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Reinventing fantasy cliches
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<blockquote data-quote="Slapzilla" data-source="post: 4152157" data-attributes="member: 52781"><p>Cliche works well when you need a shortcut. Avoiding cliche requires creativity (and the time to create, of course). Re-inventing can be fun. Dwarves in a modern setting as a biker gang, for instance keeps a cliche, but 'imports' it into your current context.</p><p></p><p>The Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark needed no explanation as to why they needed to not get their hands on this powerful artifact. Everybody hates them and they are the bad guys. No problem, right? Well, it worked in that context because the whole set up was the '30s serial style story action hero thing.</p><p></p><p>We assume the Orcs are the bad guys in the same way. Yes, of course, there are some orcs that are decent but part of what makes fantasy a fantasy is that you never have to fret about the morality of ambushing a troop of sleeping orcs. The suspension of disbelief must happen here, too for without it, the fantasy cliches will die.</p><p></p><p>I feel that amping up the cliche to the maximum and getting the characters to partake in it is the best way to get beyond it. When they have their own way of doing things, the cliche will shift to fit them. For instance...</p><p></p><p>I've currently got a Human Fem Bar/Drd, a Goblin Male Ranger/Goblin Paragon, and a Half-elf Fem Bard trying to get a stolen but recovered Dwarven family heirloom to a Dwarven citadel while trying to outrace the orc army about to lay seige to it. The Barbarian's tribe will harrass the army so as to not allow them to settle in and the dwarves will counter attack. The Barbarian has to get to her tribe and the heirloom's family will certainly be grateful and during the counter attack, they will hack their way through the orcs and deliver the PCs to the tribe. Totally macho, tough-as-nails, grim dwarves, savage barbarians and vicious orcs a plenty. Crank the bad-a$$ery up!</p><p></p><p>How the players handle the cliches and the overboard macho war imagery I'm going to throw at them will be what it is. But it will give us all a glimpse into what and who their characters are and the kinds of things that will interest them in the future... which is the real goal of continuing a campaign anyway, right?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Slapzilla, post: 4152157, member: 52781"] Cliche works well when you need a shortcut. Avoiding cliche requires creativity (and the time to create, of course). Re-inventing can be fun. Dwarves in a modern setting as a biker gang, for instance keeps a cliche, but 'imports' it into your current context. The Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark needed no explanation as to why they needed to not get their hands on this powerful artifact. Everybody hates them and they are the bad guys. No problem, right? Well, it worked in that context because the whole set up was the '30s serial style story action hero thing. We assume the Orcs are the bad guys in the same way. Yes, of course, there are some orcs that are decent but part of what makes fantasy a fantasy is that you never have to fret about the morality of ambushing a troop of sleeping orcs. The suspension of disbelief must happen here, too for without it, the fantasy cliches will die. I feel that amping up the cliche to the maximum and getting the characters to partake in it is the best way to get beyond it. When they have their own way of doing things, the cliche will shift to fit them. For instance... I've currently got a Human Fem Bar/Drd, a Goblin Male Ranger/Goblin Paragon, and a Half-elf Fem Bard trying to get a stolen but recovered Dwarven family heirloom to a Dwarven citadel while trying to outrace the orc army about to lay seige to it. The Barbarian's tribe will harrass the army so as to not allow them to settle in and the dwarves will counter attack. The Barbarian has to get to her tribe and the heirloom's family will certainly be grateful and during the counter attack, they will hack their way through the orcs and deliver the PCs to the tribe. Totally macho, tough-as-nails, grim dwarves, savage barbarians and vicious orcs a plenty. Crank the bad-a$$ery up! How the players handle the cliches and the overboard macho war imagery I'm going to throw at them will be what it is. But it will give us all a glimpse into what and who their characters are and the kinds of things that will interest them in the future... which is the real goal of continuing a campaign anyway, right? [/QUOTE]
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