I know that most of the attention on the new D&D at the moment is centered on specific rules and reactions from those who love or hate it for whatever reason.
I felt the need to touch on a subject that hope will be received by all players of the game both new and old.
Tabletop role playing in most any iteration is an amazing social opportunity to get close to other people.
It is my hope that when you sit down at the table and look across at the other players you take a moment and appreciate the fact that you are being afforded the opportunity to peel back the layers that we coat ourselves with on a daily basis and share in an experience that few games offer.
Gamers are a very diverse group, and not all personality types mesh well. When you begin incorporating deeper and more creative elements of role play into the game you may find yourself breaking through the barriers of normal social convention and seeing others through a new set of eyes.
As you explore the creative expression that is role play, draw upon the rich tapestry of your own experiences and viewpoints to make your character come alive. More importantly, have the courage to emulate personalities that are quite different than your own and you may make discoveries of perspective that you would not otherwise reach.
For a game that is easily dismissed as purely strategy, the potential that role play brings to the table can make the experience magical. Sharing in this experience with others has the potential to encourage connections that transcend the standards which we would normal employ during collaboration.
I have had the pleasure of playing with gamers who take the expressive and creative aspects role play very seriously. I have seen grown men and women cease being accountants, factory workers, and homemakers and become the characters that are represented by a few notes and numbers on a sheet of paper. I have come to realize through role play that we are much more than people who are seeking a brief escape from ordinary lives. We are people who crave an experience that allow us to express the depth of who we really are or perhaps explore the potential of our species in its extremes both brilliant and dissolute.
It takes certain amount of courage to achieve this level of role play. Not everyone is comfortable with it in its most basic of forms much less the deeper reaches that can breach subject matter that can be breathtakingly tender and beautiful or disturbing and heinous.
When you have shared of yourself with others in this way, you begin to forge bonds that are not easily dissolved. That socially awkward guy you met over level one characters one day finds that he can open up to you as a friend. You find that you begin to share in more than just a collaborative story, but in real life experiences. You begin to experience something called camaraderie or brotherhood.
That sounds like a lot to ask from a game, but it happens. It has happened for me, and it is my most sincere wish that it will happen for you as well.
SO the next time someone across the table begins to speak in a strange voice and attempts to bring their character to life in various ways, don’t be so quick to reject the effort. Push past the initial discomfort and try to respond in kind. You just may experience the most memorable game you have ever played or perhaps even make a friend who will enhance your life.
I hope that others will share their experiences with role play in this thread. The memorable characters, the friendships that have been forged.
My one word answer is not intended to be sarcastic:
Yes.
Thanks for bringing something to these forums that almost never gets raised.
Ultimately, the number crunching of rulesd lawyers, power gamers, min/maxers and cookie-cutters pales into insignificance next to the true roleplayers - if the roleplay is good.
Very nice post, leo9sign.
I have a longtime buddy that really comes outta his shell whenever we game. He's a big fella but very soft spoken. Muscles from hard work big, that is. 'Big as a house, quiet as a mouse' 
. He loves to play dwarves named Borg (taken from an example PC in the early Basic set, I believe?). He loves big, brawling barbarian types. The first time he bellowed out a war cry, I ducked under the table (just in case, ya know? ).
He's got a head for numbers that blows the rest of us away; I think D&D is a way for him to 'button mash' though, to just unwind for a while. We see each other at work mostly, and he's always friendly but quiet. I've gotten to know him better thanks to D&D.
I appreciate all my gaming buddies, current and past. Come to think of it, I've only had one major dust up with another player in all the years I've been DnDing. Guess I really am fortunate. Topic for another post though.
Nice. Not actually the second pillar (which is just social interaction, RP can happen in any pillar), but a nice sentiment.
True enough that the pillars are governing the actions of the characters not the activities of the players.
Still, the vast majority of RP can be closely associated with social interaction. Most rules that interface with RP will most likely fall into this category.
Hopefully rules don't interface too heavily with RP, lest they discourage it.
I can remember when I played my first real character. At first I was a little nervous about the whole RP thing but I eventually got more comfortable. I got my DM to ok letting me play a Hound Archon Fighter and it was awesome! Although it's really hard for me to pull off I imagined him with the voice of Spawn (Keith David's voice specifically) and RPed accordingly. I eventually started to growl, bark and sniff like a dog.
I remember one of my fellow players trying to pet him cause they thought he was cute. Samarkand bit his hand and he never tried that again 
And now in my current campaign I totally RP like a ham, my Goliath Fighter has a very thick Eastern European/Russian type accent. He speaks simply without using a lot of big words and is a lot of fun to act out.
leo9sign wrote:
Unfortunately D&D isn't a good game for roleplaying. In fact most traditional RPGs aren't, despite the R part of the genre. For games actually meant to foster roleplaying and storytelling, you should check out Storygames, such as Apocolypes World, Monsterhearts, Dungeon World, Fiasco or the countless others which belong to the Storygame genre.
So let the number-crunchers have D&D (it's what the game caters to), and join Storygames. That way both sides can be happy.
Lathrin wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
Well written, well said!
I'm looking forward to the new system, and the roleplaying opportunities.
The folks I game with (we are all 40 years and older) enjoy developing our characters as the campaign evolves. We've been throwing dice since 1st Edition, and we are looking forward to 5th!
Lathrin wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
@Lathrin: You seem to confuse collaborative narrative with roleplaying. A common mistake, but a mistake nevertheless. You could even argue that games with a stricter destinction in narrative control lends themselves better to actually playing out your character.
@OP: I think the majority of posters here enjoy game mostly for the roleplaying. Yet all we talk about is rules. Why is that? In my opinion it is very simple: The rules are easy to talk about. Roleplaying is a completely subjective matter, and to be honest that great moment I had with one of the othet players in my group during last weeks game is ultimately not very interesting to anyone but us.
kalil wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
kalil wrote:
I have never actually played a Storygame, so I can't add to the conversation on the finer points of a comparison.
One of the developments I would like to see come to D&D would be a guide on how to incorporate more story telling, character development, and RP elements into the game.
I agree that most players are going to be more crunch oriented, D&D certainly has that angle covered. It is also possible to further develop the game with optional rules and guidelines that will expose more players to this way of playing, encouraging experiences that cannot be rolled. If it isn't already in the works, I'll pitch the idea myself if I have to.
Having played D&D for three decades I feel that this is my game. I am invested in the brand and the overall feel of the system. So happy to see a return to a system that captures that feeling while taking advantage of more evolved mechanics.
Starting with the basic rules, I feel confident that I can capture as much depth in an RP encounter as I ever have while still being able to break things up with a smooth tactical scene when it's time to drop that in. My players feel like they are enabled to portray unique and memorable characters, and I can weave in the framework to make the magic happen. I am excited by the possibilities.
Lathrin wrote:
Thanks for this thread. Just that. Thank you.
autolycus wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
jocanuck wrote:
Lathrin wrote:
jocanuck wrote:
Ahem... Back to the OP... (I really can't believe there can't be ONE freakin thread that someone doesn't feel the need to pick something apart)
My younger brother and I are five years apart and have wildly different personalities and interests, but we have been playing D&D together for more than 30 years. I have several close friends of over 30 years that I meet through D&D that still play in my campaigns (and dozens of others who have joined us at the table over the years). Role playing games (and D&D in particular) has helped forge some of the best relationships in my life...
Nice post...