Why Roleplay Feels Different When You Can See Your Character

There’s a moment in every tabletop session - the pause before the dialogue begins, the quick glance at the webcam, the shift from “you” to “your character.” For years, this moment has been an act of imagination. You picture the gleam of your armor, the flick of your mage’s cloak, or the quiet menace in your rogue’s smirk. But what happens when that imagination suddenly appears on screen - when you see your character instead of pretending to? 

That’s the shift Faes AR was built to explore.

From Imagination to Embodiment

Traditional TTRPGs have always relied on storytelling and mental imagery. Everyone shares a collective vision of what’s happening - and that’s part of the magic. But online play changed the dynamics. With webcams on, the illusion fractures a little. You’re no longer a battle-scarred paladin - you’re a person in front of a laptop, framed by IKEA furniture and LED lights.

Seeing yourself like that can pull you out of the story. It’s not immersive - it’s meta.

Faes AR flips that entirely. By letting players actually wear their character through augmented reality overlays, your camera stops being a window into your living room and becomes a window into the world your party inhabits.

When you see your character reflected back at you, roleplay transforms from acting to being.

Visual Identity Shapes Emotional Presence

It’s not just fun to look like your character, it changes how you feel in character.

Players who use Faes AR describe an immediate shift in confidence, tone, and expressiveness. GMs report a smoother transition between NPCs. The visual cues, armor glint, cloak texture, spell glow, serve as emotional anchors. They remind you who you are supposed to be at that moment.

It’s the same reason cosplayers describe feeling “different” once the costume is on. Visual embodiment gives permission for full emotional investment. You don’t just pretend to be your character - you inhabit them.

The Online Gap: Where Magic Gets Lost

Our 2024 community interviews made something clear: while tools like VTTs (Virtual TableTops) have made maps, dice, and story mechanics richer, video feeds lagged behind.

Players all love the soundscapes and visuals but many dread the camera. The camera is too personal, too “Zoom call.” That human connection - the heart of TTRPGs - gets diluted when the visual layer doesn’t match the fantasy.

Faes AR’s mission is to close that gap. To make the online roleplay session feel as alive as the one around a real table - only now, with dragons, neon runes, and elven cloaks rendered in full AR magic.

When the Character Looks Back

Something curious happens when your reflection looks back at you - not as yourself, but as your character. It deepens immersion but also opens something personal. Many users tell us it helps them explore aspects of identity they didn’t expect.

A shy player may find boldness in their warrior’s confidence. A GM may discover new emotional nuance while seeing the NPC’s face react. It’s both play and personal growth, storytelling and self-discovery.

That’s what makes seeing your character so powerful. It blurs the line between fantasy and expression in the best way possible.

The Future of Digital Roleplay

As AR becomes more accessible, the boundary between “player” and “character” will continue to dissolve. Imagine every online campaign where every participant is visually in costume, each NPC instantly recognizable, and every emotional moment amplified through visual cues.

While this may feel like science fiction, it’s not. It’s the beginning of a new storytelling medium. 

Faes AR isn’t just about looking cool on camera. It’s about restoring the emotional spark that online play has been missing: about letting you show your character, not just describe them.

About Faes AR

Faes AR is the first app by ARaura, founded in 2020 to help people navigate self-expression in our increasingly digital lives. Starting with the tabletop role-playing community, Faes AR helps players and GMs transform their video feeds with dynamic, character-driven AR overlays.

This has resulted in more immersive stories, more expressive players, and sessions that feel as magical as they should.