Brief Guide to Criminal Roleplay

I originally wrote the following for my guild forums, however I decided it'd perhaps be useful here too. If there's anything you feel I should add or change, feel free to contact me in-game.
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Roleplaying a criminal is a lot of fun. However, there are many things you need to keep in mind if you want to avoid being disliked and/or ignored by other roleplayers. The following is list of essential principles that you must take into careful consideration when RPing a criminal:

• Disguise - Any respectable criminal doesn't want to be recognized as one, so having an array of disguises in your arsenal is key. You could disguise yourself as a simple farmer, a noble, a local priest, a fisherman or just about anything else - be creative.
  
  
  
• Responsibility - Good roleplayers take responsibility for their actions; if you assault somebody, then be prepared to face the consequences and spend time roleplaying in a cell. That doesn't mean that you have to be caught and pay for every wrong-doing, but when you are caught then accept that you have been. As Mordazan pointed out, you don't want to see the hero that never gets hit and destroys everything in his path, evading every blow and never being stopped etc. It makes for great character development to be imprisoned too and not only that, but the guards will provide you with RP while in prison anyway! So, getting caught isn't always a bad thing.
  Click for Alliance City Laws.
  Click for Horde City Laws.
  
  
• Guards - Well trained and well equipped, the guards aren't to be taken lightly and taking one on isn't an easy task. Guards should generally be avoided and always try to avoid conflict with them if possible.
  
  
  
• Plan Ahead - As the SAS say, the seven P's (Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance) Plan each of your crimes meticulously; How will you escape after carrying it out? How long will it take for the guards to arrive? Where's the best location to carry the crime out to avoid witnesses? etc. etc.
  
  
  
• SUBTLETY - This is one of the most important things to take into account. Don't flaunt your crimes. Don't hang around crowded areas wearing a mask that screams "I'm a criminal!". Don't interact with other criminals in public. It's mostly common sense.
  
  
  
• Warning - If you plan to commit an act of a serious nature that could possibly hinder your victim's RP (e.g. Assault with the intent to cause a large amount of damage, kidnapping, attempted murder etc.) then always whisper said victim OOCly beforehand. This is a matter of principle. I make a point of whispering someone even if I only plan to inflict a small amount of damage to ensure that they're okay with it. If somebody isn't okay with you causing a lot of damage, be mature about it and respect their decision.
  
  
  
• Alias - Similar to a disguise, a false identity is very important. For example, I try to ensure that only the people closest to my character know his real name; this implies that I can freely walk around in Stormwind so long as I'm wearing casual clothing as I wont be recognized by authorities as a criminal. (Click here if you need help choosing an alias.)
  
  
  
• Deceit - Any criminal worth his weight in gold has a swift and manipulative tongue. The best of them can talk their way out of just about anything. Remember that the most believable lies are partial truths.

Finally, consider where your character is on the food chain. Many people like to "play the hero", but in actual fact playing a weakling is a lot of fun. If you've just created a character, make him weak and build him up from there - character development is an important part of everybody's RP. If your character is a thug, don't expect to be shadowstepping, expertly using the shadows to your advantage and single handedly taking on guards. Always take into consideration how much actual IC training your character has in comparison to your opponent. Furthermore, you need to remember that violence has consequences and that in real life it's unlikely that you'd be jumping into sword fights and combat without a second thought for your safety. ([url=http://www.defiasrp.com/game-related-f2/violence-is-dangerous-a-resource-t1394.htm]Click here for more information on the effects of violence.

looks like a great guide, cuts to the case and has points that are short and easy to follow. I'd like to add some commentary

• Guards - Well trained and well equipped, the guards aren't to be taken lightly and taking one on isn't an easy task. Guards should generally be avoided and always try to avoid conflict with them if possible.
  

In general, consider a guard characters to be ATLEAST as strong as your own character. Just because you wear your own little unique robe doesn't make you any more powerful than the rank'n'file trooper at the guards. Even if you feel you've got experience enough under your wing to be considered powerful, you don't know what the guard have been through! Perhaps it is twice as much as your character!

• Responsibility - Good roleplayers take responsibility for their actions; if you assault somebody, then be prepared to face the consequences and spend time roleplaying in a cell. (Click here to check Stormwind Laws.)
  

I don't agree to this in anyway. Or rather, I think it is worded in a wrong way. It almost implies that all the fun you get from RPing an evil person must be payed back by spending time counting stones in a cell.

This is not true!

Getting caught is a part of being the antagonist - think of it like a story, a film or a book, that you are following. You don't want to see the hero that dodges all the blows, destroys people with fireballs left-right-center, always get away even if escape is incredibly unrealistic, etc.

Thus getting caught should be part of your roleplay. Don't think that the guards will just throw you in a cellar and leave you there for weeks with no RP - you should have plenty of RP while being caught! Interrogations, talk with other prisoners, trying to beat up guards, getting beat up by guards for trying to beat up guards and so on.

After reading over it again I definitely see your point. I think I just articulated it inadequately. What I mean is - if you're going to carry out crimes, then understand that if you're caught it's fair that you pay the price. Of course, you don't have to be caught, but at the same time, RP isn't about winning every fight and overcoming all obstacles with ease. So if you are caught accept it and don't expect to win all the time. I know that if I was imprisoned I'd expect to be provided with RP from the guards who caught me, but I wouldn't complain about being stuck inside a cell for a few days. I'll edit the OP and reword/elaborate on that point. Thanks for the input!

Well i don't agree fully on that guard part, it is true that guards are quite more stronger then you're average guy, but since being a guard has been very popular among RP, theres lots of guards, and i don't think you get immeadiate power up the moment you become a guard.

Being "Well trained" takes time, and some sort of experience. And take into count that guards are not the only people who have the right to train. And usually guards attack in groups of atleast 3-5 ppl. I've been attacked by a dozen once. And they rarely work alone, so what are you're chances going against them?

Ofc guards ain't any weaklings or the like but all of them aren't definetly any elites either. Guard vs Criminal fights should be quite two sided. Guards have they're own specialities and criminals theirs. I'm sure everyone agrees with me when i say that both parties enjoy equal footing or skill, to make fights more interesting and spontaneous.

Now, that's where working out where you are on the ladder comes into it. A simply thug would get his ass kicked by a guard, whereas a well trainer brawler or assassin would most likely win. However, if you attack guards then more often than not you're fighting anywhere from 2 to even 8 or 9 of them, so avoiding guards should be obvious. It's the same way a criminal today wouldn't walk up to a group of police officers and attack them, unless he was seriously impaired mentally :p He'd pick weaker targets.

Pick weaker targets? Bah, some people (like me) think it like this IC: "The harder it is the better the satisfaction you get", I don't mug people 'cause i'm in need of money IC, i mug people 'cause ICly i'm a sadist and seek out the pure excitement and challenge it brings etc

Well, again it comes down to what sort of criminal you are. The type that does things out of sadistic pleasure (like Ray), the type that does something to aid a particular cause, the type that is in need of gold etc. Some of the guidelines can be slightly altered depending upon what sort of character you play ^^