but it worked!!

[Mach2.5]

I had a problem with twists becoming cliche themselves as well. Then I learned to put an even bigger twist on the twisted cliche'. For example, the damsel in distress that the PCs were sent to save arrived just as they set out . . . in pieces contained within a crate. Gruesome perhaps, but it sure did motivate the PCs to become avengers instead of rescuers.

Twists and such are not always the 'shock at the end'. If your going to twist a standard idea/cliche' or stereotype, make it the PCs that you focus on. Twist their role in the situation. Hired by a caravan (something that happened alot in my Dark Sun campaign) turned into Sack a Merchant's Caravan. Another Damsel twist had the damsel possessed with the PCs hired out to either find a way to end her possession or kill her (turning the PCs from rescuers into assassins). Met in a bar/pub . . . well, players will be drunken characters. Can't really avoid this one some times.

Also, reversing stereotypes gets old. Instead of reversing, reinvent. Evil wizards locked up in their towers with summoning circles and laboratories gets old. Instead, put the same wizard in the woods, using no laboratories but conducting the same kinds of experiments.

 

[Malicene]

I think newbies could enjoy a minotaur maze... once ! I mean this is cliche for an all-time gamer like you , but remenber it's the first time for them !
So they would certainly like it !

 

[diaglo]

you are the apprentice to a powerful wizard. the wizard goes away on a trip and leaves you in charge.

you read his spellbook and experiment with some of his things.

an army of animated brooms soon...

 

[kengar]

Caravan Guards & Hired By a Mysterious Stranger in a Tavern are both old favorites.

I once threw a cliche into a crawl for some newbies as comic relief. They had come to gaming late in life by my standards (20's & 30's). Some of them were uncertain about gaming in general and their perceptions were colored by old "nerd" predjudices. Thus, I wanted to keep it light and fun.

Short story long, the party found the dungeon, went in, did all the normal stuff: check for traps, etc. When they came to the first door, they opened it to find...

A CHEST SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A 10' X 10' ROOM WITH AN ORC GUARDING IT

None of them thought it was strange or funny except the one experienced player (had played almost as long as me) and she laughed out loud. I couldn't keep a straight face either and smiled like an idiot. The newbies took it for a sadistic grin.

... Everyone else looked at her like she was crazy. They said things like "What's so funny?", "I *knew* we shouldn't have opened the door!", "We're being attacked by a monster!! KILL IT!"


None of the newbies had any idea how wimpy a lone orc is. After the fight (1 round) they actually thought they'd been in real danger, and that they were lucky no one had been killed.


*snif* one of my fondest DM memories.

PS- as a result of this incident, when Nodwick ran this strip a few weeks ago, I nearly died laughing (the second one).

 

[Omand]

I read this retelling on an old cliche, once:

So the characters start off in the typical tavern, where some guy is seeking "Adventurers for Hire". They each get a chance to give him their spiel, as do the NPCs. Finally, the guy chooses his party, and leaves the Inn...

The PCs, still sitting there, go "Well! THAT never happened, before!" They then form their own party, and venture off!

I like that idea, mind if I steal it?

Cheers

 

[JoeBlank]

you are the apprentice to a powerful wizard. the wizard goes away on a trip and leaves you in charge.

you read his spellbook and experiment with some of his things.

an army of animated brooms soon...

This sort of thing seems to happen to me all the time.

 

[jrients]

I ran "rescue princess from dragon" to great effect once. Three keys to making it work:

1) The dragon needs to be tough enough to whomp the party in a stand-up fight BUT

2) It needs to be weak enough that a good attack plan MIGHT work against it

3) Make it possible, but not easy, to rescue the princess without fighting the dragon.

 

[Nifft]

"You all meet at an inn... and make a Reflex save against the incomming Fireball!" -- N

 

[Nifelhein]

I ran "rescue princess from dragon" to great effect once. Three keys to making it work:

Nah.. no fun here... saving the Dragon from the Princess, that would be fun, and a change of pace from a cliche, at least once... After all, how many dragons have you saved before?

One day I wll actually do it, save the dragon from that princess and restore peace to the kingdom!

 

[jester47]

I constantly use the meet in an inn. It makes sense. If I was running a modern campaign it would be you meet in a coffee shop, or a pub, or a cafe, or a night club. These are places where people go to socialise and so that is where they meet. What makes it cliche is that its always the same bar. Give the bar some character, like other groups that meet there (resources for the PCs) secrets that the bar has, history and decor, then you can turn it into a sort of base of operations. Take a look at Taverns by Necromancer Games. Great useful places.

Typically I find a place that is a comon meeting area and use it as the start/base for the adventure/campaign. So it could be the local market, a tavern, an inn, a cardhouse, etc. Combine that with several passive and active hooks and a couple of rumors and you really can't go wrong.

Aaron.