Roleplay Rules Explained
If you are brand new to roleplay, the number of rules might feel overwhelming at first. Do not worry. This guide will walk you through every single rule in plain, simple English. By the end, you will understand not only what each rule means, but why it exists and how to avoid breaking it. We have included lots of examples so you can see exactly what good and bad roleplay looks like.
Why Do Roleplay Rules Exist?
Think about playing a board game with your friends. If one person keeps making up their own rules or cheating, nobody else has fun. The game only works when everyone agrees to play fair. Roleplay rules work exactly the same way.
Without rules, people would just run around Los Santos shooting everyone on sight, ignoring other players' stories, and doing whatever they want. That is not roleplay. That is just chaos. Rules make sure that:
- Everyone has fun, not just the person with the biggest gun.
- The game world feels real and believable, like you are living in an actual city.
- Stories can actually develop because people play fair and respect each other's characters.
- New players get a fair chance instead of being stomped by experienced players who ignore the rules.
You do not need to memorise every rule before you start playing. Read through this guide once, then come back to it when you have questions. The most important thing is the basic idea: play fair, be realistic, and give other players a chance to participate in the story.
Metagaming (MG)
Using information your character does not know. You the player might know something, but your character has not learned it through roleplay.
This is probably the most common rule that new players break, and it is usually by accident. Here is the key idea: you and your character are two separate people. You sit at your computer and see things on your screen. Your character only knows things they have actually experienced in the game world.
Why is metagaming bad?
It completely ruins the story for other players. Imagine you spent hours planning a surprise robbery with your gang, and then the target somehow already knows about it because someone told their friend on Discord. All that effort is wasted. It destroys trust between players and makes people not want to roleplay anymore.
Examples
You see a player's nametag floating above their head that says "Tony_Soprano". Your character walks up and says "Hey Tony!" even though your character has never met this person before. Your character has no way of knowing their name.
Your friend messages you on Discord and says "Some guy just robbed me at the gas station on Route 68!" You then drive your character to that gas station to look for the robber. Your character was not there and did not witness anything.
You are watching a livestream of another player on the server. You see them go into a hidden building. You then take your character to that exact building. Your character had no reason to go there.
Your friend plays a police officer. They tell you (out of character) that there is a warrant out for a certain criminal. You then use that information on your own criminal character to warn the wanted person. Your criminal character has no access to the police database.
Another character walks up to you in a bar and introduces themselves: "Hey, I am Tony." Now your character knows their name because they learned it through roleplay. You can call them Tony from now on.
A character runs up to you in-game and tells you "Someone just robbed the gas station on Route 68!" Your character now has a reason to go check it out, because someone told them in character.
You see a suspicious character hanging around outside a bank. Your character, a police officer, decides to keep an eye on them based on what they can physically see in the game world. This is using IC (in character) information.
John Doe says: Hey Marcus, I heard you've been selling stuff at the pier.
[OOC: This is metagaming - John's player read about Marcus on Discord but John the character was never told this]
The easiest way to check yourself: ask "How would my character know this?" If the honest answer is "because I the player saw it on Discord / a stream / someone told me out of character", then your character does not know it. Simple as that.
Powergaming (PG)
Forcing actions on other players without giving them a chance to respond, or doing things that would be impossible for a real human being.
Roleplay is a collaborative story. That means both players get to decide what happens to their own character. When you powergame, you are basically writing someone else's character for them without asking. You are also powergaming if your character does something that no real person could actually do.
Why is powergaming bad?
It takes away another player's ability to participate. If you write out an entire action where you grab someone, throw them down, tie them up, and search them -- all in one message -- the other person never got a chance to react. That is not fair. Roleplay is a back-and-forth conversation, not a monologue.
Examples
You type: "/me grabs John, throws him to the ground, ties his hands behind his back, and takes his wallet." This is one giant action that does five things at once. John never got a chance to resist, dodge, call for help, or do anything at all.
[OOC: Sarah's player never got to react to any of this. This is powergaming.]
You type: "/me dodges all the bullets." You cannot just decide that you dodge everything. That is not how it works. The outcome should be agreed upon or determined fairly.
Your character lifts a car over their head or breaks down a reinforced steel door with their bare hands. Unless your character is literally a superhero (they are not), this is impossible.
You type: "/me hacks into the FBI database in 10 seconds flat." Even the best hackers in the world cannot do this. It is unrealistic and gives your character an unfair advantage.
You type: "/me attempts to grab John's arm." Then you WAIT for John's player to respond. Maybe John pulls away. Maybe John freezes. It is John's choice how his character reacts.
You type: "/me swings a punch at John's face." Then John gets to decide: "/me stumbles backward, the punch catching his jaw" or "/me ducks to the side, narrowly avoiding the swing." Both players are involved.
* Sarah_Jones yanks her arm away and steps back, glaring at him *
Mike Smith says: Hey, wait. I just need to talk to you.
* Sarah_Jones keeps her distance, folding her arms *
Sarah Jones says: Then talk. But don't touch me.
Use words like "attempts to", "tries to", or "reaches for" in your /me actions. This signals to the other player that you are giving them a choice in what happens next.
Random Deathmatch (RDM)
Killing or attacking another player for no roleplay reason at all. Just hurting people because you feel like it.
This is not Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto Online. You cannot just walk up to random people and start shooting them for entertainment. In a roleplay server, violence must have a reason that makes sense for your character and the story.
Why is RDM bad?
It destroys the experience for the person being attacked. They were minding their own business, maybe in the middle of an interesting roleplay scene, and someone just kills them for no reason. It adds nothing to the story and ruins everything for the victim.
Examples
Walking up to a random person on the street who you have never interacted with before, pulling out a gun, and shooting them. There is no reason. No argument. No history. Just senseless violence.
Punching random people outside a shop because you are bored and have nothing else to do. Boredom is not a roleplay reason for violence.
Killing someone because they "looked at you funny" or accidentally bumped into your car. A minor annoyance is not a realistic reason to murder someone. Think about it: would a real person shoot someone over a dirty look? No.
Driving around the city and shooting at every player you see from your car window. This is pure deathmatch behaviour and has no place on a roleplay server.
Someone robbed your character last week. You spent days planning your revenge through roleplay -- gathering information, talking to people, setting up a plan. When you finally confront the robber, a fight breaks out. This violence has a story behind it.
Two rival gangs have been building tension for weeks through roleplay. Territory disputes, threats, and warnings have all been exchanged in character. Eventually, this leads to a shootout. The violence is the natural result of a long story arc.
You are being robbed at gunpoint, you manage to draw your weapon, and a gunfight breaks out. This is self-defence and there is a clear in-character reason for the violence.
You must ALWAYS have an IC (in character) reason for violence, and that reason must make sense for your character. "I was bored" or "I felt like it" are never valid reasons. Even criminals in real life have motivations.
Vehicle Deathmatch (VDM)
Using your vehicle as a weapon -- deliberately running people over or ramming them with your car.
Your car is a way to get from point A to point B. It is not a weapon. Normal people do not drive their cars into crowds of people. In the real world, using a car as a weapon is an incredibly extreme and rare act. It should be just as rare (or nonexistent) in roleplay.
Why is VDM bad?
It is unrealistic, unfair, and usually impossible to defend against. A player on foot has almost no chance against a car being driven at them. It also looks ridiculous and completely breaks the immersion of a realistic roleplay world.
Examples
Driving your car onto the pavement and into a group of people standing outside a shop. There is no scenario where a normal person does this.
Someone insults your character, so you get in your car and chase them down, ramming them repeatedly until they die. A car is not a weapon for settling arguments.
During an argument with another player, you jump in your vehicle and run them over instead of continuing the roleplay with words or actions. This skips all the roleplay and goes straight to the cheapest kill possible.
During a police chase, you accidentally clip a pedestrian while taking a sharp turn. You stop your car and roleplay the aftermath: checking on the person, calling an ambulance, dealing with consequences. Accidents happen, but the key is roleplaying them properly.
If you accidentally hit someone with your car, do not just drive off. Stop and roleplay the situation. Accidents are fine -- intentionally using your car as a weapon is not.
New Life Rule (NLR)
When your character dies and respawns at the hospital, they forget everything about how they died, who killed them, and the events that led to their death.
This rule exists to prevent endless revenge cycles. Without it, two players could just keep killing each other forever: die, respawn, go back, kill, repeat. That is not a story. That is a loop. The New Life Rule breaks that loop and gives both sides a fresh start.
What your character FORGETS after dying
- How they died (shot, stabbed, beaten -- they do not remember any of it)
- Who killed them or was involved in their death
- Where the event took place
- The events that led up to the death (the argument, the chase, the confrontation)
What your character KEEPS after dying
- Their general life: their name, their job, their home, their friends
- Relationships that were established before the incident
- Skills, knowledge, and experiences from before the incident
- Their possessions (items, vehicles, bank account)
Examples
You die in a gang fight. You respawn at the hospital and immediately drive back to the same location to fight the same people. Your character does not remember the fight or who was involved.
Someone shoots you. You respawn and call your friends saying "It was Marcus! He shot me at the pier!" Your character has no memory of this event.
After respawning, you go straight to the police station and file a report naming the person who killed you. You cannot report something you do not remember.
You respawn at the hospital and roleplay waking up confused. You say something like: "What happened? How did I get here? I cannot remember anything." You continue your life without pursuing revenge for something you do not remember.
A friend who witnessed your death tells your character what happened: "Someone shot you at the pier last night." Now your character has learned this information through roleplay, and they can choose how to react -- but they still do not personally remember it happening.
John Doe says: Where... where am I? What happened?
Nurse says: You were brought in last night. You were in rough shape. Do you remember anything?
John Doe says: I... no. I don't remember. Everything is blank.
NLR does not mean your character's entire life resets. They are the same person with the same job, friends, and history. They just have amnesia about the specific event that killed them. Think of it like a concussion that wiped out the last few hours of memory.
Fear RP
Your character should feel and show fear when their life is in danger. Real people are afraid of dying. Your character should be too.
In real life, if someone pointed a loaded gun at your head, you would be terrified. You would not casually walk away. You would not pull out your phone. You would not try to fight three armed people at once. Fear RP means acting the way a real person would when their life is threatened.
Why does Fear RP exist?
Without Fear RP, robberies and confrontations would be impossible to roleplay. If everyone just ignores guns and threats, then weapons become meaningless and criminals cannot roleplay their characters properly. Fear RP makes these scenarios work for everyone involved.
Examples
Someone points a gun at the back of your head, and you casually turn around, say "whatever", and walk away. A real person would freeze or comply. They would not shrug off a firearm.
Three armed gang members surround you in an alley, and you try to fight all three of them with your bare fists. A real person would not try to fight those odds.
You are being robbed at gunpoint and you pull out your phone to call the police while the robber is standing right in front of you. The robber would see you do this. A real person would not risk it.
A car is speeding directly at you, and you just stand there or slowly walk out of the way. A real person would dive, run, or scramble to safety.
Someone draws a gun on you. Your character raises their hands slowly, voice shaking, and says "Okay, okay, please do not shoot. I will do whatever you want." You comply with their demands because your character values their life.
You are surrounded by armed robbers. Your character is visibly scared, hands trembling, and cooperates. After the robbers leave, your character calls the police. This is realistic: comply now, report later.
Marcus Reed says: Empty your pockets. Now. Don't be stupid.
* David_Clark freezes, his eyes going wide, hands slowly rising into the air *
David Clark says: O-okay... please, just... just don't shoot. Here, take it.
* David_Clark reaches into his pocket with a trembling hand and pulls out his wallet *
Fear RP does not mean your character can never fight back. If you have a realistic opportunity -- like the robber looks away and you already have your hand on a concealed weapon -- you might be able to react. But this should be rare and make sense for the situation. When in doubt, comply.
Character Kill (CK) vs Player Kill (PK)
Death in roleplay is not always the same. There are two types, and it is important to understand the difference because they have very different consequences for your character.
Player Kill (PK)
This is the most common type of death. When your character is "player killed", they die, respawn at the hospital, and continue living. They follow the New Life Rule (forget how they died and who was involved), but your character still exists. They wake up, dust themselves off, and go on with their life. Think of it like a very bad injury that your character survived but cannot remember the details of.
You get shot during a robbery. You respawn at the hospital, roleplay waking up with no memory of the shooting, and continue playing the same character. Your job, relationships, and possessions are all still there.
Character Kill (CK)
This is the permanent kind. When your character is "character killed", that character is gone forever. They are dead. You cannot play as them anymore. You will need to create a brand new character from scratch. This is a big deal, which is why CKs have strict rules around them.
CKs are rare and usually only happen in these situations:
- Both players (or all involved parties) agree to it in advance
- An admin approves it due to an extreme storyline situation
- The player decides to CK their own character to end their story
- Extreme scenarios like executing a known snitch after a long storyline buildup
You cannot just CK someone because you want to. CKs require proper justification and usually admin involvement. Most deaths on the server are PKs. If someone tells you "this is a CK", check with an admin if you are unsure.
Mixing IC and OOC
IC means "In Character" -- things your character says and does in the game world. OOC means "Out of Character" -- things you the player say, outside of the roleplay.
IC and OOC are two completely separate worlds, and they should never bleed into each other. What happens in character stays in character. What you discuss out of character stays out of character. Mixing them up causes problems for everyone.
Examples
Your character says in normal IC chat: "Bro, this is so unfair, can we just redo this scene?" That is an OOC complaint spoken through your character. Your character does not know they are in a "scene".
Using the OOC chat (/b) to beg someone not to rob you: "/b please don't rob me, I just started playing and I have nothing." OOC chat should never be used to influence what happens in character.
Your character threatens someone by saying: "The admins are going to ban you for this." Your character does not know what "admins" or "bans" are. Those are game concepts, not in-character concepts.
Getting angry at a player OOC because their character did something bad to your character. Their character robbed yours, and now you are sending them angry messages on Discord. Remember: they are playing a character. It is not personal.
Using /b only for clarifying roleplay mechanics: "/b do you want to continue this scene later? I need to go soon." This is a polite OOC communication about scheduling, not an attempt to change what happens in the story.
If you think someone is breaking the rules, you keep it out of the roleplay. You use the /report command or contact an admin through proper channels. You do not bring it up in IC or OOC chat during the scene.
[OOC] Sarah_Jones: /b Hey, just checking -- are you okay with this scene going further? I want to make sure we're both comfortable.
[OOC] Marcus_Reed: /b Yeah, all good! Let's keep going.
* Sarah_Jones slowly slides her bag across the floor towards Marcus *
A good rule: if you have a complaint, save it for a report or a support ticket after the scene is over. Do not let out-of-character frustration leak into your roleplay. Stay in character, deal with the OOC stuff later through the proper channels.
FailRP
Doing things that do not make sense in a realistic world. Actions that break the illusion that this is a real city with real people.
FailRP is a catch-all term for anything that is just... not realistic. The whole point of a roleplay server is that everyone pretends this is a real world. When someone does something that no real person would ever do, it breaks the illusion for everyone around them.
Examples
Jumping off a ten-storey building and then walking away like nothing happened. In real life, you would be dead. At the very minimum, your character should roleplay severe injuries.
A regular civilian character carrying ten assault rifles, five pistols, and a rocket launcher. A real person cannot carry an entire armoury on their back.
Running away from the police at full speed while your hands are handcuffed behind your back. If you are restrained, you are restrained. Roleplay accordingly.
Having a normal conversation right after being shot multiple times. "Hey, what's up?" is not what someone says after taking five bullets. You should be roleplaying being in extreme pain, barely conscious, or unable to speak.
Driving your car off a cliff, landing upside down, flipping it back over, and driving away. A real car would be totalled. A real person would be seriously injured or dead.
Your character falls from a height and you roleplay the injuries: limping, unable to run, wincing in pain, calling for medical help. Even if the game does not force these things on you, you roleplay them because it is realistic.
Your character only carries what a real person could carry: a pistol in a holster, a phone, a wallet, and maybe a small bag. Not an entire weapons shop.
After a car crash, your character stumbles out of the vehicle, dazed and injured. You roleplay checking yourself for injuries and calling emergency services instead of just driving off.
When you are about to do something, ask yourself: "Would a real person do this in real life?" If the answer is no, then your character probably should not be doing it either. Keep it realistic.
How to Report Rule Breakers
It can be frustrating when someone breaks the rules against you. Maybe someone just RDMed you, or powergamed their way through a scene. Here is what you should do -- and what you should NOT do.
What to do
- Stay calm. Do not argue about it in IC or OOC chat. Getting into a shouting match makes everything worse and might get you in trouble too.
- Take notes. Write down (or screenshot) the time, what happened, and who was involved. The more details you have, the easier it is for admins to investigate.
- Use /report. This is the in-game command to contact an admin. Describe what happened briefly and clearly.
- Contact admins through proper channels. If /report does not get a response (admins might be busy), you can submit a report through the forums or support system.
- Continue roleplaying. Even if someone broke the rules against you, try to continue the scene as best you can. Admins will review and handle it. Two wrongs do not make a right.
What NOT to do
Arguing in OOC chat: "/b that was RDM and you know it! I'm reporting you!" This creates drama, disrupts the scene for everyone nearby, and does not actually solve anything.
"Revenge rule-breaking": Someone RDMs you, so you RDM them back. Now you are both in trouble. Breaking rules because someone broke them against you is never justified.
Threatening players with reports in IC chat: your character saying "I'm going to report you to the admins" makes no sense in the game world. Admins are an OOC concept.
Admins are volunteers who review reports as quickly as they can. Be patient and respectful. A clear, calm report with evidence will always be dealt with faster than an angry rant.
Quick Reference Table
Here is a summary of every rule covered in this guide. Bookmark this table and come back to it whenever you need a quick reminder.
| Rule | What It Means | Common Example |
|---|---|---|
| Metagaming (MG) | Using info your character does not know | Reading someone's nametag and using their name before meeting them |
| Powergaming (PG) | Forcing actions on others or doing impossible things | "/me grabs, ties, and robs John" all in one action with no chance to respond |
| RDM | Attacking or killing someone for no RP reason | Shooting a random stranger on the street for no reason |
| VDM | Using your vehicle as a weapon | Deliberately running someone over with your car |
| NLR | After dying, you forget how you died and who was involved | Respawning and going back to fight the same people who killed you |
| Fear RP | Act afraid when your life is in danger | Walking away casually when someone has a gun aimed at you |
| CK | Permanent character death -- the character is gone forever | Rare, requires admin approval or mutual agreement |
| PK | Temporary death -- respawn and continue with NLR | Most in-game deaths are PKs |
| IC/OOC Mixing | Keep in-character and out-of-character separate | Using /b to beg someone not to rob you |
| FailRP | Doing unrealistic things that break immersion | Walking away fine after jumping off a building |