Tabletop RPGs, Safe haven, Or social nightmare

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I play a variety of table top RPG's and despite loveing them very dearly, at times i want to throw the battle grid across the room. I cannot roleplay in Dungeons and dragons (or other similar games) to save my life, On a screen i can roleplay very easily, but face to face all that breaks down and i often resort to that most dreaded of game killers... Goofing off, please offer some advice on this matter?

Safe haven for me.

Two words: Horse blinders.

Well, not literally. Stand up a couple notebooks as a screen. I do this when I DM so that I don't have the eye contact and facial expressions to deal with (especially since the accursed peripherial vision catches ALL of it). You might feel a bit silly at first, but this will save you. For public dice rolls, I look at the dice. I can break out the accents and go into various townsfolk personas without having to see their facial changes or surprise or smiles which would otherwise totally throw me off my game. I throw out the occasional animal noises too when appropriate.

In time, over many years, you will have your friends' expressions and mannerisms so memorized that you can start lowering that barrier or peeking over it more often without being thrown.

Thanks, Now if only i could do that as a player XD I just can't get into character, I try to act out my dashing rouge/swashbuckler, the rebel hero of a thousand fans. (exaggeration... Were only fifth level.) but it all comes out as gibberish and social awkwardness... However the blinders are a great idea for when I dm, that and helping with plans as i can write on the note books.

I just don't know how to act, I have it in my head but it doesn't come out, I've tried taking up the manners of premade characters but then everyone yells at me...

(about the premade character manners) LOL! Hang in there. I've done that too

It's funny, but whenever I played I also took up a swashbuckler (single hand style, rapier). I love that class. I'm still playing under 2nd ed rules though 'cuz I'm a fossil.

Nothing wrong with 5th level. My campaign advances at a snail's pace. I think the most fun is at the lower levels anyway.

Sometimes, watching a few 'period movies' with the swashbuckler archetype can be helpful to me pre-session. Then if you get tongue-tied, you can throw out a stock phrase or two until you recover.

I'm curious -- when you adopt the persona and you are alone, can you pull it off then?

I can actually adopt the persona with a bit of practice when I'm alone, And i fancy my character somewhat of a mix of drizzt (the dark elf of R.A salvatores positively amazing saga), Jack sparrow (Captain jack Sparrow), and a bit of that most dashing hero Indiana jones XD I love playing this character, and the Elf race makes it even better.

MY club meets today in less then a half hour, I'm so excited!