd start off with around one para length posts. Those can easily expand into longer posts once you guys get going if that's what he wants to do. There's no need to start with script unless that's what you want the RP to be - it's not a necessary step.

Give him the basics of how roleplay works. Something that is different to D&D is that you will both have equal control over the direction of the story (usually if it's a 1x1 but you could decide to GM for him a little if it makes it easier for him to get into it.) Point out all the roleplay "rules" like metagaming, railroading, only taking one action per post, autohitting, and all of those things that most RPers take for granted. Something that friends I've had who are used to writing rather than RPing find hard is accidentally taking control of the other person's character. So you might need to remind him of that.

Explain that it's more like writing a collaborative story than the kind of gaming he might be used to.

Start with something simple that you can both get into straight away, with a basic plot or scenario that lets you try things out. It could be something as straightforward as a tavern/coffee shop scene where the characters meet for the first time. Gently lead the characters in a conversation or action. If he starts going crazy and doing random stuff you can reel it back in if you want, or just go with it, depending on whether you mind or not. Sometimes first time RPers go a bit overboard with the unlimited freedom, lol.

I think that probably covers the basics! If you have more questions I can try to answer them.

that's very helpful! thank you so much!

I will start the Bootcamp tomorrow - if I'm successful maybe you guys will see him on here!