R. Roland is a minor character in Doom 3. A maintenance worker assigned to Mars City, he survived the initial wave of the demonic invasion shortly after it began, making him the first survivor the player encounters.
History[]
When the player exits the Mars City Underground after the start of the invasion, Roland calls them out from a ventilation shaft by lowering a maintenance ladder for them to climb. Relieved to find the player, Roland shares his frightening experience of witnessing a shockwave that struck the entire base and people turning into Zombies, but has no idea how he made it unscathed. He then asks the player to seek help.
If the player persists in speaking to him, he will strongly affirm that he doesn't want to leave his position in the maintenance shaft, believing it to be the only safe place, and asks the player to be quick as he is still unsure if the spot he is in can last long.
His fate is unknown, but considering he was found shortly after the demonic invasion began, as well as the opening within the vent being wide enough for some demons to possibly enter through, he may have not lived long enough compared to the other survivors that the player encounters later on in the game. The Resurrection of Evil intro also mentions the player being the only known survivor, implying that he may have eventually succumbed to the invasion.