Firstly, although it might involve combat, Roleplay has little or nothing to do with developing a Player vs Player combat template. If you're planning a template, plan it so it fits the character, rather than creating the meanest fighting machine possible.

You will need to decide what race your character belongs to, as this should be reflected in the character's name and appearance. While Ultima Online has no choice of race at the character creation screen it is still possible to RP a wide variety of races. The most common of these are:

• Human
  Pretty obvious how to role-play one of these. Humans do come in two varieties though, Britannian Humans, and Earth Humans, who came to Britannia via red moongates (according to traditional Ultima Lore). Earth Humans include Dupre, Lord British, Iolo and various others. Earth Humans age much more slowly then Britannian Humans, but are very uncommon to encounter. I suggest if you roleplay one you have a good reason.
• Orc
  Probably the most popular non-human character to role-play. Orcs are generally shunned by human civilization (or do orcs shun humans?) so don’t expect to be welcomed into any cities.
• Elves
  Pointy ears and old. They tend to have their own civilizations and seem to be quite popular with RP communities based outside cities.
• Drow
  Dark elves, generally evil, usually part of a matriarchal society, tolerated by some, loathed by others. Always dark skinned.
• Gargoyles
  Both good and evil, their society is well documented in Ultima 6 – 7 pt 1, so you have plenty of source material to work with. Still very few people role-play this race, and they usually use red skull masks much in the same way orc RPers use orc masks.

• Vampires
  Unless you plan to spend all your time underground and out of the sun don’t expect to have too much fun. If you tell someone you are a vampire, and you are standing in broad daylight they won’t be impressed. If you tell them you are a half vampire so you can stand in the sunlight, but have all the normal vampire powers they’ll think you are a power role-player, and then they REALLY won’t be impressed.
• Demon/Dragon/whatever combos
  Probably the height of bad role-playing. Firstly, 99% of people tend to hunt demons and dragons so having one walk down the street just seems stupid. Then there’s the inevitable super powers they have, which always leads to power role-playing. Only last week I saw someone emoting *throws through table* when a guard attempted to arrest him. If your character is some weird half-demon/dragon/whatever then expect people not to take you seriously at all.
• Undead
  Some people can role-play undead characters extremely well, and know how to stay in character. Other people role-play walking, decaying corpses and decide to go shopping in the middle of a crowded city.

Now you'll need a basic history, this needn't be too in-depth to begin with, everything you do in-game will add to your characters history. Initially however try to answer these questions about your character.

• How old are you?
  Are you a wizened old geezer or a fiery young maiden? Do you think you know it all because you're a wizened old geezer, or is it the brashness of youth?
• Where are you from?
  Were you raised in a loyalist stronghold such as Trinsic, or the free but sometimes turbulent city of Vesper? This may affect other aspects of your history.
• Who were your parents?
  Are you the illegitimate son of a dishonoured guardsman? Were raised in serfdom? Was your childhood easy, born with a silver spoon in your mouth, or were you raised by a simple woodsman? Are you an orphan? Any of this can be useful in adding a personality to your character.
• What have you done since you were a child?
  If you are the daughter of a woodsman, did he teach you how to make and use bows, or use an axe? Have you taken the skills and knowledge imparted by your parents with you once you left, or have you rebelled against everything they stood for? Do you still love and honour your parents (or their memory) or do you hate everything they once stood for?
  You might have been raised by thieves in Vesper and once you'd grown, you grew to hate that life and fled to enlist as a soldier in Trinsic and fight against crime. Basically, HOW have you spent your life since your childhood, what has brought you to where you are now?
• Alignment?
  This needn't be as black and white as Dungeons and Dragons-style alignments, but in answering the first 4 questions you should have some idea of what kind of person you are. Are you trustworthy and noble, or a scheming backstabber out for his own ends? Your history so far should give you a REASON as to WHY you are the way you are.
  Rather than alignment, think of it as your personal belief structure. Are there lines you won't cross, or are you happy to maim and torture to achieve your own ends? Would you betray a friend? Would you help an ally in something you find personally distasteful, such as murder? How strong is your own personal code of honour?
• Goals
  What personal goals do you want to achieve? Are you filled with a burning ambition? Do you want to avenge your father's death at the hands of orcs by slaying all their kind? Do you seek revenge on someone who has wronged you or your family in the past, or do you want to see justice done for all those less fortunate than yourself? You might even simply want nothing more than a peaceful life, to settle down in the woods one day, in your own cabin, but things keep getting in the way.

If you are taking an existing character into an RP environment, create a history that reflects your skills. How did you become a 5xGM mage... not well I went out and beat up a lot of monsters with spells, then sailed around in a boat casting earthquake... try making a history out of it. Who was your initial tutor in magery? Were they kind to you? Did you set out to seek fame and adventure in the wild places and dungeons of the world? Was it a quest? What happened to your tutor? And so on...