Classic Fantasy Ideas

[Nellisir]

What do people think are the classic tropes/concepts/ideas/features/conventions of literary fantasy, ep. sword & sorcery and high fantasy?
My list so far:
elves, dwarves, humans;
sunken continent, last survivors thereof;
pirates;
wizard's guild;
eccentric & individual wizards;
inn &/or tavern of questionable repute with a burly barkeep;
...

I'm amusing myself with a new campaign setting.

 

[Crothian]

Mountain area of high peaks and volcanoes controled by the orcs and goblins
Wizards have pointed hats and staves
Profecies about common person
Ancient civilazation or war that somehow becomes important

 

[Tonguez]

What do people think are the classic tropes/concepts/ideas/features/conventions of literary fantasy, ep. sword & sorcery and high fantasy?

Based on the two criteria of sword & sorcery and high fantasy I would not include

elves, dwarves, humans;
sunken continent, last survivors thereof;
pirates;

My list would include

A Barbarian in the 'city'
Noble Knights on white chargers
Decadent and crumbling empires
eccentric and vile wizards;
beautiful and wise scorceresses
Rugged and noble 'Foresters'
Unlikely Peasant-Heroes. (I'd put Hero from Earth in this category too)
A mysterious 'other' race (not necessarily elfs, since snakemen were just as common)
inn &/or tavern of questionable repute with a burly barkeep;
Lost Temple to Savage gods
demons
Ogres
goblins
A talking animal

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The last of a royal line walking around, barely incognito, but surprisingly not killed by his line's enemies.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

A Barbarian in the 'city'
Noble Knights on white chargers
Decadent and crumbling empires
eccentric and vile wizards;
beautiful and wise scorceresses
Rugged and noble 'Foresters'
Unlikely Peasant-Heroes. (I'd put Hero from Earth in this category too)
A mysterious 'other' race (not necessarily elfs, since snakemen were just as common)
inn &/or tavern of questionable repute with a burly barkeep;
Lost Temple to Savage gods
demons
Ogres
goblins
A talking animal

Heh, half of those are either in my Midwood campaign or will be showing up soon.

My players will NOT be a fan of the talking animal.

 

[Dykstrav]

The main characters are either unremarkable (farmers, blacksmiths, et cetera) or want to appear to be unremarkable. Later on we find out that they are somehow of world-shaking importance.

Magic is eldritch and mysterious. Even if the main characters understand it well, the mass of common humanity doesn't. Magic is looked upon with awe (and possibly fear or reverence).

Specifically for Sword and Sorcery, I'd say that the magicians tend to be domineering, manipulative individuals. Even the 'good' ones (few and far between) have inscrutable motives and don't reveal their full plans. Any kind of magician (arcane or divine spellcaster in the D&D sense) is secretive and cultivates a deliberate air of mystery.

Religions tend to be either pure-hearted and noble or mildly insane cults. Every religion has an enemy.

Above all, a fantasy world is a world of extremes. The highest mountains, the most desolate deserts, the mightiest spells, the most powerfuls swords. Something extreme is always involved in a fantasy plot.

 

[Nellisir]

What do people think are the classic tropes/concepts/ideas/features/conventions of literary fantasy, ep. sword & sorcery and high fantasy?

Based on the two criteria of sword & sorcery and high fantasy I would not include

elves, dwarves, humans;
sunken continent, last survivors thereof;
pirates;

I largely concur on pirates, but your other two exclusions intrigue me, since the "elves, dwarves" reference stemmed from JRR Tolkien's LotR (quintessential high fantasy?) and the "sunken continent" reference from RE Howard's King Kull (that in some error; while Kull was Atlantean, Atlantis didn't disappear until some centuries later. At least according to Wikipedia). Kull being a direct forebearer of Conan, and Conan being to sword-and-sorcery as LotR is to high fantasy...I'm intrigued as to your reasoning.

Enlighten?

 

[Nellisir]

Talking animals I will have, for a nod towards romantic fantasy. Rules courtesy of Blue Rose.

 

[Tonguez]

I largely concur on pirates, but your other two exclusions intrigue me, since the "elves, dwarves" reference stemmed from JRR Tolkien's LotR (quintessential high fantasy?) and the "sunken continent" reference from RE Howard's King Kull (that in some error; while Kull was Atlantean, Atlantis didn't disappear until some centuries later. At least according to Wikipedia). Kull being a direct forebearer of Conan, and Conan being to sword-and-sorcery as LotR is to high fantasy...I'm intrigued as to your reasoning.

Enlighten?

My reasoning was in an attempt to remain generic.

I think that since you can in fact sight the references from which those two examples arose then they are not generic albeit that they are classic.

As further example Conan spent time as a Pirate but despite that example the idea of 'Pirate' doesn't really invoke ideas of Sword & Scorcery.

To expand further

1. Sunken continent I would have left on the list - although I might reword it to Lost Antediluvian Civilisation. It was the last survivor part which made it non-generic

2. I'm a bit ambivalent about Tolkien and personally wouldn't include him as High Fantasy (which generally for me invokes Shining Castles, Knights of White Chargers, mysterious Sidhe and evil Scorceresses), Tolkien I'd call the classic of 'Epic Fantasy' but thats just me. And as I said before Tolkiens Elfs, Dwarfs and Humans are only one possible combination of humanoids.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Talking animals I will have, for a nod towards romantic fantasy. Rules courtesy of Blue Rose.

It predates "romantic fantasy," as that's used today, of course. Fairy tales predate (and helped inspire) romantic fantasy and are loaded with such animals.