Roleplay as done in WOW is unique in that first you create a character that fits within the lore of the world, fully fleshed out with strengths, flaws, quirks, etc. But then, you are essentially ad-lib co-writing your character’s story with other people because what their characters say, do, how you interact with them, and what misadventures (high adventures, or just walking down to a pub) you have with them all affect your character’s overall story.
Aside from the oddball unwanted RP experience (ex, someone uncouthly trying to say they shot your character without getting Out Of Character permission to do so first), the generally accepted practice is to let whatever happens to your character while In Character become canon to your story.
Lower levels don’t especially matter in RP. Though I will say, if you have a super low level character (under level 20-25), people may hesitate to RP with your character because it’s common for people to create lowbie characters just to troll.
Also, many people won’t respect your character’s claims to have amazing, super-special, snowflake type powers (ie mass resurrection, use void to swallow up a whole ship, use chi to create giant balls of power a la DBZ, etc.), but this is especially true if you have a low level character.
End game-wise, the general accepted practice is once an event has played out content-wise, it is general accepted knowledge. Raid content is considered occurred in-game once the last wing of said raid hits LFR. (Not everyone abides by this, but most do.)
As I said, RPing is essentially co-writing a story with characters you and others have created. Most will start with walk-up RP (meet a stranger say, in a pub, and strike up a conversation…or help someone out who is in trouble, etc.) If you like RPing with said person, perhaps in whisper ask if they’d like to RP again sometime to flesh out your characters together even more. In general, keep whatever interaction you have with them as canon to your own story (unless, like I said above, it was something you did not consent to.)
Joining an RP guild that suits the type of RP your character is looking for is also a great way to begin storylines. Also, there are many, many regular or special RP events open for anyone to attend. These are built-in opportunities to RP in a provided setting (festivals, balls, markets, etc.). So be sure to check those out (many will post about them on the MG forums or in discord servers devoted to event advertisements).
You can RP with someone as long as both of you would like. Some interactions only happen once and last a few minutes. Others agree (out of character in whisper chat) to continue their RP relationship (as lovers, friends, comrades, nemeses, etc.) for months or even years. So long as you both want to continue it.
Travel the world, fight in battles together, whatever you like. It’s very acceptable to level together and RP while you do so. As far as sticking to PG-13 or going darker…it’s good to whisper ask a person for consent to do anything beyond PG-13 or something that would drastically damage/kill a character to see if they’re comfortable with that first. If they don’t mind, go for it. But best to do anything super edgy or naughty (like bedroom scenes) in party chat or whisper chat, not in open public chat.
And always remember, anything you do in public invites others to participate. Try to rob a person on the street…you may have a few people step in to stop you. Try to do a demon summoning out in a public area…IC guards or others will likely try to stop you. Etc.
Want to play an obnoxious, rude, or prejudiced person? Do it! Be the guy who starts a fight or pickpockets that well-dressed lady. But ALWAYS ask whisper permission first. Not everyone wants their character to be mugged or attacked. But if they are alright with it and you want to be confrontational, go for it.
But do be considerate. Don’t hijack an RP event by declaring you’re a terrorist bent on attacking the crowd. Don’t be the rude customer holding up a line more than a minute or so, because it will cause everyone else to wait an unreasonable amount of time. Your actions have an impact on others’ good time. And be prepared for In Character consequences (ie, your thief will eventually get caught and likely arrested.)
A few other tips (granted, these are only tips…you pay your $15 a month and can do what you want):
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most people won’t respect a character’s claim to be related to, friends with, dating, or generally having met a main lore character from the game (it’s like claiming your Beyoncé’s best friend in real life…yeah right!)
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it’s better not to give your character extremely unbelievable skills, talents, and powers. Now, that’s not to say they can’t have 1-2 really great skills, but these are best balanced with some major stakes/cost to use and shouldn’t be whipped out all the time.
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don’t claim to have a very young character who is a Master in anything. Logically, it would take a person decades to become a master monk, archmage, high priest, etc. Now, RP an older character, and this is more believable.
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if ever in an RP conflict, always phrase something as an attempt (ex: ‘Cedrick pulled out his revolver and shot twice, aiming at the robber’s left shoulder.’) rather than an absolute action (‘Cedrick shot the robber in the shoulder twice.’)
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any RPing beyond PG-13 should be done in party chat or whisper chat. General public doesn’t want to hear that. lol
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if using an add-on such as TRP3 or MRP that allows you to see a person’s name, backstory, etc. in advance, don’t walk up to said person In Character already knowing those facts. He hasn’t introduced himself to you yet…so you don’t know his name. You don’t know that the scars on his hands are from a fire. Etc. This is called metagaming, and it’s frowned upon.
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most people in real life wouldn’t divulge their entire life story to someone they just met, so don’t let your character do this either (even if you have a really great backstory. Resist the temptation!) Very few scenarios allow this info-dumping to work (such as being drunk and blabbering things incoherently…supporting someone who just lost a loved one by saying you’ve lost someone, too. etc.).
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while your Out Of Character hero playing through content has access to all sorts of secret information and has done ‘all the things’ as a hero…most likely your In Character toon has not. (ex, Mailang is a noodle chef. Out Of Character, I use her to run dungeons, raids, etc. But In Character, she never leaves Stormwind and only gets her information through gossip.) They likely wouldn’t have landed the killing blow on the Lich King, but maybe they helped fight the enemy soldiers at the gates. You might not know everything there is to know about Azerite, but enough to know it’s dangerous or you’ve heard rumors…etc.
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don’t go god-mode (also called godmod). This pertains to people who won’t allow their character to lose, take damage, and/or always manage to escape and come out the winner in a conflict. Ex, your character is a thief and has been slipping around the market discreetly robbing people. Eventually, a security guard notices and tries to arrest you. They call for backup, and it’s 1-vs-4. If logically with their actions your character would be caught, don’t godmod that your character suddenly whips out a teleportation device or impossibly effective smoke bomb and escapes. Follow reasonable logic, and don’t make your character invulnerable.
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Go shopping, and buy your character some casual wear. It’s cheap for the most part. This is simply because, unless your toon is a guard on active duty or something, your character realistically wouldn’t walk around the city in full plate armor with weapons equipped all the time.
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this one may seem silly, but it’s important. Most people in real life don’t run everywhere. It’s weird. Therefore, hit the / button on your number pad, and let your character walk like a normal person. lol!
Again, all these are just good guidelines for positive RP experiences in WOW… do what you want.
I will also highly suggest using an add-on for RP (Total Roleplay 3 is great!..or MRP). This lets you put as much or little detail as you like for others to read about your character, as well as At First Glance items they might notice about your character within close range (ex, her perfume scent, that she’s carrying a journal or sketchbook, that she has a bleeding scratch on her cheek, that she has colorful hair beads, etc.)
These give someone in a walk-up situation a hook of sorts…a reason to approach your character.
Beyond that, downloading the TRP3 addon will let you see character descriptions various people have written up, and allow you a bit more context when wandering around your faction’s capital and other roleplaying hubs. Best of luck!!!