D&D General Common gaming clichés (and how to subvert them)

[R_J_K75]

Subversion: The Tavern is the final dungeon.

The part in Spinal Tap where they're trying to find their way from the dressing room to the stage only to get caught in the backstage maze immediately comes to mind here.

The campaign ends and the PC's retire to their favorite tavern for a cold pint...or do they?

 

[thom_likes_gaming]

Some D&D situations/tropes are so cliché that you want to groan/run away the moment you encounter them!

With that in mind, how about listing out those situations/encounters but adding a twist that turns it from a cliché to a fun memorable experience.

So list one (or more if you really want) and then explain how you would change it to be a great experience instead.

I'll start:

Cliché:
The campaign begins in a tavern. The hooded stranger who has summoned the players beckons them to his table and begins to explain how he wishes to hire them for an important assignment. This can be hammed up for all it's worth.

Subversion:

Just as the players are about to go along with it or, more likely, as they are about to revolt from actually being subject to this scenario -
A massive dragon's tail sweeps through the wall and slams the "stranger" into opposite wall - mid speech. The Inn is under attack from a dragon. The players have to run, get patrons/employees to safety, negotiate, or otherwise deal with the dragon.

I did this with the start of my last campaign and the players had a ball - plus it led to an immediate hook of what the heck just happened and why.

Hot dang that's good. Too bad I started tyranny of dragons 2 months back, ori would have SO nicked that...

 

[Flamestrike]

Cliche: The innkeeper hires the part to kill rats beneath the tavern level 1 PCs.

Twist: The giant rat is a wererat who wants to recruit the party for a more interesting plot.

The wererat is LG, and the true owner of the tavern.

The innkeeper is the NE guy that hired a were rat assasin to kill the previous owner, but got a problem more than he bargained for in the process.

 

[Quartz]

Cliche: the guard the merchant caravan initial quest with the PCs defending the caravan.

Twist: the PCs start as caravan guards and the caravan master sends them off on a scouting mission to the adventure location to determine whether or not it is worth the caravan diverting. Whether or not the caravan is there when they get back is another question.

Anyway, I thoroughly recommend the Order of the Stick for sticking it to cliches.

 

[R_J_K75]

I gotta give this thread props, so props to @Mort. It probably just saved the game I was preparing to DM tonight. I grabbed two adventures off DMs Guild. I thought the hunt down brigands plot for both was a little dull and wait for it...CLICHE! I took the general premise from both and combined them but decided to make the PCs part of the Brigands. Figured I'd have them hunted by the local militia and townsfolk, and doing raids on local farms and the town. I just couldn't figure out how to start off. I did some prep last few days and this morning but had writers block so I took a break. Then I thought of this thread and had an epiphany so we'll see how it goes.

 

[R_J_K75]

CLICHE:
Players thinking they are smarter than they are because they have an 18 Intelligence,

I had a player/PC say, "What are you going to do with the power once you get it?"

DM: "Use it."

 

[Quartz]

Cliche: the BBEG

Twist: the BBEG has had an epiphany and reformed. But he's not that much more powerful than his still-evil lieutenants, so he gets the PCs to kill them off, then when the PCs confront him, he thanks them, proves his conversion, and steps down.

 

[Musing Mage]

Cliche: the BBEG

Twist: the BBEG has had an epiphany and reformed. But he's not that much more powerful than his still-evil lieutenants, so he gets the PCs to kill them off, then when the PCs confront him, he thanks them, proves his conversion, and steps down.

I kinda-sorta did this in my previous campaign!

The BBEG for the first half of the campaign was a human dual-class Wizard/Warrior (2nd ed campaign). For years (in game and out) he was a royal pain for different groups of PCs.

At one point, a generation later (in game) the new group of PCs which consisted of some players from the previous sessions encountered him, no longer public enemy #1 and claiming to have reformed and fighting for the good of the nation. It was true, he'd become Lawful Good and was speaking the truth. But none of the players believed it and were torn as to how to deal with him.

Good times.

 

[Lanefan]

Cliche: the BBEG

Twist: the BBEG has had an epiphany and reformed. But he's not that much more powerful than his still-evil lieutenants, so he gets the PCs to kill them off, then when the PCs confront him, he thanks them, proves his conversion, and steps down.

A variant on this that I've done:

Cliche: the BBEG.

Twist: on reaching the "BBEG" they find it's a BBGG and the adventure has been a test of whether the party are capable of handling some assignments and missions said BBGG has in mind for them.