D&D 5E Which played-out D&D trope needs to die?

[toucanbuzz]

Remember, the OP isn't saying tropes are bad. Some we expect and love (e.g. the reluctant hero, the showdown in a Western). It's how they're used that makes them cliché (e.g. everyone confidently struts away from explosions).

So, I'll insert a D&D trope (common theme) followed by cliché (overuse has led to belief there's no longer thought involved, aka lame).

1. You're the only people trying to save the world. Always a noble motivator. Cliché: there's never anyone else out there simultaneously trying to stop the world-ending event [insert semi-plausible reason why Elminster or the 20th level king with a full nation at his back giving you the job can't.]
2. Kill them all and take their stuff. Way to improve gear. Cliché: this never causes problems with anyone, ever. When you strut into town with the belongings of dead people, even wearing their stuff, it's cool.
3. That's against my alignment. Tool to help with roleplaying rather than settle into your real-life self with pointy ears. Cliché: justification for being a disruptive ass or acting foolishly to see what the DM will do.
4. Damsel in Distress. Story plot to motivate. Cliché: too many stories have a young woman who needs help with probably an overbearing male figure in her life.
5. Drow. Cool bad guys that are beautiful, graceful, artistic but also super-deadly killers (at least in previous editions), slavers, and supreme race believers. Cliché: thanks to Drizz't, all bad guys are misunderstood and just waiting for the PCs to come around and see their inner wonderful self. Also, the dual-wielding drow and drow as a player class.
6. Dwarves with Irish/Scottish accents. It's not exotic if your fantasy races have a southern drawl. Cliché: do I have to explain it? Playing a dwarf while using Irish/Scottish accents. This also risks running into the cliché that using an accent is the same as roleplaying or good acting.

 

[not-so-newguy]

You're a group of hermits, orphaned street urchins, and entertainers that come from disparate parts of the world who share no common culture or ancestry. After meeting in a bar and taking the same side in a brawl, you trust each other with your lives and become roommates.

 

[CleverNickName]

That trope where a band of homeless, homicidal orphans is somehow expected to save the world.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Kill them all and take their stuff. Way to improve gear. Cliché: this never causes problems with anyone, ever. When you strut into town with the belongings of dead people, even wearing their stuff, it's cool.

A corollary to this, coup de gras-ing magically sleeping opponents and somehow not getting the reputation of being a murder.

 

[ECMO3]

I'm talking stuff like "rangers suck" or "bards are always horny." I'm talking plots like rescuing the princess, meeting your evil twin, or finding out that it was all a dream. Sure these things can be done well, but they also tend to elicit an immediate eye-roll when they come up. So before you attack your keyboard with "I did THING in my game, and it was the best THING ever," remember that this is more about pet-peeves than never-do-this-under-any-circumstance.

So how about about it? Which played-out D&D trope needs to die?

(Comic for illustrative purposes.)

Druids don't wear metal armor.

 

[Minigiant]

Game is called Dungeons and Dragons.

90%+ of the time Dragons aren't doing anything, ruling anything, nor impacting anything in the world.

 

[Yaarel]

Which played out trope needs to die?

Elves are dexterous.

 

[Malmuria]

Since other people have gotten meta about dnd discourse, I'll add: the "trope" that the 5e dmg is actually underrated and people should just read it because there's so much useful stuff in it. The 5e dmg is trash. I gave mine away I disliked it so much.

 

[Yaarel]

You're all wake up and have no idea how you got there.

I can't remember how many times in and out of game this has happened to me.

Well, thats what happens when people meet in taverns!

 

[Older Beholder]

Characters that are completely motivated by greed, to the point that they try to extort or con every quest giver, tavern owner, shop keeper, for more gold.