I saw your post about rolechat, and so I joined because I really wanted to play a BBC Sherlock roleplaying game. But I don't know how to start. Like, what do we do? Say hello?
I'm so glad to see more people making the move to Rolechat. I mostly use it for Marauders and Mormor, but the platform works pretty similarly across all fandoms - so I’ll give you a general rundown based on my own experience.
Quick note - I use Rolechat primarily for fandom roleplay, not original character roleplay, which tends to have slightly different etiquette. This guide focuses specifically on fandom roleplay, covering everything from setup to etiquette and common terminology.
It’s a long one, so if you’re looking for something specific I didn't cover, or just want a TLDR let me know.
The first step is to choose your character. Most people stick with 'A roleplayer' as the default option. This is so they can be adaptable and respond to whatever starter takes their interest.
However, some people have a preference for a certain character. As an example, if your only ship tags are Johnlock and Johniarty, and you prefer to play John, you could put 'John Watson' as your character.
You can change your character name by typing '/' and selecting the 'change character name' option during an active roleplay. I personally never use this feature and always leave myself as 'a roleplayer'. I've seen the change feature used once or twice - but it's not common.
In my experience, choosing a specific character name is pretty rare. Most people stick with something generic like "a roleplayer," "roleplayer," "browsing," "looking," or simply "stranger." "Stranger" is a throwback to Omegle, which was popular among roleplayers for many years before it shut down.
No one will mind if you do choose a character, but you may get more disconnections as people will assume you're looking for something niche when you have a character name - but it's fine either way!
The next step is choosing your server.
The "Roleplay" server is strictly safe for work. You won’t encounter any smut, graphic violence, or otherwise inappropriate content here. By choosing this server, you agree to follow those same standards - no NSFW content at any point. This includes not steering the roleplay in an explicit direction later on. Keep everything clean from start to finish.
"18+" indicates that you are an adult and open to engaging with "Not Safe For Work" content, including smut or darker themes. However, choosing 18+ doesn’t mean every interaction will be explicit - many users simply want to ensure their partners are adults. There's a wide range of content in this server, but selecting 18+ means you're open to the possibility of NSFW elements, even if a roleplay doesn't start out that way. Just something to keep in mind.
"Both" is a good option if you're open to either SFW or NSFW content. I usually choose this myself, and I think it’s the most common choice. With that said, it’s always a good idea to double-check your partner’s preferences before sending a starter.
Next are your tags - this is where you list the ships you're interested in. There is a limit to how many you can include at once, but it's fairly generous, so you can usually add a good variety and increase your chances of finding someone compatible.
Some people use broad fandoms in their tags - like "BBC Sherlock," "Marauders," or "Doctor Who" - but this is much less common. Most users tend to list specific ships instead. I’ll touch more on this when we get to etiquette.
If you're curious, you can also click on popular tags and see which tags have the most users at the time. It's an interesting feature - but it doesn't mean these are the only active tags. They're just the top ten at that time.
The next setting is tag wait time - this determines how long you stay in the "searching" zone before being connected with a new partner. I personally leave it at 30 seconds, since I use a lot of tags and rarely wait long, but feel free to adjust it based on your preferences.
If you don’t match with someone who shares a tag, the system will pair you with a random user instead. I usually just disconnect and start the search again - but I like keeping this feature on since it gives me a view into which other fandoms are active. I've found new fandoms this way in the past so I think it's worth leaving!
Anyway, you’ll either be matched with someone who shares a tag or with a random partner. It'll look something like this:
The next setting is Exclusions - to be honest, I’ve never used this feature, and I don’t know anyone who has, so I can’t really speak on it.
Next up is Starter - side note, some people call a 'starter' a 'prompt'.
In my experience, this feature is used about 50/50. If you already have a starter prepared, you can paste it into this box and your partner will see you have a starter automatically when you connect.
When you're connected with a new partner, you'll be able to see if they’ve included a starter. If they have, it will appear like this - just click 'tap here' to view it.
If the starter interests you, you can jump right in and write your response - or simply disconnect and return to the search. Most people skip out-of-character chat and prefer to jump straight into the roleplay. I’ll talk more about this in the 'Etiquette' section.
If your partner doesn't have a starter it will look like this:
You can choose to wait - most people prefer to paste their starter directly into the chat and send it manually, bypassing the built in starter feature. If nothing comes through from your partner, you can either share your own starter, or disconnect and continue the search.
Saved Characters is another feature I've never used and can't comment on.
In terms of who sends the starter, it’s typically a 50/50 split - some users will have one ready, while others are waiting to receive one. If you’re waiting and your partner hasn’t sent anything, or isn’t typing after about 30 seconds, it’s fine to disconnect and restart the search. If you’re the one sending the starter, go ahead and paste it in. Wait a minute or two - if there’s still no response or typing from your partner, feel free to move on.
You should always jump straight into the roleplay - most users skip out-of-character conversation when first connecting. Rolechat is built around anonymous, low-pressure roleplay, so most people prefer to jump straight in rather than planning or chatting beforehand - so, most people will disconnect if you start with 'hi!'
It’s not that people are unfriendly - just that most already have a starter ready, or are waiting to see yours. Plotting can be time-consuming, and one of the great things about Rolechat is that it lets you try out a partner with no commitment. If you click, there’s usually more opportunity to chat and develop a plot later. But at the start, most people just want to see how the dynamic feels.
That said, if you have a quick question about the starter or want to clarify something about the plot, feel free to ask - just make sure to use brackets to show you’re speaking out of character.
[Hi! Love the starter. Just checking - did you want me to continue as James?]
[Quick question - is this before or after canon?]
Most users are open to collaboration or "plotting" once the roleplay is already underway. You might pause mid-scene to ask about the direction of the story, or check if your partner is comfortable with a specific plot point or theme you want to introduce.
[Hey, just wondering if you wanted CHARACTER to...?]
[Just checking if you're okay with...?]
If you've connected through a generic fandom tag (like BBC Sherlock or Marauders), a quick OOC check-in before you start is more common:
[Hey! Are you looking for a specific ship or do you have a plot in mind?]
If your partner has already used the starter feature or pasted their starter manually and it’s not your thing, don’t paste your own instead. Either read and reply, or simply disconnect and start a new search.
If you and your partner both send a starter manually at the same time, reactions can vary. Some people disconnect right away, while others will say something like: [Sorry, ignore mine! Reading yours!]. It’s really up to you how you want to handle it - there’s no rule.
If your partner has pasted a particularly long starter and you want to let them know you are active, just let them know by saying [reading]. This doesn't mean you have to respond - it just lets them know you're there and reading so they don't disconnect before you can decide.
Compliments on a starter are always welcome, but critique is not. If the starter isn’t your style, there’s no need to comment - just disconnect and continue your search.
Occasionally, someone might make a rude comment about your character or writing. It’s rare, but it does happen - trolls show up once in a while. Don’t take it personally, just disconnect and move on. It happens to everyone at some point!
Finally, never “steal” someone’s starter - don’t save it and reuse it as your own. It’s considered bad etiquette and breaks the trust of the community.
If You Need to Step Away or Leave
Use [brb] if you’re stepping away for a moment.
If you need to leave entirely, it’s good form to let your partner know - especially if you’ve been writing together for a few hours. Here are a few polite ways to do that:
[Gtg - thanks for this!]
[Do you continue on Discord?]
[I’m heading off, but if you want to continue my email/discord is....]
[I've got to go - do you want to set a mutual tag so we can find each other again on Rolechat?]
All of these are perfectly acceptable.
You’re never obligated to continue a roleplay if you’re not feeling it. If someone asks to continue elsewhere and you’re not comfortable, don’t have the time, or simply aren’t interested - that’s okay. Just let them know or politely decline!
Sometimes people disconnect suddenly, and it can happen for a lot of reasons - their connection might drop, their device might die, or they simply weren’t feeling the roleplay and didn’t want to say so. That’s totally okay. You can do the same if needed, but it’s generally polite to at least say something like [gtg!] on your way out.
If you do move a roleplay over to Discord or email, expect a bit more OOC interaction - but don’t push for it. Some people enjoy chatting and plotting, while others prefer to stick strictly to roleplay. You’ll get a feel for the vibe as you go.
If a long-term roleplay fades out over time, that’s also completely normal. If you’re losing inspiration or motivation, just let your partner know - good communication goes a long way. I’ve had roleplays move to Discord, lose steam after a few weeks, and I pick up again later with new prompts. It happens!
You’ll usually see two kinds of starters:
Text-based starters, signed off with character initials:
[TEXT TEXT TEXT] – RB
[TEXT TEXT TEXT] – JP
In universes where mobile phones don’t exist - like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. - people usually just assume characters are using enchanted parchment, sending letters, or simply suspend their disbelief and ignore the lack of technology. Don't worry about explaining how it's happening - we just roll with it!
Paragraph-style starters use narrative writing to set the scene, including description, action, and dialogue. These are sometimes described as 'literate roleplays' but I personally find that elitist.
Sometimes, a roleplay might begin with text-based interaction and evolve into paragraph (para) style. Your partner might ask:
[Move to paras?]
[Want me to start paras?]
This usually means the characters meet in person and the story continues in paragraph format. It’s generally good etiquette for the person who sent the starter to begin the paragraphs, but it can depend on the context.
Your partner might also ask:
This means that they want to continue the roleplay without writing paragraphs. You will just jump forward in time, and continue texting as if your characters have met up and gone their separate ways again.
You might also want to show that your character's response is delayed when texting. There are a few ways of showing this with square brackets:
[...] TEXTTEXTTEXT - RB
[Delayed] TEXTEXTTEXT - RB
[Two Hours Later] TEXTEXTEXT - RB
There are also a few extra terms you might come across. You can include these in square brackets at the beginning or end of your starter to give your partner more context - or you might see them used and wonder what they mean:
[AU] stands for Alternate Universe. This means the roleplay is not set in the canon universe.
For example, a Sherlock AU might imagine that Moriarty survived; a Marauders AU might be set in a world where Voldemort never existed. You might see just [AU] or something more specific like [AU – No Voldemort].
[Genderbent] / [Fem!Character] / [Male!Character] means the character’s gender has been swapped. It’s less common now, but still occasionally used.
[TW] / [CW] stand for Trigger Warning and Content Warning. These are used to flag darker or sensitive themes and are always a thoughtful courtesy.
Character Ages: In some fandoms, you might see age indicators - especially in age-specific AUs. For example, in a Teenlock prompt (Sherlock characters as teens), you might see:
TEXT TEXT TEXT – JM (18)
Or in a Marauders roleplay:
TEXT TEXT TEXT – RB (6th Year)
Most people don’t specify character ages unless it’s relevant to the plot or fandom, but you can include it if you think it helps set the scene.
[Est] / [Previous Est] stand for Established Relationship and Previous Established Relationship. This means the characters are already together - or were together and have since broken up.
This turned into a pretty long post, so I'm really sorry if I rambled - but I hope it gives you a good starting point! If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. Roleplay is a lot of fun, and all of this becomes second nature with time. These aren’t strict rules - just general norms based on how things usually go.
Don’t be afraid to test the waters and see what works for you - that’s the beauty of it being anonymous. Low pressure, low stakes.
