I ' m kind of sad this is downvoted because it ' s part of a reasonable discussionThe role you play can refer to your character role as in an actor ' s role or the role you play on the team as in a linebacker on a football team . Because DD is a team activity , any decision you make about your character as an individual will have some effect on that character as a member of the team . It ' s good to think about how different party members personalities and roles within the group are expressed . Roleplaying doesn ' t stop when mechanics begin , the choices you make about the mechanics your character use and how they use them are a major component of who your character is . If you choose to play a stalwart knight you will find yourself defending the more vulnerable team members , for example . You ' re expressing that the rest of your team being safe , perhaps at your own expense , is something your character cares about . So bottom line , I don ' t think it ' s two definitions with one getting more attention than another . I think it ' s just two ways your character ' s personality is expressed .