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The complete guide to roleplay in WoW

Anne Stickney
Updated ·7 min read
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The complete guide to roleplay in WoW

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. In World of Warcraft, that player is you! Each week, Anne Stickney brings you All the World's a Stage with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW.


This column began way back in September of 2007. Over the course of the last six-ish years or so we've dived into the depths of character development, roleplay interaction, places to roleplay, problems that can arise in roleplay, the basics of character roleplay -- in fact, we've just about covered it all. Multiple times, from multiple sources, in fact. And although the art of roleplay lives on, there's only so many times you can word the same advice.

That said, this is the final edition of All the World's a Stage. Before you panic, we've decided to put together a final gift for you; a mass compilation of six-ish years worth of columns, resources and advice covering everything from the very basic of the basics to the most complex situations your mind could dream up. Whether you're a new roleplayer looking for the best place to start out, an experienced roleplayer looking for more insight into just what makes your character tick, or a guild leader looking for a mass list of resources for your guild or organization, we've totally got you covered.


The complete guide to roleplay in WoW


Roleplaying basics

Whether just starting out or returning from a long hiatus, these articles covering the basics should get you started in the right direction.

The complete guide to roleplay in WoW


Classes, races and roles

Want to know what age to make your character, or what they've seen in their lifetime? Or maybe you're interested in the history of your character's race, or how their class affects who they are. Maybe you want to know how to play a pandaren, or how to make your profession work with your roleplay. Check out this wealth of resource information for just about everything you could want to know about the history of your character.


The complete guide to roleplay in WoW


Character development

Roleplaying a character isn't just using that in-game model as a puppet. Use these guides to dig a little deeper into that character you've made and define the finer points of who they are, what they've done, and how they live their life.


The complete guide to roleplay in WoW


Scenarios and locations

Now that you've got a character, where do you go and what do you do? Take a look at everything from cool locations around the world of Warcraft to fun activites you, your friends or your guild can enjoy.


The complete guide to roleplay in WoW


Sticky situations

Roleplay is not without its drama. But these guides should help you handle some of the stickier situations that arise in roleplay, whether it's interacting with others, problems with character development, or just coming to terms with some of the inner emotional aspects of roleplaying.

Roleplay is, at its core, about the social interaction between the people you meet in game. It's a game of playing with others, a game of sharing information. Roleplay will always be alive as long as there are people to participate in it, both the seasoned veterans and the new roleplayers alike. Although the column is ending, the sheer amount of resources we've already written are a vast wealth of information that works best when it is shared.

So please, by all means feel free to use this list for your own -- but if you happen across a roleplayer who needs a little guidance, point them here. If you'd like a resource guide for your roleplaying guild, feel free to link here. We've spent six years combing over the finer points of roleplay, and the biggest thank you we could get would be to see that information shared and passed on.

Remember, the key to keeping roleplay alive is participation. Keep up your roleplay, and encourage others to join in the fun. Thanks for reading, it's certainly been a pleasure writing for you.

All the World's a Stage is your source for roleplaying ideas, innovations and ironies. Let us help you imagine what it's like to sacrifice spells for the story, totally immerse yourself in your roleplaying or even RP on a non-RP realm!