How 4th Edition Didn't Kill Roleplaying

When D&D 4th edition was released, many veteran 3.5 players responded on message boards with "you can't roleplay in 4th."


In our last 4th edition game, our level 12 party was ready to storm the Trollhaunt.  When we arrived, we spotted a lookout behind an arrow slit.  Two of our characters unleashed ranged attacks on the poor guy.  As the smoke cleared, he saw my warlord and the fighter just strolling towards him.  We win initiative, and with one attack each, kill the poor troglodyte.

At this point, our druid shifts into a snake, slithers through the slits, then shifts into a troglodyte.  Our hexblade teleports through the slits.  The druid runs into the dungeon and warns three trolls that they're under attack.  The trolls open the door to investigate and see our fighter making an intimidate check.  He hits all three of their wills, provoking them to give chase.  At which point, he turns the corner, and I teleport us both through the arrow slits as the druid closes and bars the door.  Three trolls bypassed.

We later reach a prison area, and knowing that Skalmad, the troll leader, has hired mercenaries, our fighter and (trogolodyte-form) druid enter the prison and before the trolls can say anything, the fighter busts out another intimidate and starts barking orders like a sergeant.  He has the trolls confused, thinking he's their new commander, and he promptly takes three lovely female prisoners from the cells back to the party.  We escort them out of the dungeon and our druid calls pegacorns to carry them back to town.  We then march back through the prison like we own the place.  Two more trolls bypassed.

In the next area, we find a troll taskmaster, several grimlocks working anvils, and a fire belcher.  Our hexblade decides he wants to tame the fire belcher and gets the druid to help him.  Together, they kill about half the grimlocks and spend the rest of the fight taming the fire belcher.  The fighter and I take out the troll and a few of the grimlocks, then our fighter runs right past the last grimlock and leaps onto the fire belcher's back.  The last grimlock stands there in confusion as I walk past him and casually lop his head off.  We tamed the fire belcher, and it accompanied us into the next encounter.


Who says you can't roleplay in 4th?  Roleplaying isn't about what rules system you play with.  Roleplaying is about how you portray your character.  In a simplified system like 4th, where we don't have an entire page dedicated to grapple rules, roleplaying isn't discouraged.  In fact, I would say that roleplaying is more important than ever.