diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d38433b6..efa6d897 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -72,3 +72,4 @@ desktop.ini
 .cache
 npm-ls.txt
 npm-audit.txt
+.vscode/launch.json
diff --git a/backend/src/plugins/Roles.ts b/backend/src/plugins/Roles.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd49e1ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/plugins/Roles.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { ZeppelinPlugin, trimPluginDescription } from "./ZeppelinPlugin";
+import * as t from "io-ts";
+import { tNullable } from "src/utils";
+import { decorators as d, IPluginOptions, logger, waitForReaction, waitForReply } from "knub";
+import { Attachment, Constants as ErisConstants, Guild, Member, Message, TextChannel, User } from "eris";
+import { GuildLogs } from "src/data/GuildLogs";
+
+const ConfigSchema = t.type({
+    can_assign: t.boolean,
+    assignable_roles: tNullable(t.array(t.string))
+  });  
+type TConfigSchema = t.TypeOf<typeof ConfigSchema>;
+
+enum RoleActions{
+    Add,
+    Remove
+};
+  
+export class RolesPlugin extends ZeppelinPlugin<TConfigSchema> {
+  public static pluginName = "roles";
+  public static configSchema = ConfigSchema;
+
+  public static pluginInfo = {
+    prettyName: "Roles",
+    description: trimPluginDescription(`
+      Enables authorised users to add and remove whitelisted roles with a command.
+    `),
+  };
+  protected logs: GuildLogs;
+
+  onLoad(){
+    this.logs = new GuildLogs(this.guildId);
+  }
+
+  public static getStaticDefaultOptions(): IPluginOptions<TConfigSchema> {
+    return {
+      config: {
+        can_assign: false,
+        assignable_roles: null
+      },
+      overrides: [
+        {
+          level: ">=50",
+          config: {
+            can_assign: true,
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+  }
+
+
+  @d.command("role", "<action:string> <user:string> <role:string>",{
+      extra: {
+        info: {
+          description: "Assign a permitted role to a user",
+        },
+      },
+    })
+  @d.permission("can_assign")
+  async assignRole(msg, args: {action: string; user: string; role: string}){
+    const user = await this.resolveUser(args.user);
+    console.log(user);
+    if (!user) {
+      return this.sendErrorMessage(msg.channel, `User not found`);
+    }
+
+    //if the role doesnt exist, we can exit
+    let roleIds = (msg.channel as TextChannel).guild.roles.map(x => x.id)
+    if(!(roleIds.includes(args.role))){
+      return this.sendErrorMessage(msg.channel, `Role not found`);
+    } 
+
+    // If the user exists as a guild member, make sure we can act on them first
+    const member = await this.getMember(user.id);
+    if (member && !this.canActOn(msg.member, member)) {
+      this.sendErrorMessage(msg.channel, "Cannot add or remove roles on this user: insufficient permissions");
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const action: string = args.action[0].toUpperCase() + args.action.slice(1).toLowerCase();
+    if(!RoleActions[action]){
+      this.sendErrorMessage(msg.channel, "Cannot add or remove roles on this user: invalid action");
+    }
+
+    //check if the role is allowed to be applied
+    
+
+    console.log("exited at the end"); 
+  }
+    
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/src/plugins/availablePlugins.ts b/backend/src/plugins/availablePlugins.ts
index f202ea76..8e6d3374 100644
--- a/backend/src/plugins/availablePlugins.ts
+++ b/backend/src/plugins/availablePlugins.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { LocatePlugin } from "./LocateUser";
 import { GuildConfigReloader } from "./GuildConfigReloader";
 import { ChannelArchiverPlugin } from "./ChannelArchiver";
 import { AutomodPlugin } from "./Automod";
+import { RolesPlugin} from "./Roles";
 
 /**
  * Plugins available to be loaded for individual guilds
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ export const availablePlugins = [
   CompanionChannelPlugin,
   LocatePlugin,
   ChannelArchiverPlugin,
+  RolesPlugin,
 ];
 
 /**