EMS Roleplay Guide for Patients

How to Roleplay a Patient Effectively in EMS Scenes

When you roleplay a patient, your goal is to:

  • Give EMS something meaningful to respond to.
  • Keep your injuries consistent.
  • Avoid magically healing.
  • Create good story progression for yourself and others.

General Tips for Patients

  • Be clear, but not well-informed You wouldn’t know the exact medical diagnosis. Instead of saying: I have a fractured right tibia. Say: My lower right leg hurts like hell, I can’t put weight on it.

  • Give symptoms, not solutions EMS decides the treatment; you describe how you feel.

  • Stay consistent, If you were shot in the leg, don’t sprint away five minutes later.

  • RP your pain level - Mild → Moderate → Severe - Use breathing, groaning, inability to stand, or confusion.

  • Be responsive to roleplay, Let EMS examine you. Don’t rush scenes, medical scenes are story moments

  • Use emotions: fear, confusion, shock, relief.

  • Keep injuries believable but interesting.

  • Let EMS shine, their job is more fun when patients react realistically.

Common scenarios

Broken Bones & Fractures: “falls, vehicle crashes, being struck, sports injuries”

How to portray it:

  • Hold or protect the injured limb.

  • Avoid moving it; react strongly if someone bumps it.

  • Pain increases with touch or motion.

  • Swelling, deformity, or “I heard a crack.”

  • Difficulty walking or standing if legs are involved.

Examples of symptoms to describe:

Sharp pain every time I try to move.

I can’t rotate my wrist.

My leg feels unstable, like it's bending wrong.

Breathing problems: “smoke inhalation, asthma attacks, chest trauma, panic attacks”

How to portray it:

  • Short, rapid breaths.

  • Struggling to talk in full sentences.

  • Panicked body language or wheezing sounds.

  • Holding chest or throat.

Examples of symptoms to describe:

Feels like I can’t get enough air.

My chest feels tight.

I’m dizzy… everything feels heavy.

Cuts & Lacerations: “stabings, cuts from glass, vehicle crashes”

How to portray it:

  • Minor: small cuts, shallow bleeding.
  • Moderate: deep cuts, bleeding that won’t stop.
  • Severe: stabbing, arterial spray, heavy weakness.

Examples of symptoms to describe:

Blood won’t stop.

It feels warm and wet.

Everything is starting to spin.

GSW: “Gunshot Wounds”

How to portray it:

  • Panic, shock, adrenaline shakes.

  • Difficulty speaking if severe

  • Fading in and out for critical wounds

Examples of symptoms to describe:

It burns, hurts like hell

I’m cold… tired…

I can barely move my arm/leg

UNCONCIOUS: Multiple visable GSW's to chest/torso

Head injuries

How to portray it:

  • Mild: headache, dizziness, confusion
  • Moderate: vomiting, difficulty standing, slurred speech

  • Severe: unconsciousness, memory loss, seizures

  • Slow answers or confusion.

  • Holding your head.

  • Random irritability or fatigue.

  • Trouble with balance.

Examples of symptoms to describe:

I feel like the world is spinning.

I don’t remember what happened.

I can’t focus…

Burns: Heat or chemical burns

How to portray it:

  • First-degree: redness, stinging
  • Second-degree: blisters, severe pain

  • Third-degree: numbness, charred skin

  • Pulling away from touch

  • Guarding the injured area

  • Panic if chemical exposure

Examples of symptoms to describe:

It burns—please don’t touch it!

My skin feels like it’s on fire.

It’s numb… that’s bad, right?

Narcotics & Posoning

How to portray it:

  • Slurred speech

  • Slow reactions

  • Confusion

  • Nausea/vomiting

  • Dilated or pinpoint pupils

  • Anxiety or paranoia

Examples of symptoms to describe:

I don’t feel right…

Everything is blurry.

My stomach hurts… I feel sick.