Role Play: Roleplaying in Dalaran

Legion is here, and one of my favorite parts of the new expansion is the return of Dalaran as a hub city and base of operations. Back in Wrath, Dalaran acted not just as a central hub for those working on quests and PVE content, but also as a thriving base for roleplay. And because it was a neutral city like Shattrath before it, Dalaran also enabled a lot of cross-faction roleplay.

In Legion, we have a slightly revamped version to play with. Sure, the same faction-divided areas are around as familiar old haunts for roleplayers that remember the days of Wrath. But some new areas have popped up as well — let’s take a look at a few new spots that are well suited for roleplay.

The Legerdemain Lounge

Wait, you might be saying — didn’t we have this place already in Wrath? Well, we did, but it’s had a considerable facelift and a change of services in between then and now. The Legerdemain is a neutral inn located just across the street from Dalaran’s Barber Shop. While it used to be an inn with a standard bar, it’s been transformed into a coffeehouse in Legion. There are plenty of NPCs hanging out for atmosphere, but there are also plenty of empty seats — and the upstairs rooms are pretty nice, too.

The Alliance and Horde areas also each have their own inn — the Alliance in particular has a pretty spectacular beer garden in the back — but opposite faction players are not allowed into those areas. The Legerdemain, on the other hand, will happily allow both Alliance and Horde to grab a cup of coffee and hang out in between dire missions to the Broken Isles.

The Underbelly

If you happen to be feeling brave, the Underbelly has also made a return in Legion — and while half of it is no longer accessible due to being converted into the Rogue class hall, the other side has gotten a substantial facelift. However, there’s a reason why I say if you happen to be feeling brave: the area isn’t a particularly friendly place. Rare unfriendly mobs constantly pop up around the area, and every now and again, the place turns into a PVP free-for-all zone.

For five gold, you can hire a personal bodyguard from Raethan — but that bodyguard will only stick around for five minutes. In other words, any roleplay you find down there may be interrupted by some fast-paced combat or a pile of players looking to kill one of Underbelly’s many rare mobs. Currently, the place is absolutely littered with the skeletons of dead players — so it might be best to save the RP until after this area has calmed down a little bit.

Still, there’s a bar at one end with a couple of tables and an inn upstairs, and a series of small buildings at the other end, perfect for shady deals and just skulking around. While it might not be the best area for RP at the moment, it may end up being a cool place once the novelty of rares and PVP has worn off.

Chamber of the Guardian

As one of Legion’s new areas, the Chamber of the Guardian is located inside that giant tower that replaced Runeweaver Square, Dalaran’s cozy little park in the center of the city. You can access it by simply stepping onto the teleportation portal in the center of the tower. Inside are several portals to different areas of Azeroth for various quest chains. But there are also a couple of side rooms with quiet reading nooks, and a few perfectly cozy sitting areas outside as well.

Because you’re inside the tower, it’s considerably quieter than Dalaran’s other options. The only traffic you’re going to see is players on their way to various quests. This makes the place ideal for quiet chats, or just taking a breather from Dalaran’s crowded streets for a little while.

Curiosities and Moore

One of Dalaran’s many shops, Curiosities and Moore is located on the corner near the new statue of Rhonin on the Alliance side of Dalaran. Sure, it’s a store — but upstairs is a quiet table with a few seats suitable for sitting down and having a conversation, if you’d rather not hang out in your faction-specific inn. The NPCs won’t bother you, and the vendors aren’t selling anything particularly significant, so you aren’t apt to be interrupted.

Here’s the fun part, though: There are little nooks like this all over Dalaran. Curiosities and Moore is only one of several stores that have new furniture added. And while many of the vendors might not have much in the way of updated gear, the tables, chairs, and assorted cushions are great little spaces for roleplay.

The Violet Gate

The Violet Gate originally served a couple of purposes in Wrath. It was the place where you teleported to Crystalsong Forest far below, and it was also the arrival point for players that used a portal to get to Dalaran. Since Runeweaver Square was removed, and the city itself was relocated, the Violet Gate doesn’t really serve much of a major purpose anymore, nor is it a particularly high-traffic area.

However, both side rooms have been converted into smaller study areas, both with tables and chairs for quiet gatherings of friends. It’s just off the main drag of Dalaran, but players aren’t really streaming into the building at all, since it doesn’t have vendors and it isn’t a profession building.

These are just a handful of spots in Dalaran that can be used for roleplay — there are plenty more tucked away around the city. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to look around your class halls for roleplay, too. Meeting other characters who share your class role gives you a common bond and shared interest to spark conversation right off the bat. Most class halls are well equipped with places to sit down and talk, whether the conversation is about current events in Legion, or just some light conversation in between all the dire missions of global importance.